Full Time Artist FAQs
Having run my business full time for just over a year now I thought it would be useful to share a blog post featuring some FAQs that I get asked.
How did I discover my artistic style?
It really just comes from practice. Practicing what you love and learning the skills that are essential to improving. I used to paint with acrylic but I didn’t have the same love for it as I do for watercolour, I think you have to really enjoy your creative practice. You tend to do a bit of everything when you are learning so it can be hard to find your niche straight away. After I left it was pens and watercolour that I turned to as they’re relatively easy to use - you don’t need a large space or fancy materials and they both have the added bonus of creating very little mess. Since then I have practiced a lot - trying variations of different techniques and developing my skills.
Wildflower illustrations painted in watercolour
How do I make money from my art?
You can make money from art in lots of different ways and it can be frustrating that this isn’t the narrative that we are used to hearing. For me personally, I have made money from sharing my work online and putting myself out there initially.
You don’t need to focus on one thing with your work, I have found spinning a lot of different plates to be helpful in the beginning. My income streams have varying busy spells throughout the year which ultimately helps to balance the books.
I have my own online shop, Etsy & notonthehighstreet store. I take part in in-person events such as craft fairs, pop ups & Christmas markets. Wholesale is a big one for me, I started doing wholesale very near the start of my business and it’s my bread and butter, I currently supply over 100 gift shops. I also offer bespoke wedding stationery, live painting at weddings and commissioned artwork pieces. I have worked on small design projects, dabbled in licensing my artwork as well as collaborations with other small businesses. That’s a lot of different ways to make money! It may be that I need to streamline this at some point but the good news is that there is definitely many ways to make money from art.
Selling my work at an Exclusively Highlands market at Inveraray Castle
Where do I find inspiration for my art?
I’d say it comes from looking around you and thinking about things in a different way.... there tends to be a lot of thinking that goes on behind the scenes first. Take my wildflowers collection as an example. This collection started in lockdown - I wanted to use the time at home wisely and florals were something I had always loved but hadn’t tried painting. I wanted to build on my portfolio of work and I decided to set myself a 30 days of painting watercolour florals challenge. By the time I finished the challenge, I had an idea forming in my head. If you know my work you will know my first illustration was a map of Shetland, inspired by the feeling of home, so I suppose the idea that was forming was linking back to that original idea. I had started thinking about how Shetland is known for having no trees, but that the nature and wildlife there is a huge draw for people. So the idea was ‘trees don’t grow in Shetland, but what does?’
I researched Shetland wildflowers and took photos of the ones that I found on walks. Back in the studio, I painted them all and then taught myself how to build a pattern out of them. This collection turned out to be my most successful collection so far. I think this was partly because of the genuine interest I had in the subject matter and the amount of practice I put in at the early stages.
That’s the long answer... the short answer is the feeling of home, connections, bright colours and pretty things!
Ling growing in Shetland
How can you work with me?
Wholesale > I am currently looking for new stockists, contact me for a wholesale brochure and price list. You can also shop from me direct on Faire - please contact me prior to ordering and I can set you up as a customer.
Wedding Stationery > email me for a price guide and we can arrange a free design consultation and/or a sample pack to be sent to you. A quote will be provided followed by a request for a £50 non-refundable deposit.
Live Painting > email me with your wedding details so I can check availability. I will provide you with a quote based on your numbers and requirements. A 25% deposit will be taken on booking with the remainder to be paid 4 weeks prior to your wedding date.
Personal Commissions > email me with your idea and I can advise on the cost and current lead time I will take a 50% deposit on booking with the remainder to be paid on completion of the artwork.
Collaborations > I would love to work with other small business owner on more collabs! Please get in touch if you think my work might be a good fit for a project you have in mind.
Anything else > email is the best form of contact, I normally respond quickest there! I am always open to new ideas and projects and would love to hear from you.
My diary is normally booked up a couple of months in advance, particularly over the summer and Nov & Dec. I recommend getting in touch as soon as you know you’d like to work with me and I can get you booked in. If you are interested in live painting I’d get in touch as soon as possible for this as I am currently only taking on a very limited number of bookings per year for this :)
Do you have any other questions? Get in touch with me or drop them below and I will get back to you!