Updated 15 June 2023

There we were, Brexit uncertainty behind us, looking forward to an exciting new year of opportunity!

A packed schedule of exhibitions was in place at galleries from Oban to Salisbury. My new range of prints were literally packed and waiting for the courier. Chris and I were ready to hit the road with our stand at art fairs across the North East. My workshops (which I so love running) were booking well. Chris had just presented my new spring range of products to our trade customers and the orders were beginning to come in.  Within days, all my outlets and galleries shut their doors. All events were cancelled and all my workshops postponed. What were we to do?

Sharing and Celebrating With Art is Still Important!

Our nurse daughter is reminding us ‘at risk oldies’ to eat well, keep up our exercise and sleep hygiene to keep our immune systems strong against the virus. Equally though, we must continue to enjoy and share art. It will help maintain our souls, our sanity and our connection with others. Birthdays, anniversaries and other landmark events still need to be marked - only more so! 

Sadly, shops selling items deemed ‘non essential' are closed to us. To make sharing and remembering possible Chris and I came up with two ideas for services we can offer from my website.

Solution 1 - A Free Wrap, Message and Delivery Service.

Choose a gift from mini prints, coasters, or prints. Pick a floral or landscape card and write your message. We'll take care of the rest!

Solution 2 - staying in touch is a Greetings Cards with Pre Paid Postage service.

Traditional letter writing and card sending is making a comeback as a way of staving off the loneliness while we have to isolate due to Covid. Keeping in touch, especially with the older (and currently more isolated) generation who are less tech savvy is particularly important. A grandchild can pop in his or her drawing or note. Unlike an email, the recipient has something to keep and treasure. 

Recognising that we are all feeling somewhat hesitant about the prospect of standing in a queue for the post office we thought how can we address this barrier to sending a tangible greeting card and make the sending of a card anxiety free. Our solution? Now, alongside selecting your cards, you can seamlessly purchase postage on the website, streamlining the final steps of sending your love to those you care about through the mail. All you have to do once you’ve received your cards, is write your message inside, address the envelope and include the trip to the post box as part of your daily walk, run or cycle! Solution!

Art galleries maintain their relevance beyond just being a platform for artists to showcase their work.

They play a crucial role in enhancing the cultural fabric of our communities. Especially during challenging times like the recent lockdown, art has served as a beacon of hope and connection for people everywhere. As an artist, I recognise the significance of galleries as essential "shop windows" for our creativity, allowing us to present our work directly to the public. While some artists may have online stores, the tangible experience of viewing art in person is unparalleled.

In the face of pre-existing challenges and the added strain brought on by the pandemic, it is vital that galleries continue to thrive for the benefit of artists and the general public. Collaborating with galleries to bring artwork online has become a crucial way to adapt to the evolving landscape. By partnering with galleries to showcase my prints virtually, like Chris and I have been doing, we aim to support these institutions and ensure that they remain a vital part of our creative ecosystem. Explore the online exhibitions of my new prints at three select galleries that now host my artwork virtually.

The Biscuit Factory

Tel: 0191 261 1103, Email: art@thebiscuitfactory.com

Cambridge Contemporary Art (CCA & CCC)

Tel: 01223 324222

CCA are still busy uploading the work of all the artists whose work is in their galleries to their E-commerce site. If you like any of my work on their website, there is a contact form on my page or the phone number above, if you want to get in touch with them.

Learning New Printmaking Skills is Still Important!

I’ve had to postpone all my conventional workshops since the Covid-19 so with that in mind, I’m going to be putting my mind to online workshops in the next few weeks. I will probably start with a few simple free workshops in order to find my stride. If you’re interested you can be one of my guinea pigs. I’d welcome your suggestions. What would you like to learn? Do you have a press at home? I’m assuming most of you won’t. Either way, I’d like to know what printmaking skills you would like me to teach you.

Send me an email with your ideas!