Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast An Art To It

Before she was a painter, Tamara Williams spent 25 years running a successful London design agency - it was a career she loved, creating work for a wide range of clients including Marks & Spencer and Burberry. It was only after selling the business that she discovered printmaking, and a happy accident with plaster of Paris that led, eventually, to painting.

Tamara shares her journey and the serendipity of discovering her passion for painting. We also talk about the realities of running a creative business and how, despite building a design practice, there was no cross over with the art world; a world she says that really has no rules!

In this episode, Tamara and I talk about:

• Being inspired to study graphic design by her older sister ten years who introduced her to  the work of Saul Bass and Milton Glaser when she was still a child.
• Going freelance almost by accident in 1989, hiring a cupboard-sized studio near Oxford Circus, and growing the agency from two people - and a dog - into a successful 25-year business
• The plaster of Paris experiment that started everything - an attempt to transfer printmaking images without a press, that produced textures and effects she could never have planned
• Taking up the suggestion of her friend and ceramicist Ali Tomlin https://www.alitomlin.com/ to take part in her first trade show at Top Drawer, at London's Olympia; being terrified but coming away with her first order book and her first ever conversations with gallery owners
• Launching RubyKite, the silk scarf brand she co-founded with a friend, and the decision - after six wonderful years - to close it this December
• Learning, the hard way, to say no to galleries: "It's really difficult to maintain creativity if you feel like you're a hamster on a wheel"
• Having her painting Leave No Trace accepted into the 2025 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, and the extraordinary tradition of Varnishing Day
• Why she believes artists need a "visual compass" for their own work.
• The business discipline she brought from design - timesheets, pricing, strategic thinking - and why creativity and commercial thinking aren't opposites

Find Tamara's work at tamarawilliams.co.uk and on Instagram @tamarawilliamsart

When CAN you call yourself a ceramicist? Kate Clark's @K_ceramics beautiful hand carved ceramics are sold across the country, from the Outer Hebrides to Cornwall, and even over to France. Her many fans include three generations of one family who all independently buy her work; and she still doesn't quite think she's earned the word "potter." She still adds that she's "also a Graphic Designer, as that's what my degree is in."

In our lovely chat, Kate talks openly about her journey to being a full time ceramicist:

"I've had loads of lessons, I've been taught by fantastic people," she told me, "but I haven't got the stamp, as it were."

But when you're making - and selling exquisite work - what more of an endorsement do you need? Kate's passion for pottery began while living with her family in New York City, she followed her kids to an after-school pottery class, fell in love watching them make things, asked if adults could join in, and never really left. She says her first bowl was awful but her teacher persuaded her to persevere and then it clicked.

We also talk about:

• Re-inventing yourself in a new city
• The buzz of selling your work to people who fall in love with it
• Learning to throw from two different teachers on opposite sides of Manhattan, then not owning a wheel of her own until lockdown forced her hand
• Why hand-carving makes almost every piece one of a kind - and why that's a nightmare to price, because "it's not just that piece, it's planning the carving, it's the act of doing
• The stockist who spent months patiently waiting for Kate to feel ready, after Kate turned down several early offers because being asked for stock felt overwhelming
• The particular strain of imposter syndrome that seems to follow talented ceramicists specifically - despite years of teaching, a beautifully considered brand, and genuinely excellent work
• The message from a customer that told her three generations of one family buy her work, and why that means so much to her
• Bringing her graphic design background into building a considered, cohesive ceramics brand from the very first pot she ever labelled

Find Kate's work at https://kceramicsstudio.com/ and on Instagram @K_ceramics

Painting shop shop-window mannequins in Chelsea is not a traditional way to learn the art of blending oil paints, but it's just one of the steps on Sally Hirst's journey to becoming both an artist and a hugely popular tutor.

Sally was in Spain in the spring of 2020 when it became clear that the workshops she'd planned for the summer back in Norfolk were unlikely to happen. She got the last flight out of Malaga, announced on social media that she'd find a way to teach online, wrote a blog about it for Jackson's Art Supplies and woke the next morning to around four hundred emails -  because Jackson's had listed her online courses, which did not yet exist, among their ten things to do during lockdown.

What followed is one of the more decisive pivots I've heard about. She went from a newbie on YouTube to thousands of followers and the beginning of a thriving business.

Six years on she has twenty-four courses, around a hundred hours of video, two Instagram accounts, and a book out this autumn. She's also refreshingly candid about the parts that haven't worked: the second Instagram account that never took off, the gallery representation that's been "somewhat elusive," and the awkward suspicion that not needing gallery sales might mean she doesn't chase them hard enough.

We also talk about her teaching career which she gave up at time she still had the energy to pursue other things, and how it - and her MA - have helped her develop her teaching style for the artists she works with.

In this episode:

• Why Sally took a whole year off her own practice - and how she avoids resentment when doing two jobs
• The GP who tore up her job application and told her to sort herself out
• ADHD as a superpower, and what a late diagnosis actually changed
• Why a teaching qualification matters more for developing artists than for teaching skills
• "Leave your audience at the door" and why she advises students not to post new explorations
• Selling her work well in Spain yet finding UK galleries elusive
• Writing a book: 50,000 words, hundreds of captions, and no exclamation marks

You can find Sally's work and courses here:

https://sallyhirstcourses.com/

https://www.sallyhirst.co.uk/

@sallyhirst_courses @sallyhirstartist

Her Book, Printmaking for Collage is out this Autumn

https://www.crowood.com/book/printmaking-for-collage/

After 13 years of running a successful jewellery business, Claire Gent knew that something no longer felt right, but she wasn't sure what should come next.

Picking up an art book in a cafe on a family holiday in Penzance she discovered the work of  contemporary painter Alasdair Lindsay https://www.alasdairlindsay.co.uk/; she fell in love with it and it sparked a passion for her to pick up her own paintbrushes. What began as a new creative interest rapidly became an obsession.

In 2024, Claire tested a small collection of paintings alongside her jewellery at the annual Contemporary Craft Festival in Bovey Tracey in Devon https://craftfestival.co.uk/. She sold almost every piece, returned home with just two paintings and her partner immediately suggested they build her a studio. And so began this chapter of Claire's creative career.

In our chat Claire talks candidly about losing her love for her jewellery business and the excitement of moving onto painting, how she is carrying the skills from one creative career into another, and learning from the burnout she experienced while supplying multiple galleries.

We also discuss:

• Recognising when a successful business is no longer making you happy

• Testing a new creative direction before committing fully

• Beginning again without beginning from nothing

• Allowing your own artistic voice to emerge from your influences

• Using a part-time job to support the development of your work

• Pacing growth and resisting the pressure to accept every opportunity

• Why Instagram should support the work rather than become the work

• The many hats - and occasional grown-up decisions - involved in running a creative business

You can see Claire's gorgeous semi-abstract field-scapes - with a hint of the sea - inspired by her home in Cornwall on her website https://www.clairegent.com/

Some guests really need more than one episode, and Kellie Miller is one of them. A successful artist in her own right, she is also founder and director of Kellie Miller Arts, a renowned Brighton gallery representing an exciting mix of national, international and local artists. She also teaches, is involved in philanthropy and plays a major role in the creative life of  Brighton - she just has to come back for another chat.

But in this very entertaining episode we talk about the realities of life on both sides of the gallery wall: the freedom (and occasional exhaustion) of wearing two hats, why curating is its own act of creativity rather than a lesser cousin to "real" art, and why Kellie believes entrepreneurship is vital in being a successful artist.

Kellie is also refreshingly honest about the business side of running a gallery - how gallery pricing actually works, why undercutting a gallery by selling direct to a client who found you through them is one of the fastest ways to end a relationship, and why she thinks art fairs have had their day. She also talks candidly about a pop-up space she lost at the last minute - and the lesson in handling disappointment that came out of it.

In this episode:

• Why being an artist and a gallery owner gives Kellie authority in supporting the artists she represents 

• The invisible labour of curating - and why "you're just a curator" undersells what a gallery actually does

• How she built her stable of 70 artists, and why the window for taking on new ones is smaller than people think

• What she's really looking for in a submission 

• Why keeping consistent pricing across the board is essential for artists - and what happens when artists forget that

• The real cost of art fairs

• Handling disappointment with grace -  and why it pays off later

• You can find out more about Kellie and her gallery at kelliemillerarts.com @kelliemillerarts

What happens when an artist decides that joy isn't just an emotion - but a creative purpose?

In this episode I chat to ceramic artist Emily Hett, whose colourful, tactile sculptures have captured the imagination of collectors and social media audiences alike. Emily's joyful 'blobs' have become her signature, but behind the playful forms lies years of thoughtful experimentation, resilience and a clear understanding of what it takes to build a sustainable creative business.

We talk about the moment she realised joy was at the heart of her practice, the extraordinary impact of a viral Instagram reel, and why success isn't simply about algorithms or follower numbers. Emily also shares some refreshingly honest advice about marketing, consistency and finding a way of working that feels authentic.

Whether you're just starting out or already running your own creative business, this conversation is full of practical insights and plenty of encouragement.

In our chat we discuss:

- How Emily discovered that joy had become the driving force behind her work.

- Why colour, shape and tactility create such an emotional connection with people.

- The value of experimentation and allowing your creative practice to evolve.

- What really happened when one Instagram reel reached millions of people—and how it changed her business.

- Why artists need to embrace the business side of their practice as well as making great work.

- Building an audience without losing sight of why you create.

- Creating content that feels natural rather than chasing the latest trends.

-  Balancing exhibitions, commissions, social media and studio life.

You can see Emily's work at https://emilyhettart.co.uk/

When creating with flowers is not quite fulfilling you, it's time to pack away the secateurs and pick up the paintbrushes. Brigitte Girling shares her story in Episode 56 of An Art to It.

Brigitte is a fine artist based in Suffolk whose vivid, joyful still life paintings celebrate what she calls "the beauty of the everyday." But her route to the easel was anything but straightforward.

In this episode, Brigitte talks about a childhood of creative freedom in Framlingham, being steered away from art at school despite loving it, studying psychology at Exeter, teaching primary school children, and eventually building a thriving floral design business specialising in seasonal, chemical-free flowers.

When COVID brought events to a halt, Brigitte found herself retrieving a box of art materials from the attic — materials that had been sitting there for a decade — and quietly began to paint. Within a couple of years she had exhibited at the Colchester Art Society, done Suffolk Open Studios, and become artist in residence at Wickham Vineyards in support of the charity Art for Cure.

We talk about:

• The creative thread that runs through every stage of a life, even when it isn't obvious
• Why she called herself an artist from day one — and why more of us should
• How her floristry background shaped her composition and colour instincts without her even realising
• Changing her mind about galleries — and why she's glad she did
• Self-limiting beliefs, fear of judgement, and the art of ignoring both
• What it really means to burst out of the chrysalis of other people's expectations

A warm, funny and genuinely inspiring conversation to kick off Series 6.

You can see Brigitte's work at brigittegirling.co.uk and @brigittegirling

Brigitte talked about:

Mandy Leeson of Vanil in Woodbridge @vanil_ltd    https://www.vanil.co.uk/

Kay Prestney Kinship Creative @kinship_creativedc

Art For Cure @artforcure  https://artforcure.org.uk/

Wyken @wykenvineyards   https://www.wykenvineyards.co.uk/

An Art to It: the home of inspiring stories of how women artists and makers turned their creative passion into their business. Hosted by gallery owner and mentor to creatives, Elaine Dye.

Follow An Art to It for artist conversations, creative entrepreneurs, creative women and interviews with women artists and makers.

Having her eyes fixed as firmly on her business goals as on her paint palette, has been the bedrock of Alice Sheridan's creative success. In this episode of An Art to It, artist, mentor and co-host of the long running and much-loved Art Juice podcast, Alice Sheridan, shares her journey.

Alice talks about her move from a career in graphic design into painting, how she began taking her art seriously as a business, and why structure, support and self-awareness have all played such an important part in her creative career.

We discuss the realities of building an art practice alongside family life, the role of ADHD in how Alice works, and why understanding your own energy, habits and decision-making is so important when you're running a creative business.

Alice also shares her thoughts on selling directly, working with galleries, art fairs, social media, membership communities, pricing, and why artists don't all need to follow the same route to success.

This is a wonderfully honest conversation about commitment, creativity, business, tenacity, and learning to build a creative life that works for you.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Alice's experience of co-hosting Art Juice

• Moving from graphic design into painting

• Taking art seriously as a business

• The importance of structure and support

• ADHD, organisation and creative working rhythms

• Open studios, art fairs and direct selling

• Galleries, endorsement and choosing your own route

• Building and evolving an artist membership

• Why creative business is not one-size-fits-all

• Pricing, confidence and standing by your decisions

• The long-term nature of a sustainable creative career

You can find out more about Alice's work and her membership at https://alicesheridan.com/ and on instagram @alicesheridanstudio

A passion for colour, flowers and making all came together for Katie Robbins as she said goodbye to a career in marketing and welcomed a new creative direction as a ceramicist. 

In a lively and very open chat Katie - known by many on Instagram with her memorable handle @ceramicmagpie - shares her journey from a career in marketing to becoming a full-time ceramicist, and how creativity was always present in her life - even before she could imagine it becoming her work. She talks about studying French and politics at university, working in marketing, keeping her creative levels topped up with evening classes, and eventually finding her way to clay after having children.

Katie reflects on the slow process of building confidence as a self-taught maker, the challenge of calling herself a ceramicist, and how selling her first pieces helped her begin to believe in her work. She also discusses how her marketing background has helped her shape her brand, understand social media, and bring people along on her creative journey.

We talk about the realities of running a creative business: learning new skills, managing admin, showing up online, doing both general markets and specialist ceramic shows, developing a product range, and balancing heart-led making with commercial decisions.

Katie and I also explore the importance of community, customer experience, and delighting buyers - from sharing the behind-the-scenes process to creating beautiful packaging and memorable moments.

A warm and practical conversation about confidence, creativity, flowers, ceramics, and the many skills involved in building a sustainable creative business.

You can see Katie's work at https://www.ktrobbinsceramics.com/ and on instagram she is @ceramicmagpie 

Ceramicists never really retire, but they are allowed to indulge in a sabbatical. In this episode of An Art to It, I chat to Lucy Burley, whose beautifully distinctive ceramic bottles and vessels have been a much-loved part of my gallery https://thebyregallery.co.uk/ for ten years.

In our very lively chat Lucy reflects on her creative path, from a first life in London as a tri-lingual secretary and then working in television production to discovering painting classes, art school, and eventually clay. She talks about developing her now instantly recognisable style, inspired in part by Giorgio Morandi, and explains how she built a ceramic practice rooted in harmony of form, colour and use.

We also discuss what it means to sustain a creative business over decades: learning as you go, building gallery relationships before the internet made everything visible, managing health challenges, and knowing when it's time to step back and reassess. Lucy shares why 2026 has become a "mini gap year" or sabbatical for her - certainly not retirement, but a pause to think, travel, learn, and explore new directions in her work.

This is a very open and honest conversation about longevity, resilience, creative identity, and the delicate balance between making work and making a living. Oh and, as a memorable postscript, Lucy also shares the extraordinary story of the time she ended up in prison in the Indian Ocean.

In this episode:

• Lucy's route into ceramics via painting and art school

• Leaving television and finding a more creative path

• Developing a distinctive style and glaze palette

• The influence of Giorgio Morandi on her work

• Building a ceramic career before Instagram and websites

• Why she chose not to do large craft fairs

• Teaching ceramics and why she eventually had to stop

• Living and working with Lyme disease

• The decision to take a sabbatical from full-time potting

• What success means at different stages of a creative life

• The "fine art of balance" in a creative business

• And the unforgettable story of a spell in jail in the Andaman Islands

Lucy talks about some of the fellow creatives and businesses who have supported or inspired her:

Charles Gladstone: https://gladstonehellen.co.uk/@hawardenestate and @gladstone_hellen

Scilly flowers: https://www.scillyflowers.co.uk/@scillyflowers

Fiona Findlay: @findlayfiona

Thom Hudson:  @thom_hudson

Lucy Nicolls: @lucydorothyart

Kyra Cane @kyra.cane

Freedom of choice and taking up all opportunities are just two of the topics I chat about with visual artist Laura Menzies in episode 52 of An Art to It. 

From a multidisciplinary arts degree and early love of dance to developing a distinctive painting practice in Cornwall, Laura shares her creative business journey; and reveals how studying, teaching and later completing an MA in Fine Art helped her refine her artistic voice. 

We also discuss the reality of building a creative business: learning the business side on the job, approaching and working with galleries, and the inventive collaborations that have helped Laura reach new audiences, including projects with Celtic & Co https://www.celticandco.com/  and Neptune https://www.neptune.com/. 

Laura speaks openly about growing in confidence, learning to market herself in ways that feel aligned, and the value of staying open, flexible and resilient in a creative career.

Topics covered

• Laura's early creative life and multidisciplinary arts degree

• Why visual art, rather than performance, became her focus

• Moving to Cornwall and the draw of the coast and creative community

• How her painting practice developed during and after her MA at Falmouth

• Landscape, memory, movement and "visual poetry" in her work

• Learning the business side of being an artist

• Building confidence in promoting and talking about her work

• Collaborating with Celtic & Co on a range of clothes using her painting 

• Using books, branding and beautifully styled imagery as part of her business

• Growing into a more entrepreneurial mindset

• Her thoughts on success, freedom and creative choice

• Advice on resilience, flexibility and running a successful creative business

You can see Laura's work at https://www.lauramenzies.co.uk/ and on instagram she is @lauramenziesart

Exhibiting - and wearing - a maker's work for a decade is definitely something worth celebrating. This week I'm chatting with Cornish jeweller Lucy Spink, a Byre Gallery regular for ten years since I first discovered her work thanks to two clients who were wearing her jewellery; surely the best kind of introduction. Since then I've got a considerable collection of her work myself - as have many of the gallery's clients.

In our lovely chat we talk about how the jewellery world has shifted over the last decade, the eye-watering rise in metal prices, Lucy's love of unusual stones, and the way photography, texture and storytelling all weave through her practice. Lucy also shares the real behind-the-scenes of creative life: fairs, imposter syndrome, the juggle of life, dogs and studio time… and why residencies can be pure creative gold.

We chat about:

• How I first discovered Lucy's work a customer-styling recommendation!

• How the jewellery market has changed: trends, saturation, and shifting tastes

• Why unusual gemstones sparked a new direction

• Metal prices rising fast - and what makers may do next

• Lucy's photography background and why it helps her in her practice  

• The quiet power of "back story" in a creative practice (nothing is wasted)

• The reality of fairs: visibility, energy, and "bearing your soul"

• The role galleries still play, and how online selling has changed things

• The art to running a creative business: persistence, hope, and adapting

You can see Lucy's work @lucyspinkjewllery and www. lucyspinkjewellery.co.uk

Word play and the serenity of printing are under discussion in this episode of An Art to It, when I'm joined by artist and maker Megan Fatharly.  An exciting talent, Meg has won a deserved reputation  - and fan base - for her witty and distinctive embossed metal work. 

In a lively and honest chat we talk about Meg's relationship with place (Scottish beginnings, Cornwall now), her diagnosis of ADHD in her late twenties, and how art-making became both a way to process the world and a "capsule of process" she could return to when things felt too much.

Meg shares the behind-the-scenes truth of building a creative business: the push-pull between play and commercial demand, the exhaustion of systems and delegation, the emotional reality of visibility, and why success can feel strangely rigid when your work becomes known for "one thing".

We also discuss taking part in the trade show Top Drawer, the difference between that and a market, how audiences connect with the person behind the work, and a line that Meg wrote in her blog about showing her work at Top Drawer that stood out for me: "paying attention to where the work naturally wants to go, rather than where I think it should go to be more easily understood." I asked how that fits in with being an entrepreneur

We chat about:

• The pull of geography and "sense of place" in creative identity

• ADHD, hyper-fixation, and the relief of processes that slow the mind down

• Meg's love of printmaking

• Poetry, collage and using words to anchor ambiguity

• When your art becomes a business: contracts, VAT, systems and structure

• The tension between exploring new work and "will it sell?" mentality

• Visibility and boundaries: when people want to meet the maker

You can see Meg's work at https://meganfatharly.com/ and @printcessmeg

Meg very much admires: The Fabled Thread

Website: https://www.thefabledthread.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefabledthread

Meg worked alongside the Institute of Imagination facilitating workshops. 

Website: https://www.instituteofimagination.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/instituteofimagination

Meg took part in Top Drawer with Cornwall Shop Small and Creative Kernow Associates

Website: https://www.cornwallshopsmall.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cornwallshopsmall

Website: https://associates.creativekernow.org.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativekernowassociates

John was one of Meg's tutors during foundation and degree, and his open-access print studio remains an invaluable creative space in Cornwall.

Website: https://www.johnhowardprintstudios.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnhowardprint

Celebrating 20 years as a beacon of creative excellence in jewellery, I'm delighted to be joined this week by Vicky Sewart, founder of Victoria Sewart Contemporary Jewellery Gallery in Plymouth, Devon. 

In a lovely chat with Vicky we talk about what's changed in the jewellery world, and why, with a very clear vision of what she wanted her gallery to be, she "stuck to her guns" through recessions and retail shifts. 

Vicky also shares how teaching has become a huge part of her creative life, the reality of navigating breast cancer just two years into opening the gallery, and why she's now embracing a fresh "next chapter" with mentoring and renewed energy.

What we cover:

• How the contemporary jewellery landscape has changed over 20 years

• Why Vicky chose "gallery" over "shop" -  and what that means in practice

• Sticking to a clear vision (even when the market pushes you mainstream)

• The joy of teaching design-led jewellery

• Whether you need university to become a jeweller today

• The role galleries still play in a world of Instagram selling

• What Vicky wants next: lifestyle business, career business… or something she can eventually sell?

You can see the gallery at https://victoriasewart.com/ and on instagram @victoria_sewart_gallery 

Vicky talked about the work of one of her gallery team, Rachel Darbourne whose work you can see @racheldarbourne, also part of the amazing team at the Gallery is @valmuddymanjewellery @kathleen.ashcroft.jewellery and @donna.burns.jewellery 

If you enjoy An Art to It podcasts, please, please do follow us on Apple and help more people find us.  It's really easy, open the Apple podcast app, go to An Art to It; the top three little dots on the upper right hand corner, touch that and it will offer you 'Go to Show' select that, you're on the home page, and then back to the three dots, select that and tap FOLLOW. Thank you v much! 

In this episode of An Art to It, I'm joined by ceramic artist Carolyn Tripp for a very enterianting and thoughtful conversation about finding your voice, building confidence, and taking the long view in a creative career.

Carolyn shares her journey from advertising to ceramics, how loss shaped a deeply personal body of work, and why success in the art world often comes slowly - through consistency, clarity, and community rather than quick wins.

In this episode we talk about:

Finding your true creative voice later in life

How personal experience can become universal in your work

Why Carolyn describes her work as a "visual diary" of things she notices

The value of getting help with words, storytelling, and communication

Imposter syndrome - even when showing your work at a prestigious event like Collect

How previous careers can quietly support a creative business

Selling work through galleries and how collectors engage with ceramics

Why evolution in your work needs to be careful and considered

What success looks like when you play the long game

Carolyn also shared businesses that she loves for their brands and their authenticity: her local bakers @august.bakery_ and skincare specialist @drsambunting

You can find Carolyn's work at https://www.carolyntceramics.co.uk/ and on instagram she's @carolyntceramics

Carolyn is showing her work with the Cynthia Corbett Gallery https://www.thecynthiacorbettgallery.com/ at the Craft's Council https://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/ international event, Collect at London's Somerset House https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/ from 26th Feb

If you enjoy An Art to It podcasts, please, please do follow us on Apple and help more people find us. It's really easy, open the Apple podcast app, go to An Art to It; the top three little dots on the upper right hand corner, touch that and it will offer you 'Go to Show' select that, your on the home page, and then back to the three dots, select that and tap FOLLOW. Thank you v much! 

In this episode, I'm joined by ceramic artist Sonya Wilkins, whose vessels are inspired by the natural world  - particularly trees, woodland textures, and the quiet power of time spent outdoors. Sonya shares how creativity has been woven through her life since childhood, from early painting lessons with her father to discovering clay at school, and why ceramics became both a practice and a refuge.

Sonya also talks candidly about her "two pulls": a creative identity alongside an entrepreneurial streak, and how her earlier career in people development eventually found its way back into her work. A turning-point moment brought her full circle to teaching ceramics, and reignited her own studio practice.

We chat about the tension many artists face between commercial demand and soul-led making, how Sonya uses variety (and a range of price points) to support both creativity and sustainability, and why she sees Instagram as a visual portfolio rather than a creative prison. We also touch on other subjects close to Sonya's heart: Reiki, wellbeing, and Ikigai, and how she believes that all of these frameworks can help artists build a business that doesn't flatten their joy.

We chat about:

• How Sonya's father taught her observation - and why that shaped everything

• Fossil hunting, earth materials, and the "magic" of what's hidden inside rock

• Why clay became a companion, and why Sonya always needs to go 3D

• A "pre-art" career, and the confidence rebuild that brought her back to making

• The commercial temptation: growth vs. conveyor-belt creativity

• Trees as muse, symbol, and subject 

• Her MA at Bath Spa University https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/

• Client stories, significant trees, and creating vessels that hold memory

You can see Sonya's work at https://ceramicsinspiredbynature.com/ and on instagram @sonyawilkinsceramics

2026 - and series five - kicks off with An Art to It's first ever transatlantic episode: this week I'm joined by gallerist Liz Lidgett of Liz Lidgett Gallery + Design in Des Moines, Iowa. https://www.lizlidgett.com/

Liz shares how growing up with a free local museum - and a grandmother who bought her art lessons every Christmas - shaped her belief that art should be for everyone. After studying art history and working as an in-house curator for a major corporate collection, she left the corporate world after exactly one year to become a freelance art advisor before opening her own gallery in 2019… just months before the pandemic.

In our lively chat we talk about how being based in the midwest - rather than LA or New York City - gave Liz the space to experiment with selling art, and how Instagram and lockdown turned a her local gallery into a global business.  and why Liz treats her gallery as her biggest artwork – built on joy, ethics, and a strict "no jerks" rule.

Inspired by her belief that art really IS for everyone, 2026 sees the launch of Liz's book, Art for Everyone where she demystifies buying, hanging and living with art for people who "love art but don't know where to start." It can be pre-ordered now on Amazon. 

In this episode, we chat about:

• Why being in the "overlooked" Midwest gave Liz freedom to play, make mistakes and experiment

• Moving from art history and corporate curation into art advising - and what she learned from seeing behind the scenes of galleries.

• How her Midwest gallery now ships to all 50 US states and 11+ countries, and why location matters less when your voice and eye are strong

• The values at the heart of her business: accessibility, kindness, paying artists on time, "no jerks", and approachable (never snooty) language

• Building a community for artists: annual surveys, honest questions, and a legendary 5-year party that brought 35–40 artists together in person

• The emotional and as Liz says, "slightly woo-woo" side of gallery work: believing that each artwork has a person it's "meant" for – and her job is to connect them

• What galleries can still offer artists in an age of direct sales and social media

• Treating the gallery itself as her biggest artwork, and why joy is non-negotiable in how she runs her business.

@lizlidgettgallery @lizlidgett 

@elaine_dye_ @thebyregallery

Ever wanted to eavesdrop of gallery owners in conversation? Now is your chance . In this Christmas Special edition of An Art to It, I'm joined by two fellow gallerists: Sharon Harvey (Sanctuary Gallery, Gloucestershire, and landscape artist) and Sara McKee (Life Full Colour gallery and music venue, North Wales).

Together we unwrap what 2025 has really been like for independent galleries: the tough months, the surprising highs, the "Dunkirk Spirit" of a Private View in a rainstorm and flood, and why layering income streams and experiences has become essential.

We also answer questions posed by artists and makers on:

• How galleries choose new artists

• Whether being a "Northern" artist limits your gallery chances

• Following up when a gallery goes quiet

• The reality of pricing for galleries vs. art fairs

• Whether galleries worry about "missing the next Van Gogh"…

It's a cosy, honest, very real conversation about art, money, risk, resilience - and why your relationship with a gallery matters as much as your work.

You can visit each of our galleries here: https://thebyregallery.co.uk/ 

https://www.thesanctuarygallery.com/

https://www.lifefullcolour.com/

And find out more about me https://elainedye.com/

An Art to It will be back in mid January 2026

In this week's episode, I chat to visual artist Gabriella Buckingham, whose creative path has taken her from illustration, to product design, to online teaching, and finally to the richly expressive painting practice she runs today.

Gabriella reflects on her childhood desire to be an artist and how finally reaching her destination "was just what I wanted. So I'm very grateful." And how her time spent in the business side of a greetings card business left her with invaluable knowledge of trends, sales analysis and creative stamina which she could ultimately apply to her own creative business. 

"I really feel that to run art as a business, you've got to be an optimist. You've got to be able to pick yourself up when you fail."

We discuss:
• Our shared Lithuanian heritage - and the mystery at the centre of Gabriella's family history
• Growing up obsessed with the paintings in her family home - as well as colour and ballet

• Why she realised graphic design wasn't for her as she cared far more about the painting than the type.

• The  commercial years that gave her strong business foundations

• Life as a kitchen-table business owner on Not On The High Street, https://www.notonthehighstreet.com/ and the moment she realised success was costing her more than it gave back

• Creating and teaching her own online painting course, and why seven-month "live experiences" are as intense as they sound

• Entering work for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition - and the electric moment she learned she'd been selected

• Brand inspiration, colour psychology, and why she thinks she's a "Spring business with an Autumn edge" inspired by Fiona Humberstone @thebrand_stylist https://www.thebrand-stylist.com/

• Brands she loves: Boden https://www.boden.com/, Toast https://www.toa.st/, and Kemi Telford https://kemitelford.com/

• Success, according to Gabriella: "the life I have now… just with a little more space, more painting, and more galleries."

You can enjoy Gabriella's work at - https://www.gabriellabuckingham.com/ and on instagram @gabriellabuckingham

In this final episode of my mini-series An Art to It: Unframed, we're talking about the quiet power of presentation - and why giving your digital presence a bit of a make-over can make such a difference to how your work is seen, understood, and valued.

As a gallery owner I get a lot of submissions from artists and makers asking me to consider their work, and naturally I look at their Instagram accounts and websites. Some times I'm excited by what I discover and others… well, let's just I'm left a bit confused as to what their practice actually is. So this episode explores how your online world: your Instagram grid and your website, act as your shop window. And just like any good window display, it needs a little thought, clarity, and styling to really invite people in.

In this episode we cover:

Why artists often resist "styling" - and why it matters more than we admit

What major retailers can teach us about presentation 

How your Instagram grid works like a mini exhibition

Simple user-friendly and effective upgrades: profile photo, bio, pinned posts, highlights

The "mini shop window" effect and why clarity beats clutter

How to curate your website so visitors instantly understand your work

Seasonal styling and how small changes make your online presence feel fresh and current

This isn't about perfection, aesthetics for aesthetics' sake, or style over substance.

It's about helping your beautiful work shine in the way it deserves to.

If you've enjoyed this mini-series, I'd love to hear from you — and if you have topics you'd like me to explore in possible future Unframed episodes, just drop me a note.

And you can…

• Join my monthly Creative Brief newsletter: elainedye.com

• Listen to the full An Art to It interview series

• Follow along on Instagram for more tips for artists & makers @elaine_dye_ and @thebyregallery.co.uk

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In this episode of An Art to It,  I'm joined by applied artist Amy Stringer, who has just celebrated ten years of running her creative business.

Amy's practice moves between jewellery and ceramics – think structural, architectural, process-led work that blurs the boundaries between wearable pieces and sculptural objects. Starting with body adornment and bold cement forms, she's now known for both her chain-led silver jewellery and her carved Kurinuki vessels, where jewellery sometimes lives inside the ceramic object.

Together, Elaine and Amy talk about what has changed over the last decade for makers, and what it really takes to sustain a creative career over the long term.

They discuss:

• How the landscape for makers has shifted pre- and post-Covid, from material costs and gallery closures to the boom in workshops

• Why Amy's teaching practice has become a vital pillar in her business, and what she loves about passing on traditional skills

• Her transition from "fashion-minded" body adornment to process-led jewellery and ceramics, and the tension she's felt around the word "artist"

• Working with Kurinuki - an ancient Japanese technique of carving clay- and why her ceramic pieces can take months before they even reach the kiln

• Pricing, value and how ceramic audiences respond to labour-intensive work

• The differences between jewellery shows and ceramics shows, and why ceramics seems to invite more play

• The realities of self-employment as a maker: admin, tax, tools, rejection and the business skills that are rarely taught at art school

• How Amy approaches teaching second-career makers who are thinking about going professional

• The role galleries have played in her journey, and why having the confidence to approach them early on made such a difference

• What success looks like for her next ten years - from multidisciplinary exhibitions to sustaining a comfortable, creatively fulfilling life

And, as always, I ask Amy the podcast's central question:
Is there an art to running a successful creative business?

Amy's answer is honest, encouraging and very recognisable to anyone trying to make their creative work pay the bills: it takes a particular personality, a lot of internal drive, and a willingness to keep going through self-doubt and imposter syndrome.

You can see Amy's work @amystringerdesign and at https://www.amystringer.co.uk/

It's one thing when a friend deliberately buys the same coat as you. It's quite another when your creative work, or something very similar, turns up on someone else's instagram grid, gallery, grid, or workshop offering. Copying is personal, deeply and annoying and hurtful - but when it could undermine your carefully crafted creative identity and brand, then it's a real issue.

In this episode, we take a look at the slightly thorny subject of copying in creative business: how to spot it, what to do when it happens, and how to protect yourself going forward. From personal experience to industry advice, she explores why copying hurts, when to take action, and how to trust your own originality even when others are borrowing a little too freely.

Whether you're an artist, maker, writer or workshop teacher, if you've ever had that sinking "hang on a minute…" moment, this one's for you.

In this episode:

• Why creative work feels personal

• What you can protect (and how)

• Why visibility invites imitation

• How to respond when someone copies you

• The difference between inspiration and imitation

• What to do if you're worried you're too close to someone else's idea

For more tips, sign up for my monthly newsletter, Creative Brief, visit elainedye.com

What happens when the art you're known for no longer brings you joy? In this episode, mixed media artist Jane Wilson shares her journey from fashion buying to creative commercial success, and how a door closing lead to her finding her true voice as a playful, joy-filled artist.

Jane opens up about early experiences of imposter syndrome, the emotional fallout from a tough gallery break-up, and how lockdown gave her space to rediscover creativity on her own terms. We talk about the art of starting over - more than once - and why success looks different at different stages of life and career.

Jane also reflects on professional ambition, the importance of artist identity, and how she's channelling her experience into launching her first online workshop. 

We talk about:

• Jane's shift from fashion buyer to professional artist

• Why gallery representation isn't always the dream

• Imposter syndrome and reclaiming the title of 'artist'

• Playing your way into a more joyful practice

• The power of beginner's mind

• Success, validation, and new directions after 50

• Creative professionalism (and why every artist needs a delivery note!)

You can see Jane's work online at https://www.janewilsonartist.co.uk/ and on instagram @janewilsonartist 

In episode three of my mini series of mini podcasts, I'm talking about something that comes up again and again - in both quiet conversations and loud frustrations. Invisibility. That creeping feeling of no longer being seen or noticed as we age, especially as women. Whether it's being ignored in a cafe queue, looked through as we walk into a gallery or walked past at a party, there's a moment many of us experience where it feels like the spotlight has quietly moved elsewhere.

And if you're an artist and maker does that make your job of getting your work seen even harder? 

I believe that creativity doesn't have a shelf life, and being in your 'prime' is just the be beginning.

I talk about:

• Why "a certain age" is really just your "prime"

• How to show up fully and unapologetically

• The power of language and how we talk about ourselves

• Creative identity, visibility, and confidence

• How creative passion fuels vitality

• And why it's never too late to start - including a 75-year-old artist I mentored recently

Plus, I share the story that inspired the episode - about a puppy, a coffee shop, and the moment you realise no one's looking anymore… until you make them.

Whether you're 45, 55 or 75, if you've started to feel overlooked, it's time to fight back and throw off the Cloak of Invisibility.

You can get more tips and insight from my by signing up to Creative Brief my monthly newsletter at elainedye.com

In this week's episode of An Art to It, I chat to artist I talk to the multi-talented Franca Westaway - an artist, designer, educator and all-round creative force. Franca's work spans textiles, ceramics, teaching, painting, mural commissions - and a deep commitment to following her creative instincts wherever they lead.

We talked about her early love of fashion and textiles, and how she pivoted from working in the London fashion industry to teaching art and then building her own surface pattern business. She shares how creating bold work helped her resist the "invisibility cloak" that can come with middle age, and why she's not interested in following a conventional business model if it means compromising her values.

Franca opens up about the ethical challenges of mass production, the environmental questions that surface in her creative decisions, and how she's now moving into small-batch ceramics that are unapologetically personal and hand-painted — even if they aren't "convenient" to scale.

We also talk about the many hats a creative has to wear — from bookkeeper to social media manager — and how being open to possibility and saying yes has shaped her journey. As ever, it's a rich, honest, and inspiring conversation about finding your own rhythm and way of doing business in a creative life.

Franca references some fellow creatives whose work and ethos inspires her: 

https://idknitthatco.com/

https://www.rachaeltaylordesigns.com/

https://annahaymandesigns.com/

You can see Franca's work on Instagram @Francawestaway23 and her website is francawestaway.com 

We've all done it, a quick scroll turns into a spiral. Someone else is making more, selling more, getting that gallery show or grant… and suddenly, your own progress feels like it doesn't count.

In this episode of Unframed, I'm taking a look into the spiky topic of comparison:

- When it can actually help your creative practice
- When it starts to undermine your confidence
- And how to set your own pace without getting pulled off course

As a gallery owner and coach, I see this come up all the time - perhaps especially for artists and makers who are returning to creativity later in life or growing a practice alongside other demands. And I've felt it too.

Comparison can be motivating, but only when you're clear about what you're looking for. In this chat, I share some ways to be more intentional with what you absorb, how to choose a healthy 'pace-setter,' and why your timeline doesn't need to match anyone else's.

Whether you're feeling inspired or overwhelmed, I hope this helps you find your footing again.

You can find out more about me at elainedye.com and my gallery at thebyregallery.co.uk

Artist and mentor Lisa Henshall joins me from her Norfolk studio to talk about the creative spiral that underpins her practice. From a wild and free Cornish childhood to painting at the kitchen table with three small children, Lisa shares how she's built a full-time art career rooted in self-trust, sharing, and expansion.

We talk about the business of being an artist, what real gallery support looks like, and how each phase of making and mentoring loops back into the next. Lisa also reflects on the early days of balancing single parent-hood with painting, her teaching experiences, and why she's now finally returning to study to undertake a Masters at Arts University Bournemouth aub.ac.uk 

We discuss:

• Lisa's concept of the creative spiral

• Growing up on Cornish coast with a love of painting - and being allowed to do it! 

• From jewellery to large-scale work and international shows

• How mentoring and teaching feed into her creative practice

• Showing vs selling—and why both are part of the process

• What great artist-gallery relationships really look like

• Building a business that feels like you

You can see Lisa's work at lisahenshall.com and on instagram @lisahenshallartwork 

Lisa shows her work at Art Dog https://www.artdoglondon.co.uk/ and also now in Ireland at the Doorway Gallery in Dublin  https://www.thedoorwaygallery.com/

If you're interested in my course for artists and makers: An Insider's Guide to Gallery Success you can find out more here: https://elainedye.com/an-insiders-guide-to-gallery-success/

In this first episode of An Art to It: Unframed, I'm taking a look at something that comes up again and again - in my coaching, my course, and in conversations with artists and makers: imposter syndrome.

You know that voice. The one that says you haven't studied enough. Or sold enough. Or been doing this long enough to really call yourself an artist.
I hear it all the time - especially from women coming to creative work after a different career, or picking it back up after raising a family.

In this short solo episode, I talk about:

• Why imposter syndrome shows up (and when it's most likely to strike)

• How to spot it before it spirals

• Why formal training is not the only mark of legitimacy

• How to build your own "box of strength" to keep you going when doubt creeps in

Whether you're just starting out, coming back to your creative self after a break, or taking the next brave step in your career, this one's for you.

Plus: a quick reminder that my online course for artists and makers getting ready to pursue their creative passion as their profession, An Insider's Guide to Gallery Success is open for enrolment on Wednesday 15th October - and there's still time to join my free live webinar at 1:30pm that day; visit elainedye.com to sign up. 

In this episode of An Art to It, I chat to artist Susan Kinley, whose striking glasswork blends a fine art sensibility with applied material techniques. We talk about her journey from fine art textiles at Goldsmiths in London https://www.gold.ac.uk/  and mixed media work at the Royal College of Art, https://www.rca.ac.uk/ to her layered, landscape-inspired glass practice rooted in Cornwall.

Sue shares how place, light, and materiality have always guided her creative path, from working with Japanese papers to developing glass installations inspired by ancient field patterns and standing stones. She reflects on her time as a teacher and her early years in London, and how a fellowship at Falmouth University https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/ led her to make Cornwall her home.

We also explore the practical and professional side of working in glass: from navigating galleries and site-specific commissions to pricing, installing, and selling work that sits between sculpture and painting. Sue offers thoughtful insights into what success looks like at different stages of a creative career, and how recognising your limits - and asking for help - is sometimes the most creative act of all.

You can see Sue's work at https://www.susankinley.co.uk/ and @susan.kinley

This week, I'm joined by ceramicist Liz O'Dwyer in an entertaining - and very honest - chat about building a creative practice from the ground up.  

We talk about Liz's early love for making, her years in both art education and Forest School, and how she reconnected with clay later in life, thanks to encouragement from her family, eventually finding her material in porcelain and her voice in form, line, and inlay.

Liz shares her experience of teaching as a way to build skill and confidence, her journey through imposter syndrome, and how support from events like the Contemporary Craft Festival https://www.craftfestival.co.uk/ and becoming a selected member at the prestigious Craft Potters Association https://www.craftpotters.com/ helped her feel like she truly belonged.

We also talk about building a creative business at your own pace, saying no, finding the right galleries, and the quiet joy of seeing your work in someone else's hands.

We cover:

• Making peace with not having a ceramics degree

• How teaching shaped her practice - Liz works at The Ceramic Studio in Kent https://www.theceramicstudio.co.uk/

• The importance of the ceramic community 

• Balancing family, part-time work, and growing a business

• Letting the work evolve naturally

You can see Liz's work on her website https://www.lizodwyerceramics.com/ and at instagram on @lizodwyer

Artist, Gallery Owner, Creative Force

This week, I'm joined by Sharon Harvey: a painter, gallery owner, and passionate creative, to explore what it really takes to run a commercial gallery while maintaining an active artistic practice.

Sharon shares her winding journey from a successful corporate career into the art world, what led her to study fine art in her 40s, and how a chance conversation changed everything. Now the founder of Sanctuary Gallery in Gloucestershire, she offers a unique dual perspective on gallery-artist relationships, creative confidence, and the realities of selling art today.

We discuss:

- The courage it takes to pivot careers and pursue art later in life
- How becoming a gallery owner reshaped Sharon's view of working with galleries
- The practicalities and pressures of running a gallery solo
- The power of relationships in both making and selling art
- Why artists need to approach galleries like partners—not just platforms
- And the art of holding your nerve when things don't sell

Sharon talks about Daphne Vaughn http://daphnevaughan.com who inspired her to apply for the foundation course, and Mercedes Smith Director of Fine Art Communications https://www.fineartcommunications.co.uk/people 

This episode is packed with honest reflections, useful insights, and quiet encouragement for anyone trying to build a creative career on their own terms.

Find Sharon and the Sanctuary Gallery
Instagram: @sharon_harvey_art
Gallery: sanctuarygallery.com

This week, I'm joined by painter, and Byre Gallery regular, Jill Hudson, whose creative life has been shaped by travel, resilience, and an enduring love of the sea. Jill shares her journey from studying at Falmouth art school to achieving an enviable life/work balance, and how experiences like teaching in Uganda and studying in Venice helped shape both her perspective and her practice.

We chat about the realities of running a professional art business - from the challenges of self-promotion and gallery relationships to the delicate balance between commercial work and creative freedom. Jill reflects honestly on what success means to her, the ongoing struggle with admin and marketing, and why she's finally ready to explore a long-held dream of working in fresco.

We also discuss

• Jill's early determination to become an artist (despite her careers advisor's doubts)

• Her formative experience teaching in Uganda

• Studying art in Venice and its lasting influence (not just the coffee!)

• The gentle build of her creative career and gallery representation

• Making art that sells vs making the art you love

• How she manages gallery relationships and adapts work to suit different audiences

• The tension between creative flow and business tasks like websites and self-promotion

• Her plans to explore fresco painting in 2025

As Jill says:
"Success for me is making a living from this — a creative career with inspiration and opportunity. But you have to keep carving it out every day."

You can see Jill's work @jillhudsonart and jillhudson.art

Jill talked about https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/home/ and paints by michaelharding.co.uk 

She learned about fresco painting a artchoolboas.com with Carey Mortimer.

This week, I'm joined by the brilliant and irrepressible Sara McKee - art historian, copywriter, branding expert, and founder of Life Full Colour, https://www.lifefullcolour.com/ a vibrant gallery and cultural hub in North Wales.

Sara shares the rich tapestry of her creative and corporate life: from being mentored by legendary art historians at Warwick University https://warwick.ac.uk/ and discovering a love of fresco in Venice, to carving out a second career in advertising and strategy. But it was her decision to turn passion into purpose that took centre stage: Sara explains how her plans to share her thoughts on art exhibitions, took her to selling work online and then deciding to open a gallery in March 2020, just before the UK went into lockdown.

In a candid, entertaining, and inspiring conversation, Sara and I chat about:

• What studying art history taught Sara about looking, not just seeing

• The unexpected influence of theatre, ancient history, and marketing on her gallery work

• Building a creative business rooted in community, joy, and personal connection

• Why good galleries are about people as much as they are about paintings

• Her dream to bring together art, live music, and storytelling under one roof

With a plan to write her memoir and a gallery bar that's part local pub and part inspired by Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, Sara is living proof that creative vision and strategic instinct can make for a full and colourful life.

In this episode, I chat with London-based painter Melody Reynolds, whose luminous swimming pool and beach scenes have brought a welcome breeze to the gallery walls this summer.

Melody reflects on studying at St. Martin's in the 1990s, why she's always felt like an outsider in the art world, and the ways her painting process balances instinct with experimentation. She talks about what it takes to stay bold in the studio, the realities of contacting galleries, and why even seasoned artists need mentoring.

Topics include:

• Painting as a subconscious process—and learning to break your own rules

• How childhood experiences (and clown paintings!) shape our creative paths

• Finding joy in chatting to collectors—and the power of in-person connection

• Why promoting your work is necessary, not vulgar

• Email lists, postcards, art fairs, and other practical marketing strategies

• Learning how to approach galleries with professionalism and personality

• Her hopes for new collaborations—with restaurants, designers, and public art spaces

Whether you're navigating galleries or rediscovering your creative confidence, Melody's openness, warmth, and honesty make this episode a must-listen for artists at any stage.

You can see Melody's work at: https://www.melodyreynoldsart.com/ and @melodyreynoldsart

In this episode, I chat with award-winning silversmith Alex O'Connor about the winding path that led her from sculpture to silver—and from the Isle of Wight to the far west of Cornwall and the rugged landscape of West Penwith.

In a hugely engaging and very honest chat, Alex shares how her autistic thinking and aphantasia (inability to voluntarily visualise mental images) shape her highly tactile, refined work, and why she describes her creative process as an act of distillation. She discusses forging a new direction later in life, the evolving definition of success in a creative business, and the importance of taking a punt—even when things don't go to plan.

Topics include:

• Finding home in Cornwall and inspiration in the landscape

• Studying fine art at Kingston and discovering a love for materials

• Reframing failure and redefining success after a difficult debut at Goldsmiths Fair

• How aphantasia influences her process—and why she calls herself an "editor" of ideas

• Her upcoming Quest Scholarship https://www.qest.org.uk/apply/scholarships/  and what she hopes to learn in Shetland with Rod Kelly https://www.rodkellysilver.co.uk/

• The art (and strategy) of running a creative business and other silversmiths and creatives she admires, including: David Clarke https://mister-clarke.com/; Grant McCaig https://www.instagram.com/grantsmccaig/ ; Ndidi Ekubia https://www.adriansassoon.com/artists/66-ndidi-ekubia/; Rauni Higson https://www.raunihigson.co.uk/; Jessica Jue https://www.jessicajue.com/; Ute Decker https://www.utedecker.com/

You can see Alex's work at: https://www.alexoconnorsilver.co.uk/ and @movingmetal

What does it mean to make art that's truly yours—even when it doesn't fit the mould and you have to face potential resistance in the market place?

In this honest and uplifting episode, I chat with Cornish artist Siobhan Purdy, whose dreamlike, deeply personal paintings have earned her a cult following. From navigating childhood as a selective mute to building thriving artist communities in Cornwall, Siobhan shares how creativity became her lifeline.

We explore:

• The origins of her distinctive, magical visual style

• How she channels childhood memories and neurodivergence into powerful imagery

• The tension between staying true to your vision vs. the pressure to "go commercial"

• Why being in her studio is her definition of success

• The part she played in turning the Cornish town of Redruth - and Krowji https://www.krowji.org.uk/ in particular - into the buzzing creative hub it is today.

Siobhan's distinctive work might be not be for everyone —but to many, it's unforgettable and I've been privileged to exhibit it for several years, and witness the magic of seeing clients fall in love with it. This episode is a beautiful reflection on art, identity, and belonging.

🔗 View Siobhan's work: purdysart.co.uk and @purdysart

In episode 31 of An Art to It, ceramicist Deborah Harwood joins me from her beautiful studio on the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex. Deborah shares her remarkable creative journey: from growing up part of deeply artistic family, her late father, is the acclaimed playwright and screenwriter, Ronald Harwood, (The Dresser, Quartet, The Pianist) to working for over a decade as an agent representing some of the UK's most acclaimed writers, directors and set designers, and to then, in her 50s, finding her creative passion in porcelain.

We talk about how creativity shaped her early years, and how Deborah missed the opportunity to study under internationally renowned ceramic artist Felicity Aylieff https://www.felicityaylieff.com/  who was the art and ceramics teacher at her school - opting for jewellery instead, a decision she laughingly calls a huge mistake in hindsight. 

After she left her career in London, Deborah's first creative foray was in textiles - a medium she chose more from circumstances than passion - and how that lead to her discovering ceramics and ultimately porcelain. 

In our entertaining and moving chat Deborah speaks openly about navigating cancer, what success means to her now, gives her perspective on navigating the highs and lows of running a creative business, and shares why she believes calling herself an artist is something we should all feel confident in doing. 

www.deborahharwood.com

@deborahharwoodceramics

In this solo episode of An Art to It, I share my experiences of creating a brand identity for myself. Why am I doing that you might ask. Last year I realised that I really needed to set up a separate website as a home for the online courses I run, and for this podcast too. I wanted the Byre Gallery to concentrate on doing what it's supposed to do, showcase our exhibitions and the beautiful work we feature in the gallery, and elainedye.com can be the home for everything else.

As I talk a lot about the importance of branding in my course: An Insider's Guide to Gallery Success I do quite a lot of reading about branding anyway and came across a great line by marketing guru Seth Godin (sethgodin.com) : 

"A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer's decision to choose one product or service over another." 

And for some reason this made me think about the photo I saw on the Kennel Club website https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/  two and a half years ago which lead me and my husband to buying a new puppy. This started me on a journey to work out what my brand really stood for, who my audience was, and how I was going to illustrate it.

And illustrating it meant having my photo taken. I'm not a huge fan of being photographed and less so of some of the results, but thankfully I was in the capable hands of brand photographer - and 'showing up' expert - Vicki Knights https://vickiknights.co.uk/. I'd hugely recommend her for photographs and also her courses, such as https://vickiknights.co.uk/magic

I also read some other great books: Purple Cow by Seth Godin, Brand You by David Royston-Lee and Sylvana Storey; How to Style your Brand by Fiona Humberstone https://www.thebrand-stylist.com/; Inside her Pretty Little Head, by Jane Cunningham and Philippa Roberts; Book of Branding, by Radio Malinic; and the super useful 'deck' of branding cards Brand Seasons by Sarah Robertson @thesearethedays.co

I talk about ceramic artist Loraine Rutt of the Little Globe Company https://thelittleglobeco.com/ as someone whose brand imagery works extremely well. 

My online course An Insider's Guide to Gallery Success, specially created for artists and makers to take them through all they need to know to achieve continuing gallery, and professional, success, opens for booking on 30th April. Find out more at https://elainedye.com/an-insiders-guide-to-gallery-success/

I'll be back with a new series packed with fascinating interviews with inspiring  women artists, makers and gallery owners, in early June.

In Episode 29, I'm delighted to be chatting to Caroline Reed, a London-based glass artist working in the exquisite and lesser-known technique of pâte de verre. Caroline shares the extraordinary story of her transition from a career in science and leadership development to a deeply creative life as a glassmaker, her third career, and one she treats with both passion and professionalism.

Caroline reflects on her journey into glass, from her early love of art and materials to the moment she found her medium in pâte de verre, drawn to its delicacy, tactility, and potential for layering and experimentation. We explore how her scientific background influences her methodical and curious studio practice, and the emotional experience of pursuing a new career in midlife, including the imposter syndrome that can follow.

She also shares candidly about her experience at the Royal College of Art, the impact of COVID on her studies, and the importance of resilience, adaptability, and community in sustaining her creative work - especially the network in the Just Glass Society @just_glass_ https://www.just-glass.co.uk/ and the Contemporary Glass Society @contemporaryglasssociety https://cgs.org.uk/

We talk about what it really means to launch a creative business later in life, how she began showing and selling her work, and the unique strengths she brings from previous career, including an understanding of how to build gallery relationships and communicate with professionalism.

Caroline has also found inspiration from ceramicist Anastasia Zaramova, https://www.azamaceramics.co.uk/ @a_zama_ceramics  who she cites as a great example of a maker who appreciates how to promote her business. 

You can see Caroline's work on instagram @carolinereed7767 and her website is  https://caroline-reed.co.uk/

For many artists, despite having an idea of what you want to create, sometimes the work finds you. For Claire Brewster it was a love of paper, a passion for the freedom of birds… and some handy foam board and pins that sparked her creative practice. Twenty years on from her 'eureka' moment, her exquisitely detailed paper birds, hand-cut from vintage maps are in art private and public art collections, hotels and cruise ships all over the world. 

Our lively conversation spans Claire's creative journey—from her early fascination with paper, through art college, experimentation and finding her paper birds… taking off!  

Claire candidly shares how her work evolved, navigating the tension between creativity and commercial success. We discuss her bold decision to experiment with painting and collage, the emotional complexity of her practice, and the realities of running a thriving creative business. Claire also reveals the story behind her commissions for prestigious hotels and cruise ships, and why connecting directly with collectors through newsletters and platforms like Substack has been vital to her career.

Claire talks about finding inspiration in two fellow artist - who are also successful entrepreneurs: Tracey Emin @traceyeminstudio and Ashley Longshore https://ashleylongshore.com/Follow Claire on Instagram @claire_brewster and visit clairebrewster.com

We have a double delight in this week's episode of An Art to It: a painter who is also a gallery owners, as I'm joined by Judi Green—painter, curator, and co-director of Cornwall's Tregony Contemporary, a gallery she runs with her husband Brian Green. 

Judi is a rare and inspiring creative—an accomplished artist in her own right, and someone who brings the same care, clarity, and commitment to nurturing the careers of other artists through her gallery.

In our very entertaining chat Judi share's her early career in advertising where she she was one of very few female art directors at the time, and how—through decades of design, freelance work, parenting, and painting—she eventually found her way back to fine art full-time. Judi shares how studying at the Slade and the Royal Drawing School re-ignited her practice, and how a deeply personal project inspired by her father's war service became a pivotal moment in her journey as an artist.

Of course, we also dive into the story of how Tregony Contemporary came to be. What started as a surprising opportunity in a sleepy Cornish village has become a gallery with a fiercely clear vision—showing distinctive, painterly, and often figurative contemporary work that stands apart from the coastal clichés. Judy talks about the move to their new space in St Mawes, curating with conviction, and the joy of building long-lasting relationships with both artists and collectors.

I loved hearing her perspective on what artists really need from a gallery, why showing work in physical space still matters, and what it's like to balance her dual role as a painter and gallerist. We also reflect on what success really looks like—and how sometimes it's a beautifully scribbled comment in the visitors' book that reminds you it's all been worth it.

You can see Judi's work on instagram @littlerockstuio, Tregony @tregonycontemporary and tregonycontemporary.com

In this episode of An Art to It, I'm joined by Amy Frankie Smith, a ceramic artist and designer whose stunning porcelain lighting and fluid watercolour paintings bring together texture, translucency, and an undeniable sense of place.

Amy's journey into ceramics began with a degree in 3D Craft at the University of Brighton, followed by hands-on experience in architectural ceramics for conservation. But despite an academic and industry-focused path—including a Winston Churchill Fellowship that took her to New York and Chicago—Amy found herself longing for a more personal creative practice.

She shares how she transitioned from working in conservation and project management to setting up her own studio, where she now creates delicate, timeless porcelain pendant lights and paintings inspired by the sea. We talk about:

• The magic of porcelain and how she discovered lighting as her main medium

• - Why her ceramic work and watercolours are deeply connected

• The importance of finding the right spaces—both in galleries and interiors—for her work

• How she balances creativity and business, including commissions, events, and collaborations with interior designers

Amy also discusses how she approaches marketing as a creative—something many artists struggle with—and the importance of connection, networking, and finding the right people to support your business.

Finally, she shares her thoughts on whether there's an art to running a creative business—her answer might surprise you!

If you're an artist or maker looking to navigate the balance between creative passion and business, this episode is full of valuable insights.

You can see Amy's work on her website www.amyfrankiesmith.com and on Instagram at  @amyfrankiesmith.

Amy also talked about: 

Seagreen Designs www.seagreendesignsco.com

Illustrated Living www.illustratedlivingstives.co.uk

Ethel Loves Me www.ethelloves.me

The Design Trust www.thedesigntrust.co.uk/

Shaping a fresh brand identity is something a younger Laura Wasley might have envisioned—but back then, it would have been for a major fashion house rather than an arts venue and educational charity.

Now CEO of the prestigious Make South West, Laura originally set her sights on becoming a buyer for the iconic London store Harvey Nichols, leading her to study fashion. After a brief stint in visual merchandising at GAP and running her own clothing store, her career took a different turn—one that merged creativity with education.

Laura joined Arts University Plymouth, https://www.aup.ac.uk/ where she played a pivotal role in external projects and student development. Her dedication to helping undergraduates connect with the creative industries, and prepare them for the world after graduation, earning her well-deserved recognition.  

In early 2020, Laura stepped into a new challenge at the Devon Guild of Craftsmen, just as the world was about to shut down. The Covid lockdown made running an arts venue incredibly tough—but it also created the perfect opportunity for something long overdue: a rebrand. Laura led the transformation, working with members and trustees to give the organisation a new identity—Make South West—and collaborating with local design agency 51 Studio https://www.51studio.co.uk/ on a fresh, modern logo inspired by the organisation's archives.

In our conversation, Laura shares what it's really like to run a creative organisation that's also a charity, the ongoing need for funding, and why having a small but highly efficient team is essential.

Harvey Nichols' loss was the South West's gain!

You can find out more about Make South West at https://makesouthwest.org.uk/ and on instagram at @makesouthwest. 

Nikki Mosley's stunning paintings - whether her cool, pale and elegant beach scenes or her passionate pink skies - do feel quintessentially Cornish. And that's no surprise as Nikki lives and works on the Cornwall coast. But it was the other side of the Atlantic where Nikki's first seriously began her creative journey. After following her husband and his career across the globe, a posting to Houston in Texas allowed Nikki to finesse family commitments with art college.

In this episode of An Art to It Nikki and I chat about her journey to becoming a full time artist. From unfinished art studies at school - a fire drill getting in the way of concluding an ambitious project - through an interior design business and sporadic art classes - creativity has always been part of Nikki's life. The opportunity offered in Texas to develop her skills and win a place at the prestigious Glassell School of Art in Houston https://www.mfah.org/visit/glassell-school was the catalyst she needed.  Several years later the family returned home to the UK and settled in Cornwall where, like many artists before her, the light and landscape proved an inspiration;  and then securing a studio was the final piece in Nikki's creative jigsaw.

Nikki shares the development of her practice, and how the cool coastal stretches gave way to pink skies during lockdown as she was finally able to move into her own home studio overlooking the Far estuary and study the morning and evening skies. 

She also reveals how being able to call herself a professional artist is something she holds dear and until she was regularly exhibiting in galleries she felt reluctant to introduce herself as. But with representation with several galleries as well as collectors and fans all over the world, she finally feels that she has achieved the success that she set her sights on. 

Nikki's gorgeous work will be back at the Byre Gallery this summer @thebyregallery 

You can follow her on instagram at @nikmosley and her website in nicolamosley.com

When you have an artistic eye and a talent for creativity you are often blessed with being able to use this skills in different ways, and Claire Stockings-Baker is a perfect example of a multi-disciplinary artist. 

Sculptural silver jewellery is what Claire is best known for as an artist, but her creative career started in costume design, and print making and painting are still a big part of her life. In our lovely chat - which as fellow dog lovers didn't actually focus too much on our four-legged friends - Claire shares the creative path that fate as well as passion has taken her on. 

Following a BA in textiles and fashion at Winchester School of Art, https://www.southampton.ac.uk/about/faculties-schools-departments/winchester-school-of-art 

Claire studied costume at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School https://oldvic.ac.uk/, an experience she loved and which launched her career in the theatrical costumes. But falling ill while she was travelling overseas made Claire re-think her work and the lifestyle that having a career in the theatre entails and decided to move back to her native Cornwall.

While working in interior design Claire decided to re-train as a jeweller; but rather than return to art college she taught herself through reading books, watching videos and lots of experimentation. And once she was happy with her creations she didn't look back.

During our chat Claire talks about her time at the Bristol Old Vic https://bristololdvic.org.uk/ and the productions she was involved with, and how having a costumier's eye plays a key part in creating her jewellery designs.  Claire also reveals that learning to outsource the parts of her creative business where she knows that others can do it better and more quickly, has been a huge part in making her practice and her business more efficient. 

Claire's gorgeous work will be back at the Byre Gallery this summer https://thebyregallery.co.uk/collections/claire-stockings-baker

And you can follow her on instagram at @clairestockingsbakerjewellery

You can follow me @elaine_dye_ and the Byre Gallery @thebyregallery

Sometimes a guiding hand is all that is needed to kick start you on a particular path or career, and sometimes fate delivers that in an unexpected way. Visual artist Kerry Louise Bennett knew that she wanted to pursue a career as a painter but it didn't seem quite achievable; then prompted by misremembering a comment from a friend, she picked up a book in a second hand shop by hypnotist and self-improvement guru Paul McKenna https://www.paulmckenna.com/ called 'Change your Life in Seven Days' and focused on achieving the life she wanted to live. 

Five years on, she is living that life, creating beautiful, uplifting and sought after paintings and showing them with highly acclaimed art galleries. How did she end up living the dream? 

In our very entertaining chat, Kerry talks about her creative journey: she excelled at art while at school, but didn't feel she had the support to take her studies further and instead went down a more academic path. But creativity continued to be a part of here life - either tempting her in for a while, with roles such as a community artist or a trainee upholsterer - or using her creative eye in her PR and communications roles.  Moving house and creating a studio as part of the renovations did prompt her to pick up her paint brushes again and she worked on her art after her young son was asleep. But it was the chance encounter with Paul McKenna's book that proved the catalyst.

Kerry also shares how having previously invested in a photography foundation degree she didn't want to spend more money on going back to art college and so embarked on teaching herself via You Tube and text books, and benefited from being excepted on the the New Platform Art programme https://newplatform.art/  She began to share her work on Instagram and soon built up a loyal following of other emerging artists - and found through that a supportive community that she says was just like being at art college. 

Instagram also brought her exposure to galleries and she was quickly signed up by two; and recently fashion and lifestyle retailer Toast spotted her and she was featured in their magazine https://www.toa.st/blogs/magazine/kerry-louise-bennett-artist

You can see Kerry's gorgeous work on her website https://www.kerrylouisebennett.co.uk/ and on instagram  @land_of_the_grey_and_pink. 

Kerry's work also features on postcards with Sheffield based https://www.theartpost.co.uk/artists/kerry-bennett

If you could pick the ideal medium to create your art work what would it be? Oil paint, charcoal, … or chocolate? Although painting had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember, it was as a chocolatier that Ashleigh Anne first found creative professional success. 

In our lovely chat, Aisleigh shares her love of creating in all its guises and how following in her family's footsteps into the restaurant and catering world didn't mean she turned her back on her artistic skills. Encouraged by her grandmother, she excelled at cakes and confectionery and before long was opening a chocolate shop and cafe where her elaborate wedding cakes were much in demand.

Aisleigh reveals that working in the somewhat relentless pressure of the hospitality industry took its toll on her mental health.  A decision to reprise her love of painting and to go to art college to pursue that sadly added to the stress rather than relieving it. But moving away from the chocolate business and finding solace in new jobs in gardening and fitness helped; and then finally a move from Devon over the border to Cornwall made Aisleigh determined to follow her artistic dreams.

We chat about Aisleigh's work, her inspirations and desires for her practice and how having run her cafe has given her insights into the skills she needed to bring to her creative business. 

Aisleigh also shares that having had her own issues with anxiety has inspired to create art especially for those in need of a tranquil and calming focus.

You can see Aisleigh's art on her website https://www.aisleighanneart.com/ and on instagram she is @aisleighannecornwallart 

Aisleigh also talked about taking part in the course I offer to artists and makers - An Insider's Guide to Gallery Success. It's back this April with a bit of a makeover and some exciting new content, to join the waitlist so you'll be the first to hear, and get a 10% discount on any course purchased, please visit https://thebyregallery.co.uk/pages/courses-and-coaching

Creativity has always been part of Sarah Pooley's life. But after completing a degree in textiles her
career took her into the knitwear industry where she found a job she loved designing patterns for a brand of knitting machines. When she started her family having a home based career was
preferable and the beginning of the next chapter in her creative life was in soft furnishings for
interiors. It was her trusty sewing machine that took Sarah on to the next stage of her creative life,
and what she is known for now: her stunning free motion embroidery fine art textiles.

In our very entertaining chat, Sarah talks about her life long of wanting to capture the landscapes
around her in her art, and how fortunate she feels at finding the perfect medium for her to do so.
She shares her coastal inspirations for her work and how her sister's new career as a ceramicist in
the north east of Scotland gave her, not only a new part of the coastline at the other end of the
country to enjoy but, access to an established Open Studios network to debut her work
https://www.northeastopenstudios.co.uk/.

Sarah also reveals how her creative partnership with friend and visual artist Sharon Bruster
https://sharonbrusterart.co.uk/ developed. With Sarah based in Hampshire and Sharon in Cornwall
it might seem an unlikely way to come together to create art, but with the joys of modern
technology and the more traditional Royal Mail, it has become a successful enterprise for them
both.

There will be a small collection of Sarah's abstract textiles at the Byre Gallery
https://thebyregallery.co.uk/ this summer, and you can also see her work at the lovely Padstow
Gallery in north Cornwall https://padstowgallery.co.uk/

Sarah is on Instagram at @sarahpooleytextiels

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.