Sometimes I Think, Sometimes

I have been wanting this book for quite some time it is written and illustrated by Sara Fanelli. It is a little challenging to get it in the store but I found it on Amazon.co.uk - I love Amazon. I still have to wait a few weeks before I get it, hopefully in time for Christmas. The book has great reviews too.

She is an illustrator and I came across her work by reading Charlie and Lola by Lauren Child, I believe Lauren takes her inspiration from Sara Fanelli. They both write and illustrate children's books however Sara has exhibited here work and has done very well for herself and has entered into the adult world of books. I am simply looking forward to getting my hands on this book. The reviews say it is a "treasure".  I am so excited, I can barely write this blog!

Arts and Crafts

I am currently working on this blog with my kids and for them. I am working on arts and crafts and producing art, reading books, science projects etc. It is loads of fun and I am really enjoying it. You can visit it here:   http://sweetpeaandsugarplum.blogspot.com/

I have also been commissioned to do a piece of work for someone for Christmas and it is finished. They saw one of my older paintings in my old style and I have so many great comments about it that I really should do more like it and at this point unless someone offers me a lot of money for it it is not for sale. Anyway, the painting is finished and drying. Picture to follow soon.

October Art Show

I exhibited a few weeks ago at the Liss Art Show but I did not sell anything which was disappointing but as I discovered the sort of work being displayed was not contemporary like mine infact those artists whose work was contemporary, bold and colourful did not sell either, to their dismay too. I did a bit of networking and helped out on one of the days and discovered that if I had dropped my prices considerably my work would not have sold. I should add that most artists there were retired and producing pieces purely as a hobby, which meant they were selling their work as little as 35 pounds a piece which meant the professional artists had no chance of selling their work when the prices were so low by the hobby artists.

I learnt a valuable lesson. You will never compete with retired artists in the local area, they know people who will buy their work, they tend to be neighbours, they price their work at a loss or a very small profit and the clients will pay want they want to pay at the time. Hobby artists are not in it to make money.

SIGH!