Buenos Dias! Welcome to my new monthly newsletter and boy am I excited.
Expect life updates (the highs, the lows, the hilarious) as well as art updates (including special behind-the-scenes insights exclusive to this newsletter) and finally, the all important pupdates from Spud and Ollie – because thats who we REALLY want to hear from, amiright?! *crowd goes wild*
It’s called the excitable artist because there isn’t much I can’t find enthusiasm for and I hope my insights and sense of humour can bring a little smile to your inbox at the end of each month.
I’m starting this just as my fiance Juan and I reach the end of our two-month stay in Spain, where we’ve been renting an apartment in the mountains up from Marbella. As it was our first big trip away, naturally we anticipated a few hiccups, including but not limited to, managing to leave one entire dog behind in the UK, have our trailer cover fly off half-way down the motorway and manage to lock ourselves out of our apartment within 48 hours of arriving.
We came here to be near Juan’s family, for me to practice my Spanish and of course for the glorious weather… which is hilarious because the first few weeks of our stay involved an impressive cocktail of ‘the worst rain in years’, mountain fog so thick you could whip it into butter and a surprise sandstorm that painted the sky a lovely shade of ‘apocalyptic orange’. Oh how God must have laughed when he heard we were trying to escape the winter weather in the province of Málaga.
Okay okay, so eventually the sun did rock up (although that does bring its own unique problem for me given that I can barely approach a bright lamp or even a scented candle without at least factor 30). I have managed to spend most of my time here in the outdoors with Ollie, exploring many a beautiful landscape and traipsing through rivers with water as clear as glass.
Spud sadly wasn’t able to join us on this trip as due to confusion at the vets it turned out he wasn’t up to date with his rabies jab and they need to have the vaccine at least 21 days before travel. However he’s been enjoying himself no bother at my parents and been so spoiled that I bet he barely remembers his own name. Make sure you scroll to the end for the full pudpate!
And so my aim this year is to focus on generating more passive income by focusing on my greeting cards. By selling greeting cards as wholesale (getting them into shops), it means that I can generate income on the side allowing me the freedom to put some of my energy towards new exciting projects (like landscapes!)
I’ve been having a think about how to progress my art and my business this year. I have so many new avenues I’m wanting to explore but the trouble is that starting a new blog or learning a new painting medium requires lot’s of time and doesn’t generate income. And for a self-employed artist with studio rent to cover and two fun-employed dogs to feed, that’s a priority.
I’ve already created some new artwork for my next designs – the originals of which are available to purchase on my website – however, I have plans this year to branch out into more whimsical designs for special occasion cards. This is something I’m really excited about because it’s going to allow me to inject a little humour to my work.
Since I promised you exclusive content and behind the scenes insights, I’ve snuck in a little sneak preview of a mock up I made just from a past painting I had on file. It gives you a rough idea of what’s to come… I’m excited to see what ideas come out of me as I give this my full attention over the next couple of months.
Our resident troll, Ollie, has made leaps and bounds with his confidence in the absence of his older pack brother, Spud. As Ollie is a rescue, found at about 7 months old wandering the mountains alone in Greece, we aren’t sure what went on during his puppy years but whatever his experience was before we got him it definitely seems like it has knocked his confidence.
He’s now about 1.5 years and really blooming, however the most progress we’ve with him seen has definitely been throughout the last two months whilst we’ve been in Spain because he hasn’t had Spud to fall on for support. However, he absolutely adores Spud so I know that he will be over the moon to be reunited with him in just one weeks time!
As for Spud… so much for being ‘little boy lost’ left behind at my parents house for the last two months. He has been spoilt rotten, I don’t think there is a piece of furniture in that house that he hasn’t been let up on and the last I heard from my parents was this ransom note (you need a sense of humour to survive in our family!)
For those of you with dogs you can imagine what it’s been like for us not having him around for such a long length of time but the reunion next week is just going to be amazing!
Wow you made it through to the end of my newsletter – I’m blushing! I hope you enjoyed a little insight into what’s been going on. With social media making it more and more difficult to reach people, I would really like to direct my energy into this newsletter as a form of communication so I hope that you’re going to be here for the next one.
Chat soon!
Tori xxx