I'm still adjusting to a blogging routine - I have never managed to consistently keep a journal either...
I called this post 'Figg-Arnold Fine Art is growing' and I am sorry to disappoint anyone expecting the patter of more tiny feet. There shall remain just the 4 Figg-Arnolds for now. What I really want to talk about is my art business.
Launching the website has been a steep - but exciting - learning curve. It's been so lovely to reach so many people and pets. I have loved taking the Pet Portrait Commissions into the Digital Age. Whilst I'll always love being covered in charcoal or paint, digital painting means I can work from anywhere and the result can end up on nearly any surface.
I fear that if I use the word 'exciting' one more time I may start to sound like a young spaniel - bouncing around from one place to the next so I shall try to refrain. That said, I squeal with delight every time I see a product covered in my illustrations of animals or flowers.
As a teenager, making my plans for college and university, my friends, family and I all expected me to pursue Fine Art or Interior Design. The truth - inconceivable to me now - is that I squashed my creativity into a little box and locked it shut. I took that box and hid it in the back of my mind's wardrobe and trotted off to Scotland to study Law. I did not know at the time I was motivated by fear of poverty and crippling self-doubt; choosing to pursue a career that was assured to keep me in comfort. I reasoned to myself that I would be a Human Rights Lawyer and do good in the world. Less surprisingly, I didn't exactly flourish at Law School. It was a challenge and not one I would allow myself to back down from.
Jumping back into the present, I'm leaning into my desire to design and now is the time to focus on Figg-Arnold Fashion & Furnishings. The site will expand to offer a curated set of products that compliment pieces of my own design, including style guides and 'how-to' advice. There's other things in the pipeline too - but now is a time for some action! Watch this space.
I really love hearing from you all. Please feel free to get in touch with your feedback, ideas or even just to share your own story.
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