Wednesday 25 August 2010

Another Tack... Ready About!

As some of you may, or may not, know my "day job" is the most enjoyable one of being an illustrator.  I have done this for about 15 years now.  Before that the "day job" was a muralist until I muraled my way out of Cornwall, as my five kids were quite small I decided that something more home based was a good plan, found myself an agent and started illustrating.  Very soon it became necessary for my partner in crime to become the "house husband" as the illustration work grew.  I learned how to work with a graphics tablet using a great programme called Corel Painter.  So the illustration became created on a computer. 
I still painted when I could but not nearly enough.  Flash forward a few years and the youngest child flew the nest so I started really painting, quite fast and obsessively.  It was a distraction from that dreadful empty nest.  So then I had two sides, like a split personality, illustration and painting. 
Now for the exciting bit... Just recently, through a chance meeting over one of my paintings I have had the chance to do some illustration work that is much more like painting.  It might well develop into quite a big thing.  I have always earned my living, somehow, using my skills as an artist and I must say that there is, for me, a great pleasure in selling work!  I think in my head it allows me to work, it is such a nice way to live you see that I think I must feel guilty!!  Anyway as a result of going slightly off piste with both the illustration and the painting I seem to have found yet another personality that wants to get out.  I am planning a trip around all the little ports of Cornwall to make plen air paintings in a most illustrative style, so watch this space for paintings that are beside the sea, but not what I usually do.  I expect they will be a bit like the one below but with harbours and cottages like the ones above.  I will keep you posted as to how it all progresses.

6 comments:

Making A Mark said...

What lovely news Sarah - sounds like a great project!

Africantapestry and Myfrenchkitchen said...

What an interesting new project Sarah...I'll be watching closely and I think it is to be such a fun illustation/painting project...good luck!
Ronelle

Carol C said...

Congratulations! I'm looking forward to seeing where this takes you! Sending more of your art into the world can only be a good thing!

Jeanette Jobson said...

Lucky you, combining the best of both worlds. It should be very interesting to see your version of Cornwall through an illustrator's eye.

Laura said...

What fun! I'm reminded of Winifred Nicholson, and Mary Fedden, and even Ben Nicholson when I look at that still life and imagine Cornish landscapes/harborscapes in that style! (There are probably more obvious examples, but these are the ones I know.) You're going to have a blast!

vivien said...

what a great project :)

This will be fun to watch