Nearly but not quite - relocating hiccups

Lots of two steps forward and three steps back this last week. I almost had a terrific place to move to in Devon but technical issues delayed my ability to confirm things and it went to someone else. Super disappointing but I accepted it quickly and refocused. It wasn't where I'd originally set my sights but now I've had a look, it's an excellent place to be based if you're creative so the preference is there instead. Waiting to see what comes out of the new search...

What I did do while trying to sort things out, is dive into what's going on there. I now have two contacts for business advice and courses in the South West, the town's arts organisation, a few galleries and a place which has some studio space. They're full for now but it's all about networking so I can put my name down on the list and keep looking when I'm down there.

As an aside, like many, I've set up Folksy for UK sales only for now. Since there'll be a ton of 'admin' to do when I move it made more sense to hold off on setting up for overseas selling until then when I can do it all at once. Hopefully we'll all have some idea of what it's going to cost folks in customs duty to buy from the UK and the full trade thingy comes into force in July and it might be wise to see how that's going to work first.

I also discovered the world of business hubs where you can hot desk for a tenner and use their printers and scanners. You can also use it as a mailing address for a business if it's the kind where you don't have any actual premises and quite sensibly, don't want your home address made public. Actually, it's cheaper to use online services but having a local one is handy for popping in to pick up any mail or parcels. The online ones will still do that but it might take a day or so longer for you to get your mail.

Art-wise, I'm cracking on with a couple of acro pieces. One is finished and it's worked out well. I decided to re-try a 12cm high trio and spent a lot more time securing the armature and it's paid off. Okay, so they are a bit fiddly to do especially at the beginning when I'm laying the first skim of pulp on a wire thin limb but they're so dainty and I really want to have some of my work at affordable prices so doing these is one way to achieve that.

This latest is shown left. Just getting to the legs of the 3rd girl then will make sure everyone is a similar size match and finish off feet and hand detail. You can see part of the first one I tried in the background.

Just commenting here on how long it's been since I used bronze acrylic paint. It flows wonderfully and has a lovely buttery, molten look to it. Gorgeous! I used it on the latest pair and on the base, mixed imitation gold and antique gold then brushed in a bit of red which has made the most beautiful rose gold effect. I like it so much I'll be using that again. I always struggle with how to finish a piece and swing between pattern or colour. Maybe trying out some colour mixes like this is the way to go?

Hope to finish off the trio soon but tomorrow it's office day so the plan for this afternoon is to attack the store corner; start wrapping up all the canvases and sift out anything I never use which will go to the charity shop or the local place that does kids' art classes (if they'll take anything right now). The clear out is underway.

After so long holding back on doing something with my art, I'm itching to get moving. The list of ideas for how and where to sell or market my work has got a bit longer. The number of ideas I have for new products is also a bit longer. Getting Folksy done was a good start and momentum is now rolling. It feels like I've gone from not being very certain at all about whether I could do this to suddenly being very certain that I can - and will. Humans are weird like that!