An Art To It – Details, episodes & analysis

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 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