November 2021: Spotlight on my process as a mixed media artist
Given that I’m so short of money, I’ve been rediscovering, using for the first time, and recycling materials to make my mixed media art out of. For example, I drew a street scene of New York onto stuck together strips of an ancient Shreddies cereal packet. I wanted this to add a 3D, rough-edged flavour to a my depiction of a place that almost jumps out at one in its aliveness.
It’s hard to feel as if I’m getting anywhere with my art when the Etsy audience never ‘favourite’ it, but I did make my first sale and in committing to this year’s challenge of creating an art piece a day, a beautiful felt-tip, rainbow-coloured bear emerged out of some cardboard I was playing around with.
‘Glory Hole’; a piece I assembled out of cardboard, pastel and my tongue was a little more naughty and humorous in tone. Instantly it attracted some compelling artists on Instagram: it’s an education finding out what works and what doesn’t.
I had to put my geometric composition, ‘Ushering in Autumn’ to one side for a number of weeks until I happened upon the orange mark that completed it.
Glory Hole by Gemma Boyd
In having my own art shop which felt like an impossibility this time last year, I’m getting to utilize all of the digital art, scanning and photography skills I’ve amassed over the years: as an artist nothing’s wasted! Plus I’m finding the Etsy Success Podcasts really helpful.
It was only in the middle of an urge to rip up all of my artwork and bin it, that I realised my creations are as important to me as children, so it was with a sense of reward that I tenderly slipped my A4 and A5 works into their compostable crystal clear bags from Transpack Ltd.
Happily I felt a positive bone, muscle and deep tissue shift in my left shoulder as I did yoga, and even though just walking is crippling right now, I spent some vital time de-stressing as much as possible and trying to increase my fitness. After all, it’s a lot that I expect of myself.
The first ‘quote’ image I designed for my teaching studio, Never Too Late Music Tuition proved popular on Google My Business, so I shall do more. They will make my offer a bit more personalised for potential customers.
At the end of this month the COVID-19 variant, Omicron landed in the UK which terrified me. In that moment the only thing that soothed me was watching ‘An Audience with Adele’ on ITV; such is the power of music to bring hope and joy: I feel so grateful to have my music, writing and art to transform my despair and anger through, because I can’t cry.