One Year Later...

Hello again, wow i'm really starting to get back into this blogging malarkey, here's hoping the enthusiasm lasts! This one will be kind of a personal post but hey, I never said it would all be fun and games and delicious cakes! Before you start reading the rest I feel I should probably warn you that this post is rather heavy on the old parentheses. (enjoy)

Okay so yesterday morning I got a rather groovy email from a chap I haven't spoken to in over a year (hence the title of the post) but it's nothing overly dramatic or particularly too exciting (at least probably not to you, I mean obviously it is to me or I wouldn't be blogging about it would I) it's just that he bought some big ol' paintings from me last summer and wanted to send me an update on their current whereabouts.

For those of you that follow me on my various social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest (shameless plugs I know but this is a blog after all!) you might remember that around this time last year I was just wrapping up my BA degree in Fine Art and showing my work in the degree exhibition. 

Although I took a lot of progress shots for my degree file (and for Instagram) I was going through my prolonged 'no blogging' spell so I never actually documented the process on here. Obviously i'm not about to regale you with a whole start-to-finish essay about something I did a year ago, but I am going to at least explain a bit about what I did.

For my final pieces, I produced four large scale acrylic and posca paintings for the show on 1819 x 607mm (about 6 x 2 foot each) boards and in case you missed it last year, this is what they looked like up on the wall in the exhibition space.

 

The paintings were pretty big, a real pain in the patootie to move anywhere and even more fun to actually put up on the wall. But once they were up in the space they were kind of striking enough that people paused to look at them, which is all I could ask for really! If you can't quite visualise the sizes mentioned, here's a snap of one of the exhibition visitors gazing up in adoring wonder at one of the paintings (actually she's my friend Porscha but I did NOT pay her to pose for the photo, honest!).

Followed by the only photo of me with the paintings in existence, a slightly blurred farce of a photo. Unfortunately i'm blinking like a total moron in the pic, but ignore the fact that I look like a bewildered sloth and focus instead on the paintings in comparison to my height (i'm wearing heels by the way). Now you'll understand why they were such a chore to lug about and why they took me so ruddy long to paint (a full week on each board from start to finish in case you were wondering).

Well, since the degree show was held during the TT festival (more about that HERE) in a public space (a local shopping centre) we got all sorts of wonderful visitors from all over the world and as luck would have it, one afternoon I got a call saying that someone had been in to the exhibition requesting to buy my work.

Initially I didn't think much of this since i've had people ask to buy my work before and then I never hear from them again. I mean I was kind of attached the paintings at this point, i'd spent the last month huddled over my kitchen table slaving away at them night and day. I drank so much Red Bull through curly straws during the painting process that I now can't even look at a can without shuddering or immediately thinking of Lana Del Rey (her music set on repeat pretty much fueled the entire month of painting).

I'd coated aforementioned table in spatters of paint and for a solid month my flatmate couldn't actually use the table at all because it was so covered in pots of paint, brushes and massive flipping wooden boards! They were the biggest paintings i'd ever attempted and I wasn't even sure that I wanted to actually sell them. They were, and still are, incredibly personal pieces of work.

Then I began to realise that if I didn't sell them I would no doubt be stuck with them forever. Which means I would probably either damage them by accident or get really angry one night and set fire to one, or all, of them while screaming insults at the flames. 

I have a strange relationship with my work but these paintings were 'my girls' and however much I loved them (and I did) I knew it would be easier if they weren't cluttering up the place. I was undeniably flattered that someone had even momentarily considered buying my work so I got in touch with the prospective buyer and quickly realised that he was actually serious!

Obviously I was SUPER excited by this news, it's nice to know that someone likes your work enough to want to actually pay money for it! A few emails later and the deal was secured (as it were) and a few weeks after that, I shipped the paintings over to England and met the buyer off the boat (yes it was as thrilling as it sounds). Anyway, at the time when I sold the paintings I genuinely didn't know what was going to happen to them. The buyer said he planned to hang them in his house and that he'd send me a photo, but months went by and I had other things to think about so I just sort of began to forget about 'my girls'. 

The last time I saw them all together side by side was about a fortnight after the exhibition came down, stacked in my kitchen the day I packaged them up for their trip overseas. I bought a funk-load of parcel paper as well as 100m of bubble wrap (possibly the best purchase i've ever made in my life as there are literally hours of fun to be had with a roll of bubble wrap that is 100m long) and I carefully wrapped up the paintings ready to set sail for Heysham.

When we docked in England I met the guy that was buying the paintings and just over a month after i'd first set brush to board I handed them all over and they were no longer my responsibility. Which is probably a good thing since they'd have undoubtedly ended up stacked next to my fridge if i'd have kept them, or more likely plonked behind the sofa gathering dust.

Anyway since then I haven't thought much about them, like I said i've had other things to think about. But over the past few days i've found myself pondering over their sale and wondering whatever became of them in their new home in Cambridgeshire. Did they get put up in a house, did they get sold on, were they shoved away in a garage? So in true nosy-parker style I messaged the buyer just to try and find out what happened to them.

 Well as luck would have it, as I said at the start of the post (before I started wittering on uncontrollably) I received an email from the chap that bought them and he sent me this...

and this - "Hello Jade, I'm sorry that I never got around to sending you pictures before so here you go. As you can see they are hanging on the wall in my house. Have had no problems with them, they been very well behaved! I'm very fond of them and will not be selling them."

So now I know, and now YOU know as well. They're safe and sound in a hallway hanging above a staircase. Which is frankly pretty awesome to know! I like the idea of them keeping watch over the stairs, no doubt intimidating people with their candy coloured ferocity (at least I like to think that's what they do). It's kind of brilliant knowing that my paintings are still being displayed, now all I need to do is crack on and start painting some NEW ones.

 And on that sentimental note I think I shall draw this post to a close. Mostly because i've exhausted the '( )' buttons and I can't really think of anything else to say. Lucky you.

It's not really a great ending to a blog, it's not even a very good ending, but it's an ending all the same.

So until next time, that's all folks!

thanks for reading (or if you just looked at the pictures, thanks for that too)

bye for now... 

College Exhibition 2012

hello again, i know, i KNOW... i said i'd post the other day but it was my final HND assessment yesterday at college so it was all a bit 'panic stations' while i sorted everything for that.

the good news is that i have been offered a place for the final BA year next year :) so yaaaaaaaay!

anyway, i thought i might share a few snaps of my actual exhibition. bearing in mind that we all get the same grey or white boards on which to display our work, we're kind of limited to how it's all going to look so it's not particularly glamourous or exciting... but it is mine!

so in case you can't really tell from the pictures, my end of year exhibition consisted of a set of printed cotton Tote Bags (with the handles pinned away) with matching Badges

a series of four acrylic painted canvases...

 

i also had three printed and embroidered cushions... (you can purchase these here)

some postcard and business card bunting + real sweetie garlands (they were so much fun to make!)

 as well as some little exhibition booklets... (available to buy here)

 

there are actually 20 pages in each booklet, they feature ALL of the 'candy pop dolls' as well as matching lyrics pages featuring the song lyrics that inspired each doll + some funky end papers :)

so there you have it! exhibition 2012... done!

in case you hadn't guessed it already, pretty much ALL of the stuff is already for sale

i have prints and postcards featuring the dolls as well

they're ALL available via my big cartel shop RIGHT HERE


and also on my Etsy Shop


(i'll hopefully be adding some badges and totes to the shops soonish as well)

and as if that weren't thrilling enough, there are now even iPhone cases/skins, hoodies, tees, prints, canvases and cards also available via my Society6 shop

they're also available on iPhone cases, stickers and stuff via my Red Bubble Shop

+ you can currently get 15% off ALL iPhone cases with the code IPHN15

* * *

ok i'll shut up about shops now! promise :)

i'm toying with the idea of giving some of this stuff away to one of YOU luuurvely readers but i'm not sure yet, would anyone like to get their hands on a free print + a booklet and some postcards and badges???

anyway, until next time, that's all folks... xX

Catch up times

Hello there, Happy Easter to you today if you celebrate it. And if you don't... then 'Happy Sunday' and if it's not Sunday where you are... then 'hello' wherever in the world you are + whatever you're up to today.

Golly gosh it's been a while since I last posted on here. You don't need me to tell you it's because i've been so busy because that's the reason I give every time (it's true after all...) but i've also been ill recently and am currently tackling a particularly vile viral throat infection (it's as sore and rubbish as it sounds) that has given me a raw throat, aching limbs, constant headaches + taken away my sense of taste and most of my appetite.

The weird thing is that over the past few weeks i've actually had things to blog about, I just haven't managed to get around to actually writing stuff up or editing pictures. However, seeing as i've spent the entire day cooped up in bed drinking endless cups of orange juice and gazing wistfully at my easter eggs (I woke up to find 8 kinder eggs waiting for me, pity I can't actually taste the chocolate at the moment though) I figured 'no time like the present' and got sorting through the pictures.


I'll start at the most recent stuff and work my way back ok. Bear in mind that this will be a mostly personal post full of pics of friends and family members so if you're here looking for a Creative Café feature or something similar... i'm sorry to disappoint!

Obviously to start with I should point out the blog redesign... yes that's right folks, gone are the candy stripes and headache inducing shades of pink and purple, instead we now have cute airmail stripes + a simpler banner. Let me know if you love it or loathe it, leave a little comment...


Ok on with the post! so yesterday was my best friend Courtney's 21st Birthday, I managed to leave my duvet nest for a few hours to see her in town (at The Alpine of course...) and hand over her Birthday gifts, part of which was this very special little hand stitched Owl plushie that i made especially for her 21st.

like me, Courtney is a big fan of all things Owl related, i'd already bought her a cute little pocket watch necklace but wanted to make her something as well so a girly candy coloured mini owl seemed perfect!

Sticking with The Alpine Café for a moment, I popped in last Wednesday to spend the morning sipping tea and editing files and Melanie, the café's lovely owner came over to show me the brand new menus that had just been delivered

if you think the illustrations look a tad familiar it's because I designed them!!!

if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter then you'll know that I visit the Alpine pretty much every time I head into town so I was absolutely over the moon when Melanie asked me to sort some stuff for the new menu designs several weeks ago.

I showed her 'the Alpine' design I made (inspired by the actual café) and she picked it straightaway only choosing to space it between the kids menu and main menu. It's brilliant popping into the café now only to see my designs on every table!

On Thursday night a new group exhibition opened at the Pavillion in Laxey here on the island.

the 'Miscellaneous' exhibition featuring a bunch of Manx artists, designers, ceramicists and photographers.

I have 4 little candy paintings in the show but unfortunately couldn't go to the private view because I was too ill, so sadly I have no snaps of the show or all of the awesome work on display :(

anyway, let's go back a week or two and my lovely little cousin Sienna came to stay for the entire weekend! Sienna is a regular on this blog and if you read my posts then you'll know what a blast we always have when she comes to stay.

That weekend was no different and we had great fun pottering around Douglas + visiting the annual On Your Doorstep Exhibition at the Villa Marina in Douglas (read about our cupcake fuelled trip there last year as well - Things that begin with 'S' )

during the weekend we played with all her Lalaloopsy dolls (+ some of mine...)

we also had great fun playing in the garden on the Sunday since it was such a gorgeous sunny day!

We went for a hula hoop walk around the house...

tried to see if we could spot some frogs in the pond...

we found the old the garden swing...

we even drew some chalk masterpieces outside the garage!

AND played hopscotch...

Then in the afternoon we baked up a load of cute cupcakes for the Easter fair at Sienna's school

and painted a special 'Princess' egg for the Easter Egg Competition

it was a great weekend and then I even had a fun final week at college before the Easter break started. Although my desk is still a mess of books and other arty rubbish...

oh and i've been making some new bears as well over the past few weeks

My Easter assessment went well and I got some positive critiques on my latest work... which I still haven't shared with you all!

About the new work, i've been sorting these designs and paintings since mid February and they are all going towards my final end of year exhibition at college + a new group exhibition

I would love LOVE to post some sneak peek pics on here, but i'm not going to (I know, i'm so cruel!) so if you want to see them you'll either have to come to one of my exhibitions next month or in June or... wait for me to blog about the stuff when the exhibitions go up!

All I can tell you is that the new work is very girly, very bright and very fun!

Speaking of girly, bright and fun, check out the Cath Kidston fabric swatches I got a few weeks ago!

+ here's a snap of my ongoing washi tape collection (yes, I may have become a tad addicted! But it's so handy and looks good on everything!!!) i've owned a few rolls of the stuff before but am a little late to the table so far as Washi tape addictions go! i intend to make up for that though... just give me time!

it's become a sort of weekly ritual that I treat myself to a new washi tape or two, great for my crafty needs, not so good for my bank balance! if only they didn't look so pretty adorning tags, books and orders from my etsy shop!

Ok one final thing now before I crawl back to my duvet nest and reach for the orange juice. A couple of months ago myself + a few friends decided to start a local design collective for young illustrators, graphic designers and animators.

It's called 'Smoo Doo Croo' which is Manx Gaelic and roughly translates to 'Think Ink Create'

Smoo Doo Croo currently consist of 7 members, all guys and girls between the ages of 19 and 29, all emerging artists and all multitalented.

Among our ranks we have some illustrators, some graphic designers, painters, web designers, crafters + a couple of Oscar Nominated animators and colourists (yes... really!)

so it would be amazingly awesome and great if you could head over and check out our blog – Smoo Doo Croo: Think Ink Create

+ if you're feeling kind maybe 'Like' us on Facebook (we need more likes... pretty please?!) - Smoo Doo Croo

or follow us on Twitter - @SmooDooCroo

we're also on tumblr – smoodoocroo

and we even have a few boards on Pinterest too! - Smoo Doo Croo

all that's left now is for me to say toodle-ooh, i think the blog might be on another hiatus for a few weeks after this while i recover + get back to college and back to the busy work times once again.

so until then, whenever it might be, that's all folks... xX