Planting Bulbs, Bronte beckons and Spring walks in Nature
Well, hi there and I hope you are enjoying Spring so far?
It’s been a bit too long since I wrote my last blog post but that’s because a stack of exciting things have been happening here at HQ! This is a bit of a ‘biggie blog’ this time, so grab a cuppa and settle in…..
From the Studio….
No it’s been the office really. For the first four months of the year I’ve been busy ‘planting bulbs’ as it were, for my business to grow, not just this year but in the years to come.
For the keen-eyed ones of you, you'll have seen a big increase in the number of products I’ve made available in my ‘Classics Collection’ of literary products including the introduction of a new illustration,' Bronte – a Touch of Heather' bookstack! I totally love it – the colours are so earthy and take me straight to the heart of the ‘Windy Moors’, Bronte county. This illo has proved very popular with the die-hard Bronte sister fans, at times out doing the equally loyal and devoted Jane Austen fans out there (you know who you are!).
It's been wonderful to see my illustrations on high quality, professionally produced, eco-friendly and UK made goods, like the 100% organic tea towels and coasters which are flying off the shelves.
Apart from continuing to be an UK Etsy seller, I’ve re-done my website and you can now shop directly from there, or click on the products shown on my Instagram feed! EXCITING!!!
Did you see my ‘Spring Walk – Finding Shapes in Nature’ free PDF guide in April? Well the weather was so gorgeous I decided to put together a guide to show you how, with very basic materials, you can produce simple sketches by observing and focussing on the nature around you. Although I based it on a spring walk, it could actually be carried out at any time of year so if you missed it the first time round, you can still grab your FREE copy by downloading off my website www.julesrussellillustration.co.uk/pages/free-downloads
I’d love to see how you have gotten on, so share your photos on Instagram or Facebook @julesrussellillustration.
But I must admit, now that May is well and truly here, in all it’s glorious sunshine and frothy hedgerows, I’m loving leaving the business admin for a while and getting back to some much needed sketchbook and development art in my studio.
On a wider perspective……
The past few months globally have been a trying time, not least for the Ukrainian people who have suffered and continue to suffer so greatly. I confess, like many other creatives I know, feeling inspired to create new work seemed impossible for the first few weeks of the war, yet the urge to help, to do SOMETHING couldn’t be ignored.
So I made an illustrated poster and I put it on my free download page with a link to UNICEF UK for donations. Boy, have you guys been generous! THANK YOU!!!! If you missed it and would like a copy, it’s still available to download and of course, donate if you can. www.julesrussellillustration.co.uk/pages/free-downloads
Campaigns and Charities for 2022 – How are they getting along?
Saffron Walden Community Shed is going from strength to strength, with more new members joining. Members have been busy making all manor of useful household and garden items for the local community, some which are donated back into the community and some being sold to help fund the charity. But the big news is…..the Shed is on the move!!. The premises in which the Shed is sighted is currently up for sale. Various alternative locations are being looked at and they are hoping to make a decision very soon. Although it will be sad to see the Shed move from it’s current location, I’m sure there will be more than a few helping hands to assist them with a relocation. I wish them luck. You can find out more about this charity at www.swshed.org.uk.
@Justacard continues to support, small, independent businesses like mine by raising awareness for the importance in spending with artists, makers and online shop owners to encourage a vibrant marketplace. In March, they hosted an online ‘Visibility Fair’ to highlight and promote such businesses. It was great to see what is on offer out their, and something I will be taking part in (fingers crossed) going forward.
To find out more, go to www.justacard.org
Coming up….
My paintbrush and pen are literally steaming from lots of new work in the studio that will lead to some new products (literary themed) over the next few months.
Going forward into Autumn (yes I do have to plan ahead), I’ll be hoping to run some small workshops, so planning and preparing these will be taking up my time in the summer months. And that is to name just a couple of things – still so much more to come.
Phew – you did it! You got through the blog post – well done. Thanks for spending the time reading about what I’ve been up to and for continuing to follow my creative journey.
To see the latest in my artistic adventure, you can follow me on Instagram and Facebook @julesrussellillustration and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter through my website.
See you there!