Every Cloud – The Unforeseen Benefits of My Perceived Failure

image: Chris Woodhouse, Spencer House Gallery

"Faced with mounting economic challenges, in January 2024 I came face-to-face with an inescapable truth. I could no longer remain a full-time artist if I were to meet my monthly bills.

As the reality of my situation dawned on me, I felt very disappointed with myself. I believed I had failed in my life’s ambition to live as an artist. I doubted my ability and the work I produced. My self-belief took a severe knock. It was a dark day indeed.

However, little did I know then that taking the step to part-time employment would bring so much more than the security of a regular monthly wage.

A part of the majority

So, there I was, facing this huge wall I had to clamber over. I was, as I saw it, in a financial hole of my own making and I had to get out of it. The turning point came after giving myself a severe talking to. I soon woke up to the fact that part-time employment is the enabler for a huge number of like-minded creative types. Artists and artisans throughout the UK supplement their income with other paid employment. This is a reality for a lot of people working in the Arts. 

According to the findings of The UK Visual Artists’ Earnings and Contracts Report 2024, (released by the University of Glasgow, funded by the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) and conducted by the Centre for Regulation of the Creative Economy (CREATe)), 51% of the 1,200 visual artists surveyed state that due to low pay they have to supplement their income with additional work. 

It’s there in black and white, proven by research; I am not alone. In fact, it looks like I am part of the majority. This is also borne out of my experience working as I do now in a picture framer’s. I regularly meet other artists and makers who rely on paid part-time employment to make ends meet. Their work is outstanding, their passion unending and their desire to create unwavering.

I admit, the flip side of this situation does raise other questions, further highlighted by the research report. How is it, according to the findings, when the UK Art Market, worth £9.7 billion, one of the largest in the world, the median income for visual artists is only £12,500 a year? Evidence also supports the fact that this figure equates to a 47% decrease since 2010. Definitely food for thought…

While there’s undoubtedly a lot to unpack from the study’s findings, I count myself very fortunate to have found a  part-time job. It’s art based, it’s local to me, it’s with a small family run business. The two days a week I work there, enable me to continue to focus on my artwork the rest of the time. It provides a regular income which has in turn removed the constant worrying about where the money is going to come from. Importantly there have been other significant benefits too; benefits I didn’t even think about during my ‘dark days’.

New creative freedom

Returning to my studio without the anxiety of how to pay the bills, I experienced a new sense of creative freedom. I realised I’d been limiting my creative output by sticking to a style which had sold previously. With that spectre banished, I made a conscious decision to experiment.

For some time, I’d been mulling over a development in my painting style. I’d often received similar comments from visitors to my exhibitions. People were surprised to learn the paintings, prints, stained glass and fabrics on display were all by the same artist. There was a disparity in work across the different media and I wanted to see if I could somehow address that.

So, with my new sense of freedom and large paintbrush in hand, I set to work. Using quick drying acrylic paint (another change for me) I worked out an idea of the composition on the new size canvases. As the composition developed, I returned to my familiar oil paint to finesse the subjects, adding detail, texture and depth to fur and foliage. The dark lines around the central forms and stylised background were inspired by the lead lines in stained glass. The linear elements and white stylised shapes of leaves and plants echo the engraved lines cut into the surface of the lino blocks. The sense of surface pattern chimed with my printed textile designs. 

The restrictive concern about whether it would sell was gone. I painted, I experimented and above all I enjoyed. I tweaked and changed as I went along, more concerned with having a go to see ‘what would happen if…’ rather than thinking about how many days were left that month for me to generate an income.

The result was a pair of mixed media paintings on tall narrow canvases ‘The Leader’ and ‘First Steps’. The central figures, a fox and a fawn were surrounded by a lush habitat of stylised leaves and plants, living in a place caught somewhere between the real and the imagined – somewhere I hadn’t had the freedom to explore before. 

Exciting times

Now, in March 2025 I am delighted with the creative developments of the past 12 months. Not only has the wonderful Chris Woodcock at Spencer House Gallery in Tebury featured ‘First Steps’ in her ‘Wild Things’ curated exhibition, but she has also sold both initial paintings, plus a third ‘All Ears’ and has secured a commission for a fourth painting in this series. Chris featured me in her gallery blog and placed a photo of my work alongside the article in the Wilts & Glos Standard. I truly appreciate it all and certainly could never have seen this would be the case back in January, as I sat with my head in my hands. 

I’m settling into my paid employment too. I like the security of the regular pay day and value the conversations with fellow artists who come into the shop. I’m learning to structure my new working week accordingly and to adjust my personal expectations regarding my productivity.

I know, ours is far from an ideal world. The Arts, across the board, require grass-roots support, investment, financial backing and the respect these disciplines deserve. That has not changed. So, until that day, I am grateful for all us artists and artisans whose passion for creativity drives us on and the part-time employment which enables us to keep doing what we do. Without it, our world would lack the beauty and inspirational pieces we work hard to create. 

To anyone finding themselves in a similar position to the one I faced last January, my message is simple - hang on in there, you are not alone and you honestly can never know the positives which may be waiting for you. "

A huge thank you to Anita, I really enjoyed learning about all her recent work. I enjoyed seeing her recent work and hearing all about the collaboration with Chris Woodhouse of Spenser House Gallery, Tetbury www.spenserhousegallery.co.uk I can't wait to visit!