Blog articles delving into Vicki’s creative processes that drive the business forward.
Twice a year, the Super Seconds Festival brings together hundreds of independent artists and makers offering beautiful handmade products, seconds and samples at discounted prices. It’s the perfect opportunity to discover unique designs, support small creative businesses, and shop thoughtfully for art, gifts and homewares.
Framed prints are coming soon! Having just spent the best part of an hour framing a print as a gift for a friend (those pesky dust particles!!) I felt the need to sit down and get some of my thoughts down in writing.
Framing sounds straightforward, right? Choose a nice frame, pop the print in, seal it up, and you’re done. But anyone who’s ever tried to frame a print – especially one that means something to them or is destined for someone special – will know it’s never quite that easy. There’s an art to framing (pun entirely intended), and it’s one I’ve come to appreciate deeply after hours spent removing specks of dust, re-cutting tape, and gently aligning prints with the kind of care normally reserved for high-stakes surgery.
Planning my first solo art exhibition has been an exhilarating and demanding endeavour. Drawing from my recent experience preparing for an exhibition at the Spout Yard Gallery in Louth, I can attest to the multifaceted nature of the planning and execution of such an event.
Running a business sounds like the dream, doesn’t it? The allure of independence, pursuing your passion, and having the freedom to steer your own ship. That’s what draws so many of us into starting a business in the first place. But here’s the thing they don’t tell you in those shiny “Start Your Dream Business” guides: sometimes, actual business growth feels less like climbing a ladder to success and more like you’ve stumbled onto a treadmill you can’t quite get off.
Art is a deeply personal pursuit, isn’t it? Whether you’re sitting in front of a canvas, shaping clay with your hands, or sketching out the latest idea in your notebook, there’s a certain magic to creating something that speaks to your soul. But let’s be real – there’s also a certain tension when you consider that art needs to sell if you’re going to keep the lights on. Finding the balance between creating soulful, meaningful art and being commercially savvy is one of the trickiest lines to walk.
One of the most fulfilling aspects of my work as an artist is the opportunity to indulge in two of my greatest passions: travel and history. Each of my digital landscape designs carries with it a story, and I take immense pleasure in researching the locations and landmarks that form part of my collections. By weaving together the past and present of these places, I can capture not just their visual beauty, but also their hidden histories. It’s this combination of art and storytelling that breathes life into my prints and makes them so much more than simple depictions of the landscape.
Art is often seen as a solitary pursuit – an artist in their studio, quietly working away, paintbrush in hand, or fingers on a tablet, creating something deeply personal and unique. But some of the most exciting, inspiring, and downright magical pieces of art come not from a lone genius, but from the beautiful chaos that is collaboration.
