I love experimenting and playing with art materials and I am so excited to be inviting you to join me for a monthly playdate with me in a live session (which will be recorded and available for replay)!

Before I tell you more about them, I hope you will allow me a little meander and contemplation... It's relevant, promise! (if you want to skip straight to reading about the Play Dates, feel free to skip ahead)

Like many people this time of year, I have been contemplating 2023 and thinking about what I would like for the year ahead. And the words that keep coming up are EXPLORE, PLAY, and DISCOVER. I have spent the last few years - since 2019 when I left work to do the MA - pushing myself out of my comfort zone. It's been an intense few years of personal growth, and everything has been new and unknown. It's been great, don't get me wrong, but it's been intense.

I have been trying to choose a word for the year (I rather like my three, above, but I find it's helpful to just have one) instead of setting a goal or resolution (although, of course, I am full of very good intentions!!). After letting my thoughts wander for a week or so, and let them swirl around a bit, I have chosen the word EXPLORE.

When I was doing my contemplation, I found myself thinking: I want to just BE for a bit. Enjoy where I am. I want to FEEL like an illustrator - A real illustrator! And so I love the image that EXPLORE conjures up. I imagine myself like Indiana Jones, pushing my way through the jungle, crawling through caves, flying in planes, and exploring the landscape I have created for myself. I want to really explore and play around with being an illustrator.

I started writing a list of what that might look like and I have included a few things I would LOVE to happen, but are out of my hands, but it's fun to wish, right?!. Here are some of the things...

- doing more illustration fairs. I took part in the Kings Cross Illustration Fair in the summer, loved it, and want to do ALL THE FAIRS now!

- making and selling more original artwork

- growing my online shop. More zines, prints, and especially more cards

- I have a fantasy of doing an artist's retreat in a beautiful natural environment and then having an exhibition at the end of it. Maybe I could do some workshops while I am there!

- talking of workshops, I would love to do some more of these, online, and in person.

- Getting an author/illustrator book commission, from one of my own stories.

- Getting new illustration commissions for when I have finished the books I am working on (I finish in the summer - eek!)

- I'd love to explore other illustration avenues... Book covers, young fiction illustration, editorial work with magazines and newspapers, anything and everything

- I want to PLAY around with my Substack (and Patreon - I post the same content for both). Try new things (like this!). More collaborations, silliness, just enjoying it, and letting it grow and bloom! Watch this space for more!

- and so much more... I want to paint my own shop window! Do workshops in schools...

I plan to keep adding to this list!

...and to get back to the Art Play Dates...

Part of my plan is to keep experimenting with artwork and art materials. So, I am kicking my year of EXPLORE with a monthly playdate!

It will be for paid subscribers only - but if you choose to sign up for these playdates, you will get all my other paid-for posts as well. And as I have mentioned above, I have lots of exciting plans for the year ahead, so if I do say so myself, I think it is great value for money :)

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I am still formulating the exact form that they will take, but I want them to feel free, playful and fun. At the moment, I am thinking that I will choose what I want to play around with that month's session, and you can either join in, or go off-piste, and do your own thing. I might spend a session playing with wet textures, playing around with how things bleed, mix together, blend. Other times I might grab a handful of random materials and play around with those together. Maybe in the summer we will go outside (or I will, and you can join from your own outside). I am so excited about this!! It's going to be GREAT!!

I am thinking, every second Tuesday of the month, and I will do different times every month, to accommodate different time-zones. So, for this month, please choose the time that works best for you.

All times are for Tuesday 10th January, GMT. Will last for approximately one hour.

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I can't wait to see you next week for our first DATE!

Ella xx

gather • filter • make

Introducing Art Play Dates!!