I was asked by a local hotel, the Fox and Hounds in Eggesford) a few months ago if I would have a stand to showcase my work at their Dachshund Day event in February. (I will be writing more about this soon).
I will be exhibiting a couple of original drawings of local dachshunds, and for the first time will be selling prints of these. Also, I will be selling a selection of greetings cards which I have designed and illustrated especially for the event.I am so excited about this! It is something I have always wanted to do. To me it feels like a free rein to create acessible little pieces of art for everyone – and I can experiment with different styles and media, which is the perfect way for me to create art.
I found it very difficult at art college to be forced into working in ‘a style’. It was stressful to feel I had to try and work in a set way for every piece of work. It was boring and uninspiring. I have always loved trying different media, and to me, illustration and design require different styles and media for each project. That brings creativity without limitation, and that leads to more inspiration.
Designing and illustrating greetings cards provides an opportunity to experiment and have fun! For a very long time I felt like I was getting something wrong, as everyone else seemed to have a signature style and be happy to work that way forever. I have since read a bit more about the creative process, and now understand that that is the way I work, and that is ok. Being creative is about being open to inspiration, to experimentation and pushing your boundaries. Forcing yourself to work within a style can create limitations and boundaries, stifling the creative process. Of course, most success artists have a signature style, and I wish I could work that way. But a style should emerge naturally, through creativity, and not be forced. I always felt forced at art college and that I hadn’t succeeded – but as I’ve got older, I realise that to be really creative it is necessary to follow the need to experiment and enjoy the process. If a ‘style’ should evolve, that’s great, but at the same time, why stick to it?
I believe, at art college I was too young to find a style, and I do think I have a style of sorts, but it will always be evolving. We are, as people, always learning and growing and changing as life changes us, so naturally the art we produce will change too. Where my animal drawings are concerned, I do tend to work using the same methods and materials, and I guess I do therefore have a certain ‘style’. However, although I love making these drawings, I don’t want to be limited. I would find that stifling and it would stop being fun.
I have found a printing company who offer a sustainable option for greetings cards and fine art prints, which they will send out directly to my customers. The cards are printed on recycled stock, using eco-friendly water-based inks and are packaged in a biodegradable plastic sleeve (I would rather they were sent out without this but I’m not sure the cards would be protected in the post well enough without it – I will be looking into this in the future). The cards and prints will eventually be available on my website, once I have finished the work for the Dachshund Days! Local customers can buy direct from me and I will deliver the card to your door.
I am so excited about this and so glad I have been able to start a range of greetings cards! I will let you know when my website shop is live!
Here are the designs I took with my to the Daxie Days event
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