Spring is in the air ...

'Tom Bottle', character sketch March 2016.

s... and it's time to reactivate this blog and let you know a bit about what's been going on, what's going to happen soon and about a plan or two for the future.

First off, this site will be undergoing a bit of a revamp in the near future hopefully making it a bit easier to navigate and a bit less fragmented in terms of presenting the work. That's going to be a tricky one when I essentially have two (not entirely unrelated) but very different bodies of work to promote. I'm seriously wondering whether I should take the Iain Banks/Iain M Banks approach and use a (slightly) different name to differentiate between the two. Or maybe go the Fernando Pessoa route and adopt a totally different persona for each (or then again, maybe not). I'll probably reinstate the thumbnail Biography page and perhaps include an art CV. Although I still baulk at the very idea of 'The Artist's Statement' let alone the prospect of writing and publishing one, hey ho, it seems to be expected these days so who knows? If it helps sales so be it.

​Secondly, I'll be expanding my Etsy Store, adding some new work and making greeting cards available online for the first time. I'm also currently exploring the options for selling my larger (and more expensive) acrylic paintings on Artfinder, which, while being the 'new kid on the block' as regards selling art online seems to be generating interest and sales for friends where others (so far) haven't). Although having said that once I'm up and running on Artfinder I should also be updating my Rise Art page more regularly.

Which all means I'll be trying to crawl out of my shell more often and be more proactive in terms of promoting my undoubtedly towering genius (or moderate talent, whichever you prefer). So prepare to be pestered by me more frequently.

Oh, and the illustration at the top of the page? Well that's a character sketch for the hero of a planned children's book that I'm currently in the process of plotting out. Strictly a side project and one that I'm sure probably will take years to complete (if I ever do) but it makes a change from scouring my DVD collection, trawling through You Tube or looking for medieval bunnies!