Not On The High Street Fabulous Christmas Finds

More Not On the High Street fabulous finds today! Click here to see more & support small businesses this Christmas : -)

Hidden Gems On Notonthehighstreet.com

My friend Gabriella Buckingham & shop owner of MooBaaCluck has started blogging about the hidden gems on Not On The Highstreet. If you would like to support small creative businesses this Christmas, take a look at her post below!

Gorgeous vintage style tags from Cherry Pie Lane  Aren’t those tags adorable?

The beautiful Winter Notonthehighstreet brochures are flying through letterboxes all over the country this week and for a while now there’s been a curated policy with stylish gifts in handy sections onNotonthehighstreet.com : if you are in a hurry the brochure and curated areas are really handy but many, many wonderful things go unseen … these are hidden gems! I want to show you fabulous things that the makers themselves have put forward to me that do not feature in the brochures or curated categories.

I’ve been  a Notonthehighstreet seller since 2009 and every year I think it would be great if there were a “Fabulous Finds” or “Hidden Gems” curation so I’m doing something about it this year! I’ll be posting daily until the end of November showing off lots of unique finds; depending on whether I have lots of partners contacting me I may be looking through a lot of pages to discover things that I’ve never seen before and hope you will like too.

Make a cup of tea and take time to browse and click on something that takes your eye here… then discover more about each maker by clicking on their shop name in blue – this will take you to their storefront.. where you can read all about what makes them tick and read customer comments and view every single wonderful thing they make if that takes your fancy.

Beautifully hand sewn and embroidered note book by Pipany

Aren’t these wonderful golden letters just gorgeous… Vintage shop letter by Bonnie and Bell

A different sort of letter altogether .. a warm, squishy crocheted one by The Letter Loft

Handmade coffee lip balm by The Okie Soapy Soap Shop (trying saying that out loud!))

A cute reindeer for a personalised first Christmas card by Little Cloth Rabbit

A fun, clever print by A is For Alphabet

Our first Christmas together wooden heart decoration and card by Moobaacluck

One for you dog loving comic fans! by Ruff Hound Outfitters

And something lovely for a human to wear…

Newlyn Fish Scarf by Louise Brainwood

What teenage daughter wouldn’t love this by Squiffy Print

What might your son or daughter do with one of these for Christmas… they just might share do you think?

Rich Shortbread Mix in a personalised pack with a star cutter by Katie Bakes

If you buy anything from these sellers thank you so much – feel good – you’ve just made a maker very happy! At this time of year designers who hand make have invested in materials and in some cases staff so that they can start making now…and with the warm weather people are less inclined to think about Christmas. Thank you for looking.

Please share this blog to help independent makers be seen – thanks so much.

Whisper: If you are a notonthehighstreet seller with a lovely unsung item and want be featured please contact me at hello@gabsbuckingham.com Equally if I have featured you and you’ve changed your mind about being featured or want something altered please email me there 

LOVE this video

How To Tie a Scarf

 https://www.facebook.com/DavidAvocadoWolfe/videos/10152626942001512/

Posted by David Wolfe on Sunday, March 22, 2015

Festive Soul Food Freebie!!

Hello everyoneI'm so excited that Festive Soul Food officially starts tomorrow!! Whoop! Whoop! And I have a lovely freebie to share with you today. One of the Head Chefs at Soul Food- Mystele has filmed a free art class for everyone- regardless of if you're taking the class. Here's the link to all the information you need to watch the free class (trust me- it's a good one ;)).And here's the link to our lovely Soul Food class introduction video. Enjoy the free class & I hope to see you in the class room, it's going to be so much fun. Wish me luck!

I'm Teaching on Festive Soul Food 2015!

Hello all, I have an exciting announcement today! I am absolutely thrilled to say that I'm one of the Sous-Chefs teaching on Festive Soul Food 2015. Whoop! Whoop! Thank you so much to Mystele, Jeanette & Heather for having me.

Along with 9 other Sous-Chefs & the three Head Chefs above I will be teaching an art class online. It will be so exciting to learn from & watch a variety of artists at work- I always find it fascinating to see another artist's processes don't you? All the information you will need to sign up is here or paste this in your browser and head to the Festive Soul Food page:

http://communitythrive.com/festive-soul-food

Registration opens August 1st!

In celebration, I'm holding a giveaway here at my blog for one free spot on Festive Soul Food. To enter just share this post with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc & leave me a comment below to say where you shared it. Giveaway ends on Sunday 12th July at midnight but enter now just in case you forget : -)

To kick things off, here's a little interview I recorded about me & my journey as an artist. The three Head Chefs gave me these questions to answer:

What are some of the things that nourish your soul - where do your ideas come from?
What is one piece of advice you’d like to share with other artists?

What drives your sense of validation or legitimacy as an artist?
What are some elements that make your work “yours” - what are some recurring themes in your work?
Which creative medium would you love to pursue but haven’t yet?

This is the first interview I've ever recorded of myself (eeeeeeeekkkk!), so if I seem a little nervous that's why!! Hope you like it & that you will join us on this festive art journey.

How to balance creativity, business and family life

Hello all. Excited to say that I have an interview up at Printed.com. Click here if you would like to find out how I juggle business life & mummy life!

Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen

I still love this & always will. 

My interview with the Card & Gift Network

Hello there friends. Hope you are having a good week.

I'm delighted to say that the Card & Gift Network have interviewed me for their 'Behind The Design' feature today. Do take a peek if you're interested in my daily life as an artist & all the juggling that entails! Click here & head to their blog.

Sharing my favourite Indie finds fwith Piccadilly Lane

Hello all, I'm  delighted to say that I've been featured on the Piccadilly Lane blog today sharing my favourite Indie finds! Do take a look :)

http://www.piccadillylane.com/blog/indie-picks-the-little-brown-rabbit/

Artist Interview with Georgina Vinsun

Today I am very excited to be able to post my second artist interview of 2015.

I first saw this artist's work on Not On The High Street & I've been captivated ever since. I find her paintings mesmerising, there is so much movement in them- I see waves of water, gentle explosions & shooting stars in night skies. There's something tremendously soothing about her paintings, I just find them utterly delightful.

This lady is also a mama, so it was great to get another conversation going on life as an artist & mother & all the juggling that entails! I want to inspire all mothers out there to keep going for your dreams- it can be done!

So do grab yourself a cuppa, sit in your comfiest chair & enjoy my next interview with the very talented abstract painter Georgina Vinsun.

P.S She is an AMAZING knitter too!!

Hi Georgie, can you tell us a bit about yourself & how long you've been painting professionally for?

Hello! I’m a graduate of Loughborough University (2005 – Fine Art), an avid knitter, a mum of two small boys and a real homebody. I’ve been painting professionally for a few years now, although it took a while to get to a point where I could support myself so I had a full-time job alongside my practice for a number of years. I always worked on my paintings in the evenings, a method of working I still use today due to the children!

When starting a new piece of work, staring at a blank canvas can be daunting. What is your go-to/favourite method you use to create your backgrounds or start your paintings?

I like coverage, so I prefer to work with loose sloppy mixtures of paint to start with and to completely cover the canvas. I feel more comfortable with a covered canvas & work up the entire piece in layers.

What are your favourite art supplies currently?

I like a change from time to time but I always go back to Sennelier’s dry pigments which I mix up myself grotbag-style in old plastic pots. I’m a very ‘whatever’ worker so I use all sorts of scraps to mix & store my paints in/on, I also never really use a proper palette, I just use whatever comes to hand at the time, my table, the supports for my current canvas, scraps of wood...

Like myself you are a mother and someone who is self-employed. We have to wear many hats & take on many roles! It's a juggling act & most of the time I struggle to fit anything creative into my day! Can you give us any tips on how you organise your days to ensure you have time to create & what percentage of your time is 'creative time' during the week versus everything else?

I don’t really do much in the way of painting during the day, occasionally I’ll touch up some edges while the baby takes a nap and I’ll do small snippets of admin during nap time too. My eldest started nursery in September, so I get a couple of hours to myself every afternoon depending on the baby’s nap schedule. I use that time for myself and for wrapping paintings ready to post.

I have a number of little rules because I like/need a tidy house (it calms me!) so I rarely go up or downstairs empty-handed, I do housework in quick bursts all day, often I’ll cook or prep our tea in the afternoon so it’s ready and I don’t have to rush about in the late afternoon. I think organisation helps (and I’m not naturally organised, I have to work at it).

I paint in the evenings, the same way I used to when I was working full time. Luckily for me I work well in short bursts so this set-up suits me although I do look forward to the future a little bit, just to a time when I can paint in the daytime and structure my days a bit more and I can do more knitting/reading/gardening... I’m reluctant to wish my boys’ childhood away however, so I make sure I’m content with NOW.

Are there any words of encouragement you would like to give to creative Mummies out there who are feeling run down & frustrated creatively. In other words when you are tired and don't have much time spare, how do you keep yourself ticking over creatively?

You have got to take a break and allow yourself to feel no guilt for taking a break. Breaks are incredibly important, even if you feel you’ve hardly done anything creative of late, or if you feel as though you’re treading water and everyone else in the world is making amazing things and you’re not doing anything.

I can’t work if I’m really tired from the boys/housework/admin, so I just shut the door on it and veg out in front of the TV or have a long hot bath with a book to read. It’s definitely a balancing act, so for myself personally, I find I need to make time for my other interests (knitting...) otherwise I can’t settle properly in the studio. Oh, and if you’re able to get a good night’s sleep then do it!

For anyone just starting out, what did you find was the best way to get your work out there & seen? e.g Art Agent, approaching galleries, entering art competitions, Instagram, Flickr, blog or online shop? Or a combination of all?

Good question! I started on one online gallery (back in 2005) and once I’d sorted out a place to live post-uni and all the other things (access to my other half’s laptop!) I started researching. Researching helped me no end in the beginning and I think those starting out now have even more to go at. I found artists whose work I felt a connection with and who were determined, hardworking individuals and I looked at how they’d got to where they were.

I entered so many art competitions when I started out, it was such a horrible waste of money! I’m not sure I’d advise art competitions to everyone, I think they suit certain artists and not others.

In terms of social media, I love Instagram, it’s great for visual artists but I find that actual buyers find me on selling sites rather than anywhere social-media-y! I tried Facebook but I hated it, it’s so grotty and old fashioned, I found Twitter useless too, and don’t get me started on LinkedIn! But that’s me and for you those platforms may work really well. I say, choose one or two and do them really well otherwise you risk spreading yourself too thin.

I find sites like Saatchi Art and Art Finder really useful & sell pieces through them and find additional buyers, people who wish to commission me and interest from other platforms (Not on the High Street found me on Saatchi Art). Often the selling sites don’t cost anything to try out and you can always delete the ones which don’t work, believe me I’ve tried a LOT of selling sites.

What other artists are inspiring you at the moment?

Oh, so many! I love Geoff Diego Litherland, Susie Hamilton and Clare Price. I like clever arty art and always used to wish to be a clever gallery-type artist with a degree from the RCA. I’ve got over that weird ambition (it doesn’t come naturally to me) and have settled down into who I really am as an artist over the last few years and feel much happier for it.

Thanks so, so much for taking part Georgie. Please tell us where we can connect with you.

website: GeorgiePaint
blog: georgievinsun
Instagram: georginavinsun

Artist Interview with Tiffany Calder Kingston

I am thrilled to be able to share my next artist interview with you all. I can't remember how I found this artists work but I find it mesmerising, beautiful & rich. The colours, textures, shapes, lines & patterns light me up inside, drawing me in & very importantly, each piece shows (to quote the artist) the '...beauty and energy found in nature.' Here's a little challenge for you (many of you will already be doing this) but next time you see a tree, try dropping its label of 'a tree' & try to view it as if you'd never seen one before, as if you were a child seeing a tree for the first time & you didn't know what it was called. Gaze at it's height, look at its array of colours, feel the texture of the bark & leaves, smell the leaves.....if you really go for it you'll have an interesting & wonderful experience & it may even open up a whole new world for you.
This artist's work really captures & celebrates the vibrancy & beauty of nature -a beauty that we get all get to share & enjoy for free! A beauty that we should all be doing our upmost to preserve & protect & I think this message comes across wonderfully through Tiffany's exquisite work.

So poor yourself a cup of hot tea, grab a biccie or two & enjoy my next artist interview with Tiffany Calder Kingston.

Hi Tiffany, can you tell us a bit about yourself/your background & how long you've been painting professionally for?

Hi Emma, thanks again for all your devotion to the arts and those who create as a full time occupation. 

I have two types of painting careers. For fifteen years I worked as mural artist and designer. Most of my work involved painting murals or paint effects which were used in commercial venues, TV stage backdrops, special event theming and private homes plus a visual retail merchandiser in between all of the above.  I accidentally found myself painting murals after completing a graphic design course. I always wanted to be an illustrator but instead I found myself painting and being part of large scale projects which involved following the requirements of what a client would like. This type of work took its toll physically on my body and I also found that I was not creating what was in my heart and soul as it was always what a client would require. I needed to make a clean break away so  I left Melbourne to pursue a small fashion retail business which I owned with two other friends in Byron Bay. After two years I sold out of the business as I felt my creative soul was calling again. Without even realising it the natural habitats of this area were starting to awaken my new journey as an artist.

When & how in that journey did you discover Mixed Media and how did your style develop into what it is today?

Once I sold my business I had a massive empty void so I began painting just for myself as a hobby and I had no clue of what type of artist or subject matter was my interest. I took some life drawing classes and dabbled in creating a painting style which broke away from my old habits of painting a mural. I needed to go back to my raw style of drawing and art that I had way before I embarked on formal training. In other words I needed to get messy, not follow rules and just loosen up again. I had no interest in being judged or doing what was in or out of art fashion. I just did what ever came naturally. Then one day I painted a piece titled 'Cranefly' (see below). I painted something which spoke about the environment and yet what came out was a painting of wetlands but on a deeper level I felt like I had found a voice to express my personal beliefs about how humans relate to nature. Next door to my home were wetlands and I had no idea that the environment was speaking to me and seeping into my subconscious ( if that makes sense).  This painting cracked open my style of cutting in shapes and scraping lines into the paint work.

What are your favourite techniques & art supplies currently?

I use acrylic paint as this dries fast and I can move on into the next layer quickly. I am an impatient person so the style I use is one I have also created to suit my energy. I have always used paints like interior house paints in my old profession and now I use something similar which contain no toxic chemicals as I also get sick from some products. Some times I use a faux gold or silver leaf on my work and eventually I hope to explore mixing in pastels and ink.

When starting a new piece of work, staring at a blank canvas can be daunting. What is your go to/favourite method you use to create the backgrounds for your paintings?
You will laugh but I put any excess paint left over on my brush onto a blank canvas. I keep a new canvas sitting next to me whilst painting another. I just start by using random colours which I layer on top of each other. I never know what it is going to look like.

For anyone trying to turn their creative passion into their career it can be very daunting & intimidating. Can you tell us how you overcame any negative thinking (if you had any!) about your career as an artist?
I had a part time job while I started painting and I began slowly to show my work in public. I used small art shows, cafe's etc to trial my arts reaction. I also listened to other artists out there who gave me great advice. Some people work well being self employed because they are self motivating and realistic with what to expect. I knew I was not going to show my art or put it on any gallery walls unless I had resolved a style that was truly me. An art career takes a thick skin and I think it is important to always have a financial safety net such as a part time job as a support otherwise you will freak yourself out about the pressure of making money. The focus will only be about ' the art has to make money'. If you feel this way the art suffers and the flow goes. Give your art time to shine and ripple effects will happen to support your transition from being a part time painter to a full time profession.

For anyone just starting out in their career what do you think is the best way to get your work out there & seen? For example, an Art Agent? Approaching possible clients or galleries with your portfolio? A website, Facebook? Blog? A combination of all?

Depending where you live can make or break how much you are seen. In my situation being a beach side tourist town I felt I needed to connect with galleries Australia wide by showing them my work in person so I decided to invest in my art by booking a stand at an art fair in Melbourne. 'The Affordable Art fair' gave me the platform to introduce myself to many galleries who approached me at my display stand.

Also having a great website that is modern and clearly shows your work is important but the confidence comes from finding ways for galleries to meet you and identify with your style. I am an artist which suits the affordable art market and I don't pretend to try and be in the upper end of the art world. Too many people think success as an artist is at this higher end. It is important to be realistic with your style and capabilities. There are galleries which compliment different art styles and once you know who they are and there client base then approach them or submit work. If you get turned down by a gallery it may be because your art is not suiting their gallery. 

I also only choose to be with galleries who are nice people to work with and have integrity for the artist. I am not interested in galleries which take a long time to pay you or do not put effort in to promoting you. I wont put up with arrogance and if a gallery says you need them more then they need you then I am usually not interested. I dislike how some galleries play with an artists financial vulnerability. Many artists do not have a business head but it is still important not let galleries take advantage of you. It is a 50/50 business relationship.

Lastly because of social media and websites etc artists can now promote themselves more and sell direct if they choose. For many artists this is all we need to do to set up an income stream which suits a lifestyle. In the end the choices we make have to ensure our art flow is not compromised.

What other artists are inspiring you at the moment?

I love lots of art- illustrative styles. I really love Olaf Hajek, Jennifer Davis, Del Kathryn Barton. Also I love indigenous art and enjoy finding images of primitive paintings.

Thanks so, so much for taking part Tiffany. Please tell us where we can connect with you.

website: Tiffany Calder Kingston
facebook: Art By Tiffany Calder Kingston
Instagram: ARTBYTIFFANY.C.K