GC issue 21 editor Lorraine Stylianou

the magazine dedicated to greeting card publishing and entrepreneurship

Gypsy Chic

magazine Issue 21 - 2019

THE MAKING OF A

A WISE OLD OWL

MASTER

SOCIAL MEDIA JAIL

Depop.com

Flower POWER BOOK

h... t i w s w e i v r e t n I INSIDE!!! cock and ny Han n e J , r le s e o R y k Bec Ruth Oliver

NOOK

CONTENTS 3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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INTERVIEW WITH... BECKY ROESLER

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DEPOP.COM

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THE MAKING OF A MASTER

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10 INTERVIEW WITH... RUTH OLIVER 13 FLOWER POWER 14 INTERVIEW WITH... JENNY HANCOCK 17 SOCIAL MEDIA JAIL 18 A WISE OLD OWL 19 BOOK NOOK

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LfrEomTthT E R

e Editor

H

appy Spring everyone.

Nice to be back in the role of editor……it’s been too long since I put a new issue together.

The art scene is livelier than ever and Instagram (where I live) is chockfull of the most aspiring artists and illustrators I’ve ever encountered – prolific, dedicated and immensely talented. This is where I saw Becky Roesler, Ruth Oliver and Jenny Hancock’s work, who all kindly agreed to feature in the pages that follow. I’ve written a few articles which I hope will be of interest to you, one on a new sales site I’ve experimented with, and a book I’m currently reading.

So what about you?

I’ve had a busy few months, balancing my preference for home working with trips away. The creative side of things is always my top priority and I have managed to do lots of painting lately. I’ve garnered a few collectors who buy my art pieces regularly which is always encouraging and produced a couple of new card ranges based on my artist portraits and floral still lifes. One painting a day is as much as I can muster – the lunch and dinner doesn’t cook itself.

Those snatched moments at my artists table have to be productive otherwise I’d never complete anything…..and I often work late into the evening to finish things. I’ve washed my brushes out accidently in my cup of tea on more than one occasion when fatigue has set in.

There are some interesting art exhibits in London in the next few months and I have tons of ideas for new work. I painted so much in March I ran out of materials and end up recycling old wood panels from furniture we chopped up. I felt a bit

like Vincent – when he ran out of money – and have primed the backs of old books plus a pair of old jeans so I can continue painting. Necessity is the Mother of Invention. Still hoping a wealthy benefactor will step out of the woodwork and become my lifelong patron J Breaking even in the art world is no mean feat. New supplies can be costly, and there is always a need to replenish paints, toner, brushes and canvases. I’ve had to cut all emotional attachment to my paintings and get them up for sale as soon as the paint has dried. One cannot ignore local sales either – and I’ve popped in to stores close to home to see if they are interested in stocking new greeting card designs. Leaving cards on a sale or return basis has been good so far... with café’s and shops happy to have something for sale on sideboards and in baskets by the till. (I wouldn’t recommend that if a stockist isn’t within walking distance).

Please enjoy glancing through Issue No. 21 and if I get more painting done I promise not to leave Issue 22 as long as I left this one.

Lorraine x www.lorrainestylianou.com

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Interview with...

Deep Blue Vase - 11 x 14 in. acrylic on wood panel

Becky Roesler

1. TELL US HOW YOU HAVE ORGANIZED YOUR LIFE SO THAT YOU CAN PAINT FULL TIME AND WHAT DOES A TYPICAL WORK WEEK LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

I’ve always loved anything and everything about visual arts, and am a life-long maker and art student. I’ve been painting full-time now for about 16 years, and I’m still thrilled every single day when I walk into my studio and get to do exactly what I love to do the most.

I’m usually in the studio seven days a week, and spend about half my time painting and half doing the business end. After a long career in the corporate world, this hardly feels like work at all! lll

2. WHAT MEDIUM DO YOU USE MOST?

When I first started painting, I used oil and pastels to make realistic florals, still life, landscapes, and animal portraits. I switched to acrylics and mixed media about six years ago lll

when I began making abstracts with elements of collage and a lot of mark making in them. This year, I am back to making florals and still life, but with acrylic this time.

3. DO YOUR FLOWER PAINTINGS SELL BETTER THAN YOUR ABSTRACT OR MIXED-MEDIA ONES? 4. APART FROM YOUR OWN WEBSITE, WHAT OTHER PLATFORMS DO YOU SELL YOUR WORK AND WHICH WORK BEST FOR YOU?

I’ve sold a lot of both styles over the years, but I’ve probably sold more flower paintings because I’ve been making them a lot longer than the abstracts. I sell work through my own website, Saatchi Art, and Artfinder online. I also sell my work in brick and mortar gallery shows and by appointment from my studio. lll

5. YOU ARE VERY PRODUCTIVE, MANAGING TO FIT IN EXHIBITIONS EACH YEAR. GIVE US SOME OF YOUR MOTIVATIONAL TIPS TO

Happy Heart - 11 x 14 in. acrylic on paper

xx

F

Promises We Keep - 11 x 14 in. acrylic on paper

need a strong social media presence and an up to date email contact list so we can refer potential buyers to our website.

Like most artists, the business side of art making is not my favorite part, but it’s got to be done on a regular basis if you plan on selling your artwork.

I’ve been working hard on improving my art business this year, and am implementing a number of new (for me) processes in order to share my art with a wider audience. I recently signed up with an art licensing agent and now have two companies under contract to use my artwork on products they produce.

I’m also interested in showing my floral paintings in high-end florist businesses and in pop up shops in major retailers.

ENCOURAGE PRODUCTIVITY, PARTICULARLY AT THE START OF A NEW YEAR.

The most important tips I have are to Make Art Every Day and Never Stop Learning. Don’t worry about whether the art you’re making is good or bad, just do it.

Experiment, have fun, and learn as much as you can about all the different facets of art while you’re at it. Schedule your creative time if you need to, but stick to it. Daily painting or sketching trains your hands and eyes to work together as one. The times that you get into your head’s art zone and create something wonderful without even knowing how you did it will surprise and delight you!

Make art. Every day. Do it! lll

6. WHAT ARE YOUR BEST MARKETING METHODS? 7. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2019 AND BEYOND?

BECKY ROESLER

Website: BeckyRoeslerArt.com Email: Becky@BeckyRoeslerArt.com Instagram: Instagram.com/BeckyRoeslerArt Facebook: Facebook.com/BeckyRoeslerArt

I think it’s very important for all artists to have their own website and to keep it up to date with fresh work. We also lll

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depop.com Depop.com – the website tells us, is where the world’s creatives come to buy, sell and discover the most inspiring and unique things.

One could pass it off as an Ebay for teenagers but it’s open to anyone. A certain person I know spent her Christmas hols populating her shop, photographing “pre-loved” clothing and making pretty earrings for sale on this platform spending many hours listing items, doing miniphotoshoots, and running to the post office with numerous packages.

#artwork #handdrawn #artist brings up quirky, humourous cards by mainly British artists (since my location is set as the UK) but it is a global site with sellers all over the world.

You can flog old books, CDs, spare notebooks, ornaments and anything else that takes your fancy with “bundles” of items being a big favourite amongst buyers. You can also do swaps – where you don’t make any money but swap things with someone else, whilst still having Paypal protection.

The website is a place for greeting cards, art prints, and collectibles too. A quick search of #greetingcard #wallart #homedecor #illustration

It’s not just millenials who like Depop... download the app on your phone and give it a try.

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THE

MAKING

OF A

MASTER an Gogh is in town and I’m keen to see his work again. Last time was 20 years ago in Amsterdam. London hasn’t hosted his art for over 75 years and the Tate’s exhibition aims to show the painter’s connection with this country, one he was familiar with. Van Gogh lived and worked here for about three years. He spoke the lingo, visited art galleries, walked the streets, worked as an art dealer and later as an evangelist.

Many of his paintings feature books, the titles of which he painted on their spines (works by Charles Dicken’s and other English authors, no less).

The paintings in this exhibition have been loaned to the Tate by private collectors and the Musee D’Orsay in Paris.

I’ve never really studied Van Gogh’s work in any depth but decided to try one portrait in his honour, using the bold

strokes and bright palette he is so famous for.

Although he is classified as a modern painter and an impressionist, his work really strikes me as naïve in many respects (the simple bold lines he uses along with slap dash dollops of paint). Yet his attention to detail is incredible – painting the filiments of the iris so carefully. To replicate his style, I had to buy a superfine brush.

As a self-taught artist, I haven’t the foggiest about the elements of composition and start by outlining (with a tape measure!!) the distance of the eyes from the top of the head, followed by the mouth and ears. If I paint the pupils of the eyes in first, the painting comes to life and gives me the motivation to develop the white underpainting (I always paint on black canvases).

I try to take photos at various stages as I paint – a useful practice that allows me to produce short videos for Youtube later.

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If you are interested to see Van Gogh’s work, the exhibition is on till August. Adult tickets are priced £12 each. The “Days out Guide” discount allows you a 2-for-1 ticket offer which makes things more affordable. Might see you there x

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Interview with...

Ruth Oliver

1. HAVE YOU ALWAYS PAINTED ?

SHARE YOUR JOURNEY WITH US.

After a lifetime of procrastination and appreciating other artist’s work I decided to start and keep painting. This was less than a couple of years ago. My love of gardening and flowers became a natural source of inspiration for my paintings.

Painting has added a whole new dimension to my life, it has introduced me to new friends and new thinking . lll

2. DO YOU HAVE A WEBSITE OR SHOP WHERE FOLLOWERS CAN PURCHASE AN ORIGINAL – OR PERHAPS YOU ARE REPRESENTED BY A GALLERY?

At the moment my work is represented by The Lavelle Art Gallery in Galway, Ireland. I can also be contacted directly via Instagram @annavilleart. lll

4. IS THERE A SIZE OF CANVAS YOU PREFER AND DO YOU USE OILS OR ACRYLICS?

I have mainly been painting on 20x20cm wood panels or canvases. I love the way the paint glides onto the wood panels. I use heavy body acrylic paints. I usually start my painting by priming the wood or canvas with a coat of crimson paint. lll

3. HOW OFTEN DO YOU PAINT TELL US YOUR SCHEDULE AND IS IT YOUR “DAY JOB” OR MORE OF A PASTIME.

Unfortunately painting is not my day job I work full time so I paint in the evenings and at weekends. I usually start the week by setting up a still life. I begin by gathering flowers from my garden - at the moment the bluebells and primroses are in full bloom. I’m captured by how flowers announce the seasons with such enthusiastic displays of colour.

I delight is setting up my composition from considering a jug or vase that complements the flowers to playing with natural and artificial light sources to create magical moments. lll

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5. FROM YOUR INSTAGRAM PAGE FLOWERS AND BIRDS FEATURE MOST. WHAT OTHER SUBJECTS HAVE YOUR PAINTED AND DO YOU PRODUCE GREETING CARDS OR OTHER PRODUCTS FROM THE DESIGNS?

I have two cats who often feature in my paintings! I am also drawn to dappled shade and hedgerows dotted with wildflowers in summer. I hope to produce greeting cards in the future lll

6. WHAT PLANS DO YOU HAVE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR IN TERMS OF SELLING, EXHIBITING, IF APPLICABLE?

I would like to set up my own website where my art work can be viewed and purchased. I look forward to seeing where this journey will take me!. lll

RUTH OLIVER

Instagram: @annavilleart Email: rutholiver26@gmail.com

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r e w o l FPOWER c

My Flower Vase range is progressing nicely but time is never on my side. 2019 has been really productive so far and I’ve managed to

get a small painting out most days.

My focus is primarily blue and white vases, with naïve style flowers. Once painted, the images are vectorised which allows me to tweak the designs and add multiple images to one card front.

I’ve many more to add to this range.

ORDER FORM: CACTUS & BOTANICAL CARD RANGES CODE

AMOUNT

TOTAL

CODE

AMOUNT

VAS1

VAS8

VAS2

VAS9

VAS3

VAS22

VAS4

VAS23

VAS6

VAS24

VAS7

TOTAL

£1 PER CARD 13

To place an order simply email:

lorraine@lorrainestylianou.com

Interview with...

Blackbirds Amongst the Berries Reduction Lino cut

Jenny Hancock

Floral Marquee Acrylic and Oil on board

1. HOW DID YOUR ART CAREER START AND HOW HAS IT PROGRESSED TO TODAY?

I have had a love of drawing and painting for as long as I can remember.

After leaving school I went to do a two year art foundation course at a local college.

I still remember the joy of being able to produce art all day, everyday. After that I completed a degree in Graphic Design at Norwich School of Art. I worked in design for many years but decided that spending all day sitting at a computer wasn’t for me.

I then spent some time working in primary education and enjoyed teaching art to children as part of my role and continuing to paint for myself. Two years ago I decided to put my art first and became self employed. lll

2. YOUR BIRD PRINTS ARE INTRICATE AND DETAILED. TALK US THROUGH HOW THEY ARE PRODUCED, AND HOW YOU ACHIEVE SO MANY LAYERS OF COLOUR?

My prints are reduction linocuts so only one block is used to create the image.

The block is carved and a colour printed, further areas are then carved and another colour printed on top of the first and so on.

The Lino block is destroyed in the process.

I plan the general design but not the colour sequence so after each layer I assess the print and decide where to go next. It’s a time consuming process and I print by hand so I produce very small editions. I think because I’m self taught I approach printing rather like painting. I’m not very good at simplifying, each image has between 8 and 12 layers of ink. lll

layers. Painting isn’t a quick process for me so I’m not very prolific.

I very much enjoy the two different processes of painting and printmaking and I think that helps to keep me inspired. If I’m ever short of inspiration a walk in the countryside or a visit to a garden usually does the trick.

4. HOW DO YOU MARKET YOUR PRODUCTS AND WHICH METHOD WORKS BEST?

I find social media a good way to share my work and get feedback, I’m often overwhelmed by the positive response and supportive comments I receive. Also, Green Pebble who publish my work do a fantastic job! lll

5. WHAT IS YOUR BEST SELLER... AND WHERE CAN WE FIND THEM?

My images of gardens seem to be particularly popular, I think ‘Floral Marquee’ is a best seller. There are more products planned for next year, very exciting!

Green Pebble can be found online at www.greenpebble.co.uk or at local stockists. lll

3. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PAINTINGS YOU CREATE EACH YEAR, AND HOW DO YOU KEEP INSPIRED?

Not enough! Rather like my linocuts my paintings are built up from many lll

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6. THE 2019 PANTONE COLOUR IS “CORAL”.

WILL THIS HAVE ANY INFLUENCE ON YOUR DESIGNS IN 2019 AND DO TRENDS PLAY A PART IN YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?

That’s interesting. I don’t intentionally look for or follow trends but we are all influenced by everything around us, so who knows. I’m a very enthusiastic gardener so I’m more likely to be influenced by what’s in bloom in the garden or the wildlife that comes to visit. lll

7. WHAT ARE YOUR NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS? lll

I enjoy making a list of aims for the

Stunning Pheasants Acrylic and Oil on board

coming year.... I sell my original work online and through galleries but one aim for the new year is to take part in a print fair/art fair or two. I think it would be a great way to show my work and meet fellow artists and buyers. Also I’d like to increase my productivity by producing more smaller paintings alongside larger work. Above all to carry on enjoying making art, learning and hopefully improving.

JENNY HANCOCK

Website: jennyhancockartist.co.uk Email: jennyhancockartist@gmail.com Instagram: jennyhancockartist Facebook:: @JennyHancockArtist

SOCIAL MEDIA JAIL

DO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT £100

I

literally live on Social Media. I post most days on the big uns’: Facebook and Instagram with a smattering on Pinterest, Twitter, Telegram, Periscope, What’s App and Youtube.

Most of us know people who’ve had a “strike” – some temporary punishment for breaching community guidelines. The one’s I know of are teenagers who’ve been promoting their Etsy shops too aggressively or liked something Silicon Valley doesn’t approve of.

This month I got my first Instaslap….a white screen popped up as I tried to LIKE an image of some artwork posted by someone I follow.

It’s quite shocking when you see it – there’s no prior warning, no indication why you can’t continue to LIKE a friend’s post – just a ban for 24 hours.

Jumping on my laptop, I realised I could continue to like posts there – just not from my mobile phone.

Weird! Perhaps it was because I had posted 7 times in three hours? My hunch is that it was probably for posting an image of a painting of Orchids marked “Sold” earlier in the day. Yep – I guess the community needed protection from that (eyeroll). So I click the “Tell us” option…..which simply shows that your indignation has been logged somewhere and then the screen evaporates.

This leads on to the topic of free speech, privacy and how content is monitored. It’s a hot topic at the moment, and never out of the news. Since Instagram is owned by Facebook, some of their hirelings must have been working overtime to hunt down posts that were too salesy and censor them. But should I be surprised? Zuckerburg did say “Privacy is a social norm of the past”.

One could migrate to another platform that doesn’t piss you off with unexplained bans and punishments but you’d miss your network of followers and have to work doubly hard to establish new connections. Instagram is visual eye-candy for artists. Many alternative social media sites simply don’t function in the same way.

You have to remember that Instagram, like Facebook, are really data companies that track our every move, like, and comment. They use facial recognition, and in some instances, procure our passwords when accessing apps. They’ve been fined millions of dollars for inappropriate data use.

I’ll continue using FB and Instagram for now, but I’m not the only one eager for a hybrid to appear on the scene that combines the great features of FB and Instagram but without the Fat Controller in the Cloud policing posts for marketing content.

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A WISE OLD OWL LIVED IN AN OAK, THE MORE HE SAW, THE LESS HE SPOKE; THE LESS HE SPOKE, THE MORE HE HEARD, WHY CAN'T WE ALL BE LIKE THAT BIRD?

The creative process is undertaken in stages and it is wise to build the background as thoroughly as possible before adding the detail. Owls are relatively quick to do and the way an artist can build momentum is to have a method that reduces mistakes and time wasting - preparing the subject of the painting being the 1st most important step..... just as the oak from tiny acorns grows, so too will your masterpiece if you follow some basic steps - preparation, priming, outlining, base colours and then a development of the details. Happy painting!

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THE BOOK NOOK TRACTION

BY GINO WICKMAN l Traction,

by Gino Wickman, is this issue’s featured business book.

Recommended by a famous Instagrammer (Alex Iconn), I purchased a copy based on his glowing reports of it.

The book, part of a series (The Traction Library), is full of sound advice on systemisation (in the genre of world renowned titles like the E-myth) and it starts off with 4 pages full of reviews by people who’ve benefited from its pearls of wisdom. The solution it recommends is EOS – not the crypto currency (although I’m certain holding some of these alt coins could be useful) but the trademarked Entrepreneurial Operating System which is made up of six key components – the end result which aims to give you more time to enjoy life. I haven’t finished reading it yet but have found the chapter on visioning and knowing your customer particularly beneficial.

Knowing their geographic location is relevant for a card business as you can adapt designs, language and card size for example.

I’ll report back later if it helps me “get a grip on my business”.

Cheapest copies are available on Amazon for around £6.00.

Happy reading!

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A window on the world of a greeting card publisher

Gypsy Chic magazine