Come join me...
'Wherever you go, go with all your heart!” – Confucius
Hello Creative Souls,
Yesterday was winter solstice which marks the return of the light, slowly but surely, day by day we will regain more light. A time of renewal and for me, a time to make a small change. Join me for this brief post to find out what I've been up to over the last few weeks.
Winter Soltice & Christmas Illuminations at Marwell Zoo, Hampshire
The lead up to Christmas started at the beginning of October for me which consisted of designing my new polar bear Christmas card and preparing stock to be sent out. My design of the polar bear family and the northern lights was really popular and sold out quickly. I also had a painting to complete for a Christmas present, so after posting off my final commission I am looking forward to taking a break over the festive period.
The Pondering of an Artist Blog
The Pondering of an Artist blog written by me, Clare Smith aka, Purple Ladybird Art, have made the decision to head over to Substack after testing the water during 2023. If you haven't been over to Substack then I really encourage you to, of course to continue supporting me and my writing, but you may also find other writers and artists that you resonate with. I have gradually built my audience over the last few months and gained quite a few subscribers, of course I would love more and hopefully those subscriber numbers will build over 2024. I have left you the link to my blog below where you will find lots of posts from the last few months. I would love for you to come over and continue to support me.
I will still be running my website, where I will continue to stock my online shop with original artwork and cards and doing regular updates. I have completed a few commissions this year, which although made me nervous and pushed me out of my comfort zone, although after my initial concerns I thoroughly enjoyed it. My customers all gave me wonderful feedback which makes me so happy. I always said I would never do commissions as I don't like the pressure, however, painting for others and getting their positive feedback and praise really brought me lots of joy, so if you would like an original painting for yourself or a gift for a friend or a family member then please email me. Please be aware that I don't do pet portraits, there are plenty of fabulous artists out there that do.
Purple Ladybird Merchandise
I spend a lot of time outside immersed in nature, country and coastal walks provide me with endless inspiration and motivation to get in the studio to draw and paint. I love to be comfortable and tend to hang out in t-shirts and hoodies, so I decided to launch some Purple Ladybird merchandise on Teemill. You'll find my merchandise pages with a variety of comfy tops on offer, as well as some mugs, ideal for taking into the garden or craft room and some tote bags, being a book lover, I love a tote bag and they are ideal for my art materials when I head down the beach to do some plein air art in my sketchbook.
Purple Ladybird Art YouTube Channel
There is so much beauty in the world, although some days it's harder to see so I find when I'm feeling a bit stressed and overwhelmed to get outside into the woods or go exploring on the beach really helps me clear my head. To breathe in the air and listen to the sounds of nature helps calm me and makes me feel grounded. I felt I wanted to share this with others and spread some joy, having been inspired by other artists and cottagecore channels. My subscriber numbers are building slowly which really motivates me to carry on making videos. I have left the link below.
Happy Christmas to you all! 💫
There you go, I promised it would be brief and thank you if you have made it to the end of this post!
It leaves me to say to all my lovely readers a big thank you! Your support, your likes and your kind comments of encouragement have really helped me to grow and move forward in 2023. Thank you to everyone who has bought greetings cards, paintings and commissioned me.
Through nature and creativity, I find joy and I hope I have managed to bring you all some joy through 2023. Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and may all your wishes come true for 2024.
Stay naturally curious,
Sending festive love & light,
Clare xx