What does it mean to make art that’s truly yours—even when it doesn’t fit the mould and you have to face potential resistance in the market place? In this honest and uplifting episode, I chat with Cornish artist Siobhan Purdy, whose dreamlike, deeply personal paintings have earned her a cult following. From navigating childhood as a selective mute to building thriving artist communities in Cornwall, Siobhan shares how creativity became her lifeline. We explore: The origins of her distinctive, magical visual style How she channels childhood memories and neurodivergence into powerful imagery The tension between staying true to your vision vs. the pressure to “go commercial” Why being in her studio is her definition of success The part she played in turning the Cornish town of Redruth - and Krowji https://www.krowji.org.uk/ in particular - into the buzzing creative hub it is today. Siobhan’s distinctive work might be not be for everyone —but to many, it’s unforgettable and I’ve been privileged to exhibit it for several years, and witness the magic of seeing clients fall in love with it. This episode is a beautiful reflection on art, identity, and belonging. 🔗 View Siobhan’s work: purdysart.co.uk and @purdysart
--------
35:10
31: Owning Who You Are with Deborah Harwood
In episode 31 of An Art to It, ceramicist Deborah Harwood joins me from her beautiful studio on the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex. Deborah shares her remarkable creative journey: from growing up part of deeply artistic family, her late father, is the acclaimed playwright and screenwriter, Ronald Harwood, (The Dresser, Quartet, The Pianist) to working for over a decade as an agent representing some of the UK's most acclaimed writers, directors and set designers, and to then, in her 50s, finding her creative passion in porcelain. We talk about how creativity shaped her early years, and how Deborah missed the opportunity to study under internationally renowned ceramic artist Felicity Aylieff https://www.felicityaylieff.com/ who was the art and ceramics teacher at her school - opting for jewellery instead, a decision she laughingly calls a huge mistake in hindsight. After she left her career in London, Deborah’s first creative foray was in textiles - a medium she chose more from circumstances than passion - and how that lead to her discovering ceramics and ultimately porcelain. In our entertaining and moving chat Deborah speaks openly about navigating cancer, what success means to her now, gives her perspective on navigating the highs and lows of running a creative business, and shares why she believes calling herself an artist is something we should all feel confident in doing. www.deborahharwood.com @deborahharwoodceramics
--------
43:52
30: Brand New Friend with Elaine Dye
In this solo episode of An Art to It, I share my experiences of creating a brand identity for myself. Why am I doing that you might ask. Last year I realised that I really needed to set up a separate website as a home for the online courses I run, and for this podcast too. I wanted the Byre Gallery to concentrate on doing what it’s supposed to do, showcase our exhibitions and the beautiful work we feature in the gallery, and elainedye.com can be the home for everything else. As I talk a lot about the importance of branding in my course: An Insider’s Guide to Gallery Success I do quite a lot of reading about branding anyway and came across a great line by marketing guru Seth Godin (sethgodin.com) : "A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.” And for some reason this made me think about the photo I saw on the Kennel Club website https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/ two and a half years ago which lead me and my husband to buying a new puppy. This started me on a journey to work out what my brand really stood for, who my audience was, and how I was going to illustrate it. And illustrating it meant having my photo taken. I’m not a huge fan of being photographed and less so of some of the results, but thankfully I was in the capable hands of brand photographer - and ‘showing up’ expert - Vicki Knights https://vickiknights.co.uk/. I’d hugely recommend her for photographs and also her courses, such as https://vickiknights.co.uk/magic I also read some other great books: Purple Cow by Seth Godin, Brand You by David Royston-Lee and Sylvana Storey; How to Style your Brand by Fiona Humberstone https://www.thebrand-stylist.com/; Inside her Pretty Little Head, by Jane Cunningham and Philippa Roberts; Book of Branding, by Radio Malinic; and the super useful ‘deck’ of branding cards Brand Seasons by Sarah Robertson @thesearethedays.co I talk about ceramic artist Loraine Rutt of the Little Globe Company https://thelittleglobeco.com/ as someone whose brand imagery works extremely well. My online course An Insider’s Guide to Gallery Success, specially created for artists and makers to take them through all they need to know to achieve continuing gallery, and professional, success, opens for booking on 30th April. Find out more at https://elainedye.com/an-insiders-guide-to-gallery-success/ I’ll be back with a new series packed with fascinating interviews with inspiring women artists, makers and gallery owners, in early June.
--------
28:47
29: Glass Ceilings (and how to fire through them) with Caroline Reed
In Episode 29, I’m delighted to be chatting to Caroline Reed, a London-based glass artist working in the exquisite and lesser-known technique of pâte de verre. Caroline shares the extraordinary story of her transition from a career in science and leadership development to a deeply creative life as a glassmaker, her third career, and one she treats with both passion and professionalism. Caroline reflects on her journey into glass, from her early love of art and materials to the moment she found her medium in pâte de verre, drawn to its delicacy, tactility, and potential for layering and experimentation. We explore how her scientific background influences her methodical and curious studio practice, and the emotional experience of pursuing a new career in midlife, including the imposter syndrome that can follow. She also shares candidly about her experience at the Royal College of Art, the impact of COVID on her studies, and the importance of resilience, adaptability, and community in sustaining her creative work - especially the network in the Just Glass Society @just_glass_ https://www.just-glass.co.uk/ and the Contemporary Glass Society @contemporaryglasssociety https://cgs.org.uk/ We talk about what it really means to launch a creative business later in life, how she began showing and selling her work, and the unique strengths she brings from previous career, including an understanding of how to build gallery relationships and communicate with professionalism. Caroline has also found inspiration from ceramicist Anastasia Zaramova, https://www.azamaceramics.co.uk/ @a_zama_ceramics who she cites as a great example of a maker who appreciates how to promote her business. You can see Caroline’s work on instagram @carolinereed7767 and her website is https://caroline-reed.co.uk/
--------
46:59
28: A Cut Above with Claire Brewster
For many artists, despite having an idea of what you want to create, sometimes the work finds you. For Claire Brewster it was a love of paper, a passion for the freedom of birds… and some handy foam board and pins that sparked her creative practice. Twenty years on from her ‘eureka’ moment, her exquisitely detailed paper birds, hand-cut from vintage maps are in art private and public art collections, hotels and cruise ships all over the world. Our lively conversation spans Claire’s creative journey—from her early fascination with paper, through art college, experimentation and finding her paper birds… taking off! Claire candidly shares how her work evolved, navigating the tension between creativity and commercial success. We discuss her bold decision to experiment with painting and collage, the emotional complexity of her practice, and the realities of running a thriving creative business. Claire also reveals the story behind her commissions for prestigious hotels and cruise ships, and why connecting directly with collectors through newsletters and platforms like Substack has been vital to her career. Claire talks about finding inspiration in two fellow artist - who are also successful entrepreneurs: Tracey Emin @traceyeminstudio and Ashley Longshore https://ashleylongshore.com/Follow Claire on Instagram @claire_brewster and visit clairebrewster.com
When does your passion become your profession? Can you take a love of making and creating and turn it into a successful business? This is the podcast where I talk to artists and makers who, whatever their discipline, are all fortunate to have turned their passion for creating into their occupation. As we discuss their journey to being professional artists and makers we explore inspirations, imposter syndrome, what success really means and of course, if there IS an art to running a flourishing creative business.
I’m Elaine Dye, I’m the owner and curator of Cornwall’s Byre Gallery, I’m also a creative business mentor and coach, and the creator of the course, ‘An Insider’s Guide to Gallery Success.’ When the Byre Gallery celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024, I thought it was the ideal opportunity to chat to some of the fascinating creatives I’ve got to know over the past decade and to explore what it means to be in the business of doing something you really love. I discovered that I love doing the podcast... so I'm keeping going!
UK