An Art To It

There probably aren't many artists who can lay claim to a previous career working with stunt horses in film and TV productions, but Claire Howlett can. When she had to abandon her foundation degree in fine art, Claire first turned to art restoration as a potential career but after an enjoyable and educational few years in a darkened room, it was to her other great love - horses - that she turned. Applying to a few stables in her native Berkshire, she was lucky enough to be taken on by one specialising in providing equine performers and she was hooked.

In our very entertaining chat, Claire shares more details on the somewhat unconventional route she has taken to becoming a full time artist, including her successful restoration of a painting by Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769 – 1830) the fourth president of the Royal Academy of Art https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/ and a notable society portraitist; and how a chance encounter lead to her early work being showcased in royal furniture-maker Viscount Linley's London showroom https://www.davidlinley.com/

Claire shares how despite a varied career, she has continued to paint and it is her love of the outdoors and capturing the sense of place she finds in remote spots that inspires the very striking sea and landscapes which she paints now.

You can see Claire's work on Instagram at @Clairehowlettartist and on her website: https://clairehowlettart.com/

A glance at Emily Hadley's website is enough to make the most accomplished of creative business owners feel (more than?) slightly inadequate. Not only has she and her husband renovated three homes, Emily took charge of the interiors - a service she has also developed professionally - she is also an Instagram influencer and content creator, a silversmith with a range of jewellery… and now runs a hugely successful art gallery from her home. And during much of this was also a primary school teacher championing art for future young creatives.

In our lively and entertaining chat Emily shares how her love of teaching, and especially sharing and encouraging art in all its forms to her pupils, was gradually eroded by lack of resources and support. Giving up her much loved career she looked for an alternative that would give her the same satisfaction: she was already styling and photographing her home for social media when an artist friend encouraged her to include original art too. She embraced this wholeheartedly, and was soon representing a varied and exciting range of artists and selling their work all over the world.

I love chatting to all creatives and creative business owners, but a conversation with a fellow gallerist is quite special as it's also an opportunity to share the joys - as well as the frustrations - of our businesses and Emily is candid in our conversation about the highs and lows of running any creative business, and her aspirations for the future.

You can visit Emily's website at https://www.emilyhadley.co.uk/ and follow her on instagram @emuplops - during our chat she also reveals what inspired her rather unusual insta handle!

This is last in the series of An Art to It, I will be back with more creative guests in 2025. If there is anyone you'd like to suggest as a guest for the new series please do let me know. You can follow me on instagram @elaine_dye_ and @thebyregallery - the website for the Byre Gallery is www.thebyregallery.co.uk where you can enjoy our winter exhibition and find out more about the courses and support I offer to artists and makers.

Lucy Innes Williams runs not one, but two creative businesses - her fine art practice and her printed goods and stationery business, Floradore. In our really interesting chat Lucy reveals how she manages to balance the two separate entities, both linked by her love of capturing all things floral.

We also discuss the journey Lucy has taken: a graduate in Fine Art from Central St Martins College in London, after leaving college Lucy didn't feel either inspired or ready to begin a career as an artist. Spending some time interning in the USA after graduation encouraged her to pursue further studies - this time at University College London - to take a Masters in Museum Studies. After that she held several posts in cataloguing and exhibition management including with the Arts Council of England and the National Portrait Gallery, before joining Bridgeman Images www.bridgemanimages.com to work in artist management. Liaising with artists and their work re-awakened her desire to start painting again, and she was able to use her valuable experience of image licensing when she launched Floredore. In our chat Lucy reveals her techniques for keeping the two businesses separate, and how having a studio away from home - where she also has to factor in the demands of her young family - has given her a much needed space to explore her creative practice.

You can see Lucy's work on instagram @lucyinneswilliams and her website is lucyinneswilliams.com where you can find links to all her upcoming exhibitions and ways to buy her gorgeous work, and for all her floral inspired printed goods, please visit floradore.co.uk

Textile artist Helen Wilde, aka Ova Bloom has made a career of being in the right place at the right time and grasping every opportunity with both hands. From work experience, (with no less than artist Tom Phillips https://www.tomphillips.co.uk/ to art college, and her subsequent successful career, Helen has been fortunate at meeting the right people and the most opportune moment. But that shouldn't detract from her achievements: her work features in numerous bedroom suites at London Dorchester Hotel, https://www.dorchestercollection.com/london/the-dorchester/rooms-suites/hyde-park-suite she counts several high profile American celebrities amongst her collectors… oh and as a 7 year old her art work won a coveted place on the gallery wall in BBC TV's children's art favourite, Take Hart.

In our lively chat Helen reflects on her creative journey and how at various points her career may have taken a different path. Making friends with a young customer whilst working in skateboard shop during her college years, she then met his father who just happened to be (the now late) Daniel Hanson, www.danielhanson.co.uk - maker of exquisite gentlemen's dressing gowns (Elton John is a serious fan) and he offered her a job. Several fun-filled years of working in fashion in New York - channeling Carrie Bradshaw - followed. Back in the UK Helen reveals how the urge for making took off and she was soon selling via Instagram and Etsy. Press coverage in the US citing her as 'the next big thing' launched her American following. And the rest, as they say is history.

You can see Helen's work on instagram @ovobloom and her website is ovobloom.com where you can find links to all her upcoming exhibitions and ways to buy her gorgeous work.

Colour is at the very heart of Ruth Shelley's creative life. Growing up in rural Wales with limited external entertainment, making and domestic creativity were at the heart of her childhood, and inspired her move to study textiles at art college.

Travel and finding inspiration in the colours and patterns of south east Asia continued to influence her textile work but stumbling on an evening class in stained glass opened up a whole new creative adventure for Ruth.

In our chat Ruth reflects on her creative path as well as her travels and inspirations - both overseas and closer to home; discusses how experimenting with glass is a source of endless fascination for her - and that a tip from her Physicist brother made all the difference to finessing her work; and how being an award winner at the 2015 Glass Biennale in Stourbridge made a huge difference to her career.

Ruth's work can be seen this winter at:

London Glass Blowing Gallery

https://londonglassblowing.co.uk/

Contemporary Applied Arts

https://www.caagallery.org.uk/

And other venues, please check Ruth's website for stockists and events:

https://www.ruthshelley.co.uk/

A love of making - and of maps - has taken ceramic artist Loraine Rutt on an unusual but very successful creative journey. Loraine began her career as a cartographer at London's Birkbeck College https://www.bbk.ac.uk/ but when digitalisation of maps meant that she would be using a computer rather than the more physical approach of a pencil and tracing paper, she decided to pursue her earlier dream of going to art college.

A degree in ceramics from London's Central School for Art and Design (later Central St Martins https://www.arts.ac.uk/colleges/central-saint-martins) began her creative career which now sees her specialising in ceramic maps and globes with her own art-lead practice and her pocket globes which she produces limited editions of via her Little Globe co.

In our chat Loraine shares her journey from her Kent and London childhood, through her cartography career and joy at finally attending art college and getting to 'play with clay.'

Her work mapping our world in ceramic form has recently won Loraine recognition from the Royal Geographical Society where she is now a Fellow. You can read about her recent exhibition here:

The Royal Geographical Society

https://www.rgs.org/about-us/our-work/latest-news/pocket-globes-and-porcelain-maps-new-exhibition-combines-cartography-and-ceramics

In our chat Loraine also shares her chat about her connection with a real life space man: Apollo 15 Astronaut Col Al Worden - her work in homage and some recordings of her talking to Al Worden about the view of Earth from space can be heard here:

http://www.lorainerutt.com/portal

Loraine also recently took part in an exhibition in Venice with the prestigious Homo Faber organisation - you can see the catalogue here:

https://2024.homofaber.com/ecatalogue

For all Loraine's other work please visit her website:

www.lorainerutt.com

Growing up as part of a creative family - and a keen painter from an early age - it was no surprise that Sophie Harding decided to attend art college. But inspired by a documentary she watched as a teenager it was the Fashion course at St Martin's college that Sophie enrolled on.

In my chat with Sophie - whose stunning paintings I'm fortunate to exhibit regularly at the Byre Gallery - we discuss how a deciding that a fashion career wasn't for her, lead her to a full time career as a painter, via a foray into illustration.

You can see Sophie's work on her website: www.Sophie-Harding.co.uk where you will also find details of all the galleries she shows with - and where you can buy from her directly - and follow her on Instagram at @harding_sophie

This is a cheeky little extra session where I talk about my online course 'An Insider's Guide to Gallery Success' and explain why with a number of alternatives to learn about how to best approach - and develop a relationship - with galleries, mine might be the right one for you.

There are three reasons that this course fits the bill for you:

1. The Byre Gallery, which I founded in 2014, is a welcoming and elegant space with carefully curated exhibitions of lovely work in contemporary craft and fine art; it's the sort of gallery any art or interiors lover wants to spend time. It's not a scary and unapproachable gallery; we're not in a snooty street in London where you have to ring a bell and be met by either a ridiculously skinny young woman dressed all in black clutching her phone to her ear and looking you up and down; or an old bloke in pink cords who glares over his specs at you. I'm as approachable as my gallery, and I care about all my artists and makers - those I show and those I work with as a coach and mentor.

2. I'm over 50! I may think I'm still 28… or 38 on a day when I feel like a grown up, but the calendar cannot lie. And that means I've got a lot of experience behind me: as well as in the gallery world, I'm a qualified business coach, plus I have a background in PR and communications. But most importantly, if you're looking at developing your creative career later in life, I talk your language and won't (unless I feel its right for your work and business) suggest you do Tik Tok.

3. This course isn't just for ALL artists and makers. Some courses are strongly geared towards visual artists, but not this. I've worked with every kind of maker and a huge range of visual artists so I understand the specific needs of each.

What will you get out of the course:

I wish I could say I would wave a magic wand and you would suddenly be the most in demand artist or maker in the country.

I can't do that, but I can take you be the hand and get you in the best possible shape to be ready to approach the right galleries for you.

No one likes rejection and I want to make sure you're confident in what you're offering - and you're offering it to the right galleries so that you increase your chance of being successful. All galleries have a set of criteria when they make a selection and I want to help you really understand what your offer is and recognise who might be your match.

There are six modules, plus some super useful handouts, a live zoom - and the potential to add on a 1:1 session.

We'll cover:

• Why work with galleries

• Getting you, your work, your business and your brand ready

• The tools you need to make your approach

• Where to find the right galleries

• How to make the most effective approach

• How to deal with the responses, and how to get your relationship off to the best start.

You can book here:

https://courses.thebyregallery.co.uk/courses/an-insiders-guide-to-gallery-success

And read our FAQs and find out more about me and the Byre Gallery here:

https://thebyregallery.co.uk/pages/courses-and-coaching

After a successful career as a scientist, Beverly Bartlett turned her jewellery making hobby into her new profession. In our chat, we discuss how Bev has drawn on her scientific knowledge to support not only the technical aspects of jewellery making, but also the aesthetic inspiration for many of her collections.

We chat about the various shows and events that Beverly exhibits and sells her work from, and she passes on some very useful tips for making your experience of taking part in a selling event a super smooth one.

You can see Bev's jewellery on her website: https://www.bmbjewellery.co.uk/ and on Instagram at @bmbjewllery

Her next show is at RHS Garden Wisley, from6-10 November 2024

https://www.desirefair.com/next-fair

Other shows where you can see Bev's work include Hyde Hall https://www.craftinfocus.com/

Bev was jeweller in residence at South Hill Park https://www.southhillpark.org.uk/

Sarah Hutt is a Northamptonshire based visual artist whose creative journey has taken her from print design, via teaching to being a painter. In this lively and honest chat, Sarah shares the stages of her journey, and talks candidly about her decision to quit a senior job in education, sell her home and downsize to living on a narrowboat to put herself in the best position to launch a new creative career. You can see Sarah's work online at www.sarahhuttart.co.uk and on Instagram she is @Sarahhutt_art

Sarah's studio is at The Depot, Weedon Bec in Northamptonshire https://the-depot.uk/

A Grade Two listed site with heritage status for its service during the first and second World Wars. Its history goes back to the Napoleonic times when it was first used to store arms. It is now home to a collective of artisans, classic car mechanics, yoga practitioners, prop makers, tailors and IT services; a celebration of Northampton creatives.

Sarah also mentioned www.the-artist-sanctuary.org.uk, a non-profit organisation supported by the British Arts Council. And https://saramicaclay.co.uk/ an open pottery studio where people can take courses in throwing and sculpture, including life sculpture. Due to its popularity, it operates out of two centres in Northamptonshire. Sarah is taking part in the Autumn 2024 Affordable Art Fair at Battersea with Water and Rock Gallery Water and Rock - Bristol Contemporary Art gallery

She is also represented by Primrose Gallery Northampton https://primrosegallery.co.uk and Three Hares Gallery Olney, https://cowperandnewtonmuseum.org.uk/the-three-hares-art-gallery/

For other chances to see Sarah's work this year and in future, keep an eye on her website and social media.