Have you ever wondered quite what the point is in entering shows, or whether it’s worth your while? This one is for you! This week Alice has been turning her feelings around by getting stuck into things and honouring her promises to herself, which includes wrecking an old painting. Louise has also honoured her promise […]
Making art starts with the basics of form: colour, line, value, design. We need to become fluent in using these if we want to make art which takes this basic vocabulary and turns it into poetry. Nicholas Wilton joined me for this discussion where we talked about how to create true feeling in your work, […]
Does your art need a gimmick to succeed? If art has a quickly recognisable ‘hook’ does that make it easier to sell? This week Alice has been learning the value of taking detours – Louise is in flow with her work and both have been working together to share a free art workshop with Nicholas […]
A question from a listener leads us into a wide-ranging discussion about the artist life. Many feel a frustration about limited time to spend on their work and don’t feel it counts alongside another career, but a recent study by The Arts council found that 68% of artists support themselves with other jobs, so if […]
We all want to make better paintings, get absorbed in the process of creating art and then stand back and discover a masterpiece. Often it doesn’t work quite like that! We can get swamped in the middle stages and easily lose our way, or even motivation to continue. If you recognise that frustration, I hope […]
This week we’re discussing investments – not stocks and bonds, but the kind of investments you make (or don’t make) in yourself and your art practice. Louise is finishing teaching her second course and after 5 months of helping other artists, she is looking forward to spending more time on her own work. Alice’s meeting […]
Often we only get better at something by doing it wrong first. But it’s very tempting to do something once, not get the results you wished for – and then give up. If something’s worth doing then it’s worth sticking with so you actually have the chance to benefit from your own experiences. I would […]
Framing can be a challenge for us all. It’s expensive and there are so many options. If you paint on board or canvas, is it even necessary? If you do decide to add a frame, what style works best? Today we’re going to delve into this topic, discuss our own approaches, and share some inside […]
This is really a juicy one. What happens when your work culminates in a show – but you’re still feeling dissatisfied? There is no doubt that making art is an emotional journey. Showing or selling it can feel even more raw – but it depends on your attitude. Hashtags and starlings all have a helping […]
Have you ever panicked that you don’t have enough time left? Or that you are not spending long enough on your art? Maybe you have fixed ideas about how much time you need before you even begin, and this is stopping you even get started. Alice is on a mission to stop the anxiety and […]
So excited finally to share this! One of three ‘secret’ projects which I have been keeping under wraps since the end of last year when I was asked to lend paintings for a Zoffany photoshoot. I love these experiments – there is no payment involved but I get to see my work styled in an […]
We can all recognise this sorry state of affairs, and it’s not fun! We dig into the different times this can happen and share our ways of resolving it, but first…. What are you working on this week? Louise has been wowed by learning about Facebook (it’s not all just paint, this being an artist […]