What mediums and materials do use to produce your artwork?
I use predominantly use Watercolour paints and Indelible ink Pigment ink (in accordance with ISO 14145-2), and is lightfast for my original artwork. I also use graphite pencils for smaller works, for example all the tree spirits are drawn in pencil and then the colour has been digitally added.
I work on acid free, hot pressed heavy duty watercolour paper, usually between A3-A2 paper size. I print on sustainably sourced Bamboo digital print paper and use Giclee digital inks. I’m afraid the digital inks I use on paper are not organic although I try to be as ethical as possible sourcing the brands or companies I use. The fabric wall scrolls and prayer flags are printed with organically certified digital inks and the company I use ( Prinfab UK) is based in Britain where I live and they source all their fabrics from sustainable and ethical producers.
Why do you use these mediums and materials?
I choose to paint in watercolours and inks as they have the least environmental impact in their production and bi products. Acrylic and oil paints are petroleum based paints and acrylics also have micro plastics so I avoid them as much as possible. Also the industrial production of acrylic paints is highly chemically complex and often toxic. However because most of the paints I use like Woad are plant based and natural they are not as light fast as the petroleum based products so will degrade and fade faster. Rest assured if you take care of your artworks, original or in print form they will last at least your lifetime. My art may not last 500yrs plus but as a pagan and environmental conservationist this path is preferred. I use Bamboo paper to print on as it is more environmentally friendly and sustainable product than cotton. However I have not been able to do this with my fabric prints as I have found the Calico cotton the best fabric for printing on, so have compromised on this. However as the fabric prints age or if they are thrown away they will biodegrade quickly and with minimal environmental impact.
How do I take care of my artwork?
If you buy an original piece or a Giclee art print I strongly suggest you frame it behind glass if you are permanently displaying it, preferably UV protected glass. Water paints and plant based inks and digital inks will fade quickly when exposed to air and sunlight/uv light. If hung on a wall in a bright sunlit room unprotected the art piece will fade badly within 10yrs. If properly protected the art work will last 100yrs plus before fading. Never place any artwork in direct sunlight for an extended period of time, no matter what the medium or materials used, as it will be damaged and fade very quickly. If you live in countries or environments with strong uv light most of the year round I suggest hanging your artworks in a darker room and not facing windows or in direct sunlight. The advice is the same for the fabric prints. If you wish your wall scroll or prayer flags to last then make sure you to not expose them to direct sunlight for an extended period of time, like all natural fabric products without a plastic or oil based protective coating they will fade and degrade over time. As the prayer flags were created to disintegrate over time feel free to let them fly outside in all weathers, you will still get at least 3 to 5 years before the print becomes too faded to see, but more importantly your prayers and intentions will be released into the universe to manifest!
Why do you print in various sizes?
I chose to print in different sizes from small postcard (A6 paper size) to large art prints (A3 largest paper print size) because I wanted folk to be able to use the art in different ways. The larger prints are for wall display and allow people to really dive into the complexity of the art, using it for focus and meditation or simply to enhance their home environment, bringing lovely energies into their lives. For folk who like to take the images outside or to travel with them the smaller A6- A5 sizes are best. These smaller prints can also be used in small spaces and altars or shrines and interchanged depending on spiritual practice or focus of the altar or shrine. As a animist and nature based pagan my sacred altar spaces change with the turning of the wheel or if I am called to work with a specific nature spirit or deity, so I use different images accordingly. I have a small canvas bag to hold all my meditation (A6) cards and a box for all my altar cards. I try to keep all my art prints but especially the smaller sizes as affordable as possible so folk can collect as many as they need and can replace them easily if they get damaged or lost. All the meditation cards and Altar cards are printed one sided and are not the same as oracle cards.
How are the Oracle cards different from the meditation cards?
The oracle deck is printed by an external company and are double sided and plastic coated, they are also restricted to a certain number of my images I use regularly to connect with land and spirit for divination purposes. The meditation cards are printed one sided from predominantly natural and biodegradable materials and were created to use as focus points for meditation and connection to land and spirit. So although they are not as durable as the oracle deck they are kinder to our natural world and are available for every image I have created. Some folk have laminated their meditation cards to protect them as they use them outside in possibly wet conditions, however be aware that you must be very careful how you dispose of them. As far as I know laminate plastic does not biodegrade, and when in land fill or burned release toxins into the environment. I strongly urge everyone who no longer need their meditation cards or oracle deck to please gift them to another who you believe could benefit.
Do you take commissions?
I do take on private commissions which are not reproduced for the public and also public commissions, where I can produce prints to sell and the original image goes to the custodian. I only take on commissions which resonate with me spiritually and emotionally. I very rarely do traditional portraits or landscapes which do not align with my ethics or spiritual path. This is mainly because all the art I create is integrally bound to my spiritual practice. Each piece of art is magick for me and not simply an exchange of money for a commercial product. Although we all need to eat, I have found that with just a monetary exchange the art and the magick are compromised, and as the core of my life is based around generating and perpetuating positive energy through visual imagery this is a compromise I will not make. I apply this to everything I do including other projects like book illustrations, cd covers etc. Each image is a work of magick and is dedicated to helping myself and others to live in harmony and at peace with the natural and spiritual world around us.
How much does an original artwork sell for?
This is a tricky question, as each artwork is unique there is no real fixed price. Some pieces can take months of visiting sacred spaces, participating in various rituals and meditating at special times, before I actually put pen to paper. Other pieces can come in a rush and it all happens at once. All of my art is produced from meditation, in spirit journey or communing with certain deities. So instead of having a fixed hourly rate I try to work for affordability and accessibility around a rough pricing framework. For completely private commissions which are between A3-A2 size I charge from £300 to £500 and for public commissions I charge £150-200. If I am working smaller then the price is less of course, but the price of each piece is always negotiated privately with the individual who requested it. Of course a private commission is more expensive than a public request, as I do not have the option of selling prints and generating income after the piece is finished. If I was to sell only original art I probably would have starved to death by now or forced to work in a sector not appropriate to my skill set as I have done before. Like so many other creatives in the world, past present and future, I have worked in many different jobs to get by while trying ver a long period of time to establish myself as an artist. I am forever grateful that my art resonates with enough folk to help put food on our plates and a roof over our heads.
How do I request a wall scroll or altar piece?
All my fabric wall scrolls are custom made to order so are not on the website for general sale, so if you wish for a specific scroll with your choice of image from any of my collections please directly email me or contact me via Fb or Instagram. Each wall scroll is created to the specific needs of each person, and in consultation with the recipient however I can also create a scroll based on my own intuition and still make it a unique piece for a specific person or purpose. I often create scrolls for healing centres and public spaces which I use my own choices based on the needs of the space.
Alternatively if you wished for a certain choice of sacred wood this can be discussed and agreed upon, based on availability of course. All the wood pieces are sustainably sourced from my local area of Dartmoor. Some wood is foraged and collected from the moor, I do not cut or fell wild moorland trees for this purpose but just accept what is gifted. Other wood is collected from friends and acquaintances who are gardeners or work in managed woodlands and save pieces for me or allow me to harvest myself. Also some friends and small holders who coppice their trees or annually prune back very generously give me or sell very cheaply their byproducts. All the folk who supply my needs follow the same conservational and environmental ethos as I do. Please bare in mind I do not use pesticides on the wood and use only bees wax to seal the wood. All wood is checked for insects and fungus or mould before using and if I find anything living I will return the piece to the original woodland or use it in the garden. However due to the nature of my process I can not 100% guarantee the wood is sterile and free from anything living in or on it, especially with pieces where I have left the bark on.
(NB: I cannot send fabric scrolls to Australia as they will not get through customs.)
I also discuss other personal preferences with each recipient, including which talisman weights they wish and specific scroll size. All the ceramic talismans are made by Wyn Abbott Ceramics and other stones and shells are sustainably collected by me from my local area or have been collected by others and passed on to me.
All my scrolls and prayer flags are printed on Cotton Calico with organic certified inks. My fabric printers Prinfab are based in the uk, so the carbon footprint of the product is kept low and they are a small family run business who strive to make their products as ethical and sustainable as possible. I am still experimenting with alternative fabrics like bamboo and unbleached organic hemp fabrics, but so far the best print results are with the calico, which does go through a bleaching process so is not certified organic. I will continue to strive to make each product as ethical and environmentally friendly as possible.
I have large and small scrolls I can print on, but if you have a specific size you need I can accommodate this if necessary. The large scrolls with all the wood added are approx 100cm plus in Length and 70cm across. The smaller size usually comes out at 70cm in length by 50cm in width. These a re just approximations as each piece is slightly different and unique. The pricing is generally £100 plus p&p for the large and £70 for the smaller size.
These are all the questions I have been asked in the past and what I thought might be of interest to folk. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask and I can add to this page as time goes by. Thank you for reading this far! 💚💚💚
