Newsletter Issue #69: Finding visual balance

The snapdragon painting
Finding visual balance: a progress update

Newsletter Issue #69

Continuing on from last time, today I share with you the progress I’ve made on the snapdragon painting. You can refresh your memory on that here.

The work in progress I showed you was actually really annoying me. The balance just felt off.

It started with a general discontentment with the vase, but the more I looked at it, the more the flowers felt really clunky and overdone. Ultimately I decided that any changes made to the vase would likely dictate any changes made to the flowers, so with the vase I started. 

The first step was to create a reference drawing for the vase. I knew in my mind’s eye that I wanted the neck to be quite thin, but a visual mind often needs a visual reference so I rounded up 3 small vases and sketched them out.

Of the three references, the first one wasn’t doing it for me, but I was enjoying elements of the second and third. Particularly the rounded edges on vase 2 and the length and thinness of the neck on vase 3. 

The next step was to combine vases 2 & 3 into a hybrid, imaginary vase 4. This felt much better. 

The vase is quite an important part of the composition because it visualises the human element of the painting’s story. It is human made, and it is used to contain a part of nature indoors. By bringing nature inside we’re also bringing our associations of it with us. In the case of the snapdragon, called by different animal-inspired names, placing it in a vase allows us to reminisce on the playfulness these names invoke on the imagination. 

Moving on from sketching a reference, it’s time to think about how this area will be repainted. I know already that I want the vase to reflect some of the sky panel in the glazing, as that will further solidify the narrative of bringing nature and imagination inside from out. 

Thinking about what colour the vase is going to be, I’m leaning toward lighter colours, reminiscent of proper porcelain, the creation of which is an age old craft and ties in nicely with this human connection in the painting's narrative.

Do I want to include any ornamentation on the vase? I’m not yet sure. In theory yes, but in practice I suspect that it might be too much. On discussing this with my husband (chief proof-reader and sounding board), he pointed out that ornamentation is often nature inspired, the inclusion of which would arguably strengthen these connections even further. I hadn't thought of it like that, so I definitely think I'll play around with it before deciding either way!

As I started to repaint the vase, I ended up reworking the flowers (unsurprising). I decided that having too many stems was part of the problem and so changed that to a single stem, and as I was doing that concluded that the neck of the vase actually needed to be even thinner and taller to accommodate this one stem.

This is where the painting is at currently. Visually and compositionally, I am a lot happier with it. There are still question marks about whether I will keep the current colours or if these will also experience an overhaul. But it’s going in the right direction and I can now work on bringing all the details into focus. 

Back soon with more updates,

Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #68: The snapdragon painting (story time)

The snapdragon painting

Newsletter Issue #68

In a glance: 

  • Life update: I got married!

  • Story time on the work in progress I shared with you last time (17/18 April 2026)

  • Reminders: Commissions are open - to enquire simply reply to this email & if you’re not already, please follow my instagram 🫶🏼

Okay so full disclosure, since the last update I haven’t actually made any more painting progress on the little piece I shared with you because I’ve been busy getting married! (!!!). And if you don’t know, planning such an event is no easy feat. But, it’s now been just over a full month since the big day, and the time has come to dive back into the creative process and all it encompasses. 


So, for the sake of continuity we’re picking up exactly where we left of with the story behind the little work in progress I shared last time:

This painting - let’s call it ‘the snapdragon painting’ for now because it’s currently untitled - is an idea I’ve had in my brain for a while. (In fact, my first sketch for it dates back to the 4th of March 2025!).

The idea for it was born while leafing through Vickery’s Folk Flora (an absolute unit of a reference book) and coming across an entry on “Antirrhinum Majus”, commonly: the snapdragon. While reading, I learned that in certain areas of the UK these flowers are colloquially referred to as “dog-mouth”/“dogs-d’-bark”/“dog’s nose”/“dog’s snout”, which felt oddly familiar… 

Distant childhood memories of flowers I grew up calling “skilakia / σκυλάκια” (little dogs) in Greece started to surface. Surely they can’t be the same plant?

Turns out they are! Which I found to be such a fun and exciting folkloric connection between my two homes: Greece & England.

On continuing my reading, I learnt that the same flower actually has a huge variety of names across the whole of the UK. Most of which seem to associate the flower with different snout-possessing animals: dogs, dragons, lions, monkeys, rabbits, tigers, frogs.

I'm already loving these connections and then I learn about the origins of the flower's name.

As it turns out, the first recorded use of the word ‘snapdragon’ in English was in 1573, and was likely inspired by how if you squeeze the sides of the flower it causes the ‘dragon’s mouth’ (petals) to snap open and shut.

Which... if you think about it looks similar to a barking motion.
A thought train that takes me to a childhood memory of doing just that: squeezing flowers and pretending they were little barking dogs.

And all of a sudden this small act of play has connected a kid in Athens in the late 1990s to people in England in the 1570s. 

With this strong association of play, my mind’s eye started seeing cute little animals frolicking on snapdragon petals… an idea for a painting started to form, that has begun to materialise in this work in progress. 

It still has a long way to go until it reaches the vision I have for it.
Since the original sketch to now, the idea has evolved, with an important driving question being: how do I compose this idea while staying true to the visual language I’ve been building and the feeling I want to portray? 

Well, you can see the direction it’s going in…kind of. There’s still work to do, but I’m excited about this one and I hope some of that energy translates through my writing to you today. 

Do you have any childhood memories tied to plants? 

Off to work on this painting and more,

Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #67: A request for your help

A request for your help

Newsletter Issue #67

In a glance: 
- A deep dive into some of the things I struggle with as an artist
 - A request for your help in increasing my audience and boosting visibility on Instagram (and beyond)
- Preview of my current work in progress
- Reminder that I am open for commissions - send your requests and ideas through!

Being an artist is romanticised. Little did I know when I was starting out that my dream of painting for a living came with the strings of running a business attached. 

Truth be told, I still romanticise my job and harbour dreams of creating an environment for myself where all I do is paint and create, but only because that’s the ideal goal, and your girl is manifesting. 

My reality right now is quite different however. I have to embody many different roles and personalities in order to make my dream work: painter, accountant, marketing & PR agent, social media manager, website designer, to name a few. Even at rest, I’m still working as my mind whirrs with ideas. It’s one of the beautiful ironies of evading the 9-5 because I didn’t want to be trapped in a rigid schedule only to now be working 24/7, and to mostly be doing administrative tasks that my brain has an actual allergy to. 

As an introvert though, the hardest parts are the “putting myself out there” tasks, with social media taking the award for being the toughest. On the one hand it’s a promised land of millions of potential connections, on the other it is an AI infested minefield where posting often feels akin to screaming into the void. Add to that the fact that as soon as I get onto Instagram I’m immediately distracted by funny reels (usually of cats, what else?), and in my hands I’ve got a recipe for disaster. How am I handling it? Considering I ignored its existence for about a year and a half and now I’m trying to get back into it, the jury's still out on that. If anyone has advice on how to gamify and make the process of posting fun, then please send some advice. 

You can help though!

If you don’t already follow me on Instagram, the first step would be to do that. Here's a link.
The next step would be to please interact with the things I post because it helps with boosting my visibility. Sharing and saving my work are the most powerful ways to help.
Finally, if you’re feeling benevolent, you could recommend my work to your friends, colleagues, families, and anyone who'll listen. 

Now here’s some work in progress for you to ponder. It looks questionable at the moment, but I’ve been told the behind-the-scenes is valuable so here you have it. I’ll share its story next time. 

Yours in multiple personalities,

Arietta xx

p.s. do we like the in a glance section?

Newsletter Issue #66: Open for Commissions

Commissions: 
You can request one!

Newsletter Issue #66

Do you have a photograph that you would like to turn into a painting?
Or possibly an idea you’d like to see come to life on a canvas?

If yes, reply to this email!

I’m currently accepting commissions.
No idea is too small or too big, I’m curious to hear them all and help where I can.

Prices and delivery times vary depending on the project, but the initial consultation and quote are free, so really you’ve got nothing to lose in simply enquiring! 

I look forward to hearing from you.

🐣 In the meantime, I wish you and yours a Happy Easter 🐇
I hope you have a lovely few days break doing the things you enjoy!

Yours in chocolate easter eggs and bunnies,

Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #65: Persephone Returns, and so do I

Persephone Returns,
and so do I

Newsletter Issue #65

Hi, it’s been a while! Just over a year in fact, which is mental because where does the time go?!

Sitting down to write has felt like the world’s most daunting task, so naturally I put it off and off and off... which suited just fine for a while, but the truth is I’ve missed writing to you, and with today being the Spring Equinox here in the UK (and the northern hemisphere in general) - a symbol of new beginnings - it seemed like a good time to pick this back up. 

To be honest, I don’t fully remember what my last email to you was about and I won’t be checking because if I do I’ll likely fall down a rabbit hole trying to link everything together and not actually finish writing this. So, instead, we’ll be taking inspiration from this annual astronomical event and starting this thing afresh. 

So with that in mind: 
Hiii 👋🏼, in case you have forgotten I’m Arietta and I am (for the most part) an artist with an affinity to painting, though I do occasionally dabble in other mediums because learning is fun. Making paintings is a bit like jumping through a portal to a different dimension: a place where I can openly be inspired by the things I get nerdy about and create my own little stories, leaving marks on a canvas that (hopefully) come together in a way that others (you?) can also relate to, or at least find pretty to look at. I cycle through a lot of interests but my main ones include nature, esotericism and literature.

Pursuit of Perfection: A Fool's Errand, 2023. Oil on canvas. 122x152cm - Available, email to enquire

As today marks the first official day of Spring, I wanted to talk a little bit more about the role of nature in my work. Other than the fact that nature is all around us (yes, even in cities), we (humans) are also a very integral part of this nature.

I often feel like in the context of our contemporary world and existence, nature is seen as this foreign entity, unrelated to us (humans). A separation that I find really problematic for a huge number of reasons, one of which is that it creates a disconnection to the very thing that has created and allowed us to exist and thrive as a species. Frankly, it’s disrespectful. It’s also short sighted. By removing ourselves from nature we lose a bit of ourselves in the process. The natural world is full of wonder and knowledge. Our stories and traditions are interlinked with our surroundings, we imbue our world with symbolism (hello anthropomorphising & pathetic fallacy) because it helps us make sense of our existence. And also, nature is a thing of beauty! (Albeit sometimes also terrifying).

I could go on like this for a while, but in an effort to not write you a several page essay, I’ll get back to the point. I find nature inspirational and I’m particularly interested in how we use the natural world to create meaning through symbolism. So, in my artwork I focus on painting something of the natural world, creating visually pleasing images with an undercurrent of storytelling made possible through composition and the symbolism of each painted element. Occasionally I veer from this method, I’m only human and sometimes I fancy a bit of a change, but for the most part this is the formula I use. 

For now, here’s some pictures of a few of my older paintings that depict snippets of the natural world.

If any strike your fancy and you’d like to claim them as your own, simply let me know by replying to this email and all can be arranged.

1. Study of my golden pothos in blue, 2020. Oil on canvas. 55x55cm (framed) - Available, email to enquire
2. Ode to our innocence, 2021. Oil on canvas board. 28x28cm (framed) - Available, email to enquire

The Choice, 2023. Oil on canvas. 100x90cm - Available, email to enquire

I’ll be back again soon(ish), in less than a year certainly, with more thoughts (definitely) and some new paintings (probably - I do have about 10 on the go at the moment so I’d hope to finish at least some of them in the next few weeks!).

Until then, I hope you enjoy the growing days and the promise of warmth that the approaching summer brings. 

Forever grateful for your kind interest and support, 

Arietta xx 

Newsletter Issue #64: Painting Spotlight - Study of my golden pothos in blue

Currently Available: Study of my golden pothos in blue

Hello and welcome to issue #64.

Spring is in the air and I am delighted to share my painting Study of my golden pothos in blue sporting its new frame!

Currently available via Ad Lib Gallery. To enquire please click here.

Study of my golden pothos in blue, 2020
Oil on canvas
54 x 54 cm (framed)
£1630 (including frame)
Signed on back
Includes Certificate of Authenticity

(Photo courtesy of Ad Lib Gallery)

In case you missed it, my last newsletter delved into how art can help us all and featured my painting BPOFY. You can read that here.

As always, please reply to this email if you have any questions.

Thank you for your kind attention and I look forward to writing to you again soon.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead,

Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #63: Art can (and does) help us all

Art can (and does) help us all

Hello and welcome to issue #63.

I don’t know what it’s like for you, but my brain has always existed in a perpetual state of chatter. Something I’ve been spending a lot of time on recently has been considering my practice, and the question of why I do what I do has come up a number of times.

The obvious answer as to why I make art is, well, that I love it. But that’s not really enough to explain why I’ve chosen ‘artist’ as my job title. The reason I’ve kept the job title and continue doing what I do is because I’ve discovered that I can help people through art, and if there’s something I really love to do it is to help (occasionally to my own detriment, but I’m working on that). 

Art may be considered a luxury, but that doesn’t make it any less of a necessity. (In fact, I argue that viewing art as a luxury is a serious problem because it perpetuates this idea that spending time on art is frivolous, when in reality engaging in any way with creative pursuits is proven to promote feelings of overall wellness, but this is a conversation for another time.)

The right piece at the right time can have a profound impact on its viewer (my first experience of this was in front of Boticelli’s Primavera, the second was in a room full of Rothkos). Art is a vessel for connection, and we all need to feel connected in some way or another. If what I do can help someone experience that in some way, then I’ve succeeded in my job for the day and work to succeed in it for every day thereafter.

The most direct way in which art helps is by adding a little something to a space. BPOFY has its own special way of doing that making it perfect for today's spotlight. (Last time we focused on What nature gives, grab. You can refresh your memory of that here if you like.)

BPOFY is a 50x50cm piece from 2019 and one of the first I made when my job title became ‘artist’. It is a study of a Valentine’s Day bouquet given to me by my dad (love you dad!), and it highlights this idea of how art creates connections that I’ve just been talking about. 

Painting this piece helped me grow as a painter and taught me a fair bit about the cut flower industry. More importantly however is that since its completion it has helped facilitate numerous conversations about the act of giving, human nature and nature herself with a wonderful variety of people. And for those that perhaps don’t always want to get into a piece so deeply, BPOFY is the kind of painting that adds that little something to a space by gently inviting the attention without demanding it. It gives you, the viewer, the choice of how you’d like to experience it. Kinda neat, no?

To find out more about this (or any other) piece, please enquire here.

As always, thank you for reading and I look forward to writing to you again soon. 

Wishing you a wonderful rest of your weekend,

Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #62: Painting Spotlight - What nature gives, grab.

Painting Spotlight: What nature gives, grab.

Hello and welcome to issue #62 (and the first newsletter of 2025)!

Happy new year! (Belated, I know, but we haven’t done this yet).

January is always an interesting month: it marks the start of the year and tends to feel a bit like a blank slate, full of motivation for new beginnings and resolutions. Yet, in the northern hemisphere we’re still in winter, which, let’s be honest doesn’t always offer a most exciting backdrop for motivation. 

For this reason, my approach to new year resolutions has drastically changed over the years in that I don’t really set any. Instead, I’ve started working with setting intentions, doing so frequently (each week, month, season), and taking inspiration from the seasonal cycles of nature. This process makes me reflect on my intentions almost on a daily basis, which I find helps keep me more focused than resolutions ever did.

The more I think about intentions, the more I realise how important of a starting point this process of reflection is when it comes to making art. Especially when trying to balance the need to create with the need to make a living. A big task with each piece that I make is ensuring I am staying true to what I want to be creating, whilst also considering how the idea in my head can be conveyed in a (hopefully) intriguing and relatable way for a potential viewer and collector.

Let’s take the piece ‘What nature gives, grab.’ as an example.

This little 30x30cm oil on canvas-board is up there as one of my favourites. Why? Because my intention with it was to experiment. 

When I started this piece, I wasn’t sure where it was going. I just knew I wanted to play with storytelling by creating bolder compositions that included areas of great detail contrasted by block colouring. So, I taped off the surface and started to fill each section without too much expectation.

First, I did the flowers, painting them from life on a really beautiful sunny day. I enjoy painting flowers and roses have some really lovely delicate symbolism attached to them. It felt like a good starting point. I then considered my next steps for a few months, until I painted the hand. A storyline was unfolding: nature vs human; delicate floral imagery contrasted by a looming hand. Finally, the background colour: sap green, symbolic of growth, renewal and harmony, tied it altogether. This little piece of experimentation became one of many stories exploring our multifaceted relationship with the natural environment (a theme that already runs through my work). 

This painting was completed in 2021. In 2025, it still has a life of its own. It exists as a little time capsule of thought, intent and the environments in which it was created, and the thought of that fills me with awe. In 2024, the opportunity to have this and some other of my pieces represented by Ad Lib Gallery, finally pushed me to get round to framing it, and like magic I fell in love with it all over again; its new wooden framing adding another layer to the narrative. Art is a fascinating thing: equally static and alive, it has the power to stand its ground and adapt with the times depending on the lens that it’s looked at through - its power comes from as much its creator as it does the viewer and I could go on and on about how mind-boggling this actually is, but I fear this is already becoming a very long newsletter. 

So, for now, I’ll leave you with the intention of staying (mostly) consistent in my writings to you this year.

As always, you know the drill - if this or any other piece piques your interest and you’d like to know more about pricing, availability, or anything else, just let me know by replying directly to this email. 

Thank you for reading, and I look forward to writing to you again soon. 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead,

Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #61: A heartfelt thank you 💝

A heartfelt thank you, peppered with a little update

Hello, and welcome to newsletter issue #61

2024 has come and (almost) gone with just a few days remaining until we roll over into the new year. And what a year this one has been! 

I pop into your inbox today to thank you first and foremost for your continued support and sustained interest in my work.

Thank you, really, from the bottom of my heart.
It means the world to me, and the knowledge that even 1 person might be impacted by my work in a positive way is one of the most profound motivators in continuing this oftentimes overwhelming journey of pursuing art.

I hope that wherever you are, and whatever you're doing during this festive period, you have a most peaceful, fun, restful, happy and nurturing time. 

Merry Christmas and may 2025 bring you, your family and friends the fulfilment and contentment you desire tenfold.

Some highlights from 2024...
(1) Billboard at Hyde Park Corner tube station. (2) Exhibition with Ad Lib Gallery. (3) 2 prints in collaboration with Queer Frequencies (which will become properly available for purchase in the new year). (4, 5) Monthly art workshops with True Ambassadors charity.
(And, a little further down... a small new update!)

Before I leave you to your end of year plans, I wanted to share with you something...

My piece 'What nature gives... grab' framed and hanging at Ad Lib Gallery. I am beyond pleased with how this framing looks and beyond grateful to have this piece pictured above as well as this other piece here currently with and available via Ad Lib Gallery.

As always, should you wish to learn more about these pieces or any of my other ones, just ask by replying to this email. 

With love and gratitude, 
Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #60: This Sunday - Closing Drinks Invitation 💌

Our Newsletter: Issue #60

Hello, and welcome to another issue of Our Newsletter

As promised, I return to your inbox to remind you that there's just a few days left to catch the Art Below Autumn Show at Ad Lib Gallery!

And, if you missed the opening, the gallery are hosting a closing drinks event this Sunday 3rd November from 2-4pm.
Will I see you there? 

To RSVP to the closing drinks please click here.

Ad Lib Gallery
10 Church Road
Wimbledon Village
SW19 5DL
The exhibition is open every day until 3rd November from 10:30am to 5:30pm.

Artwork info:

The Choice. 2023
Oil on canvas
100 x 90 cm
For price and more info please email info@ariettachandris.com

Wishing you a wonderful November and weekend ahead! 

Lots of love,
Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #59: Now Open: Art Below Autumn Show

Our Newsletter: Issue #59

Hello, and welcome to another issue of Our Newsletter

Writing to you on this fine Monday evening I'm aware that I am departing from the usual 'newsletters on a Friday' rhythm, but it's all for good reason!

Last Thursday's opening of the Art Below Autumn Show at Ad Lib Gallery was a wonderfully lively event, and I was particularly honoured to find that my painting is being displayed right by the gallery's window for everyone to see. 
As ever, a huge thank you to everyone that came to the opening and has been to see the exhibition since. 

The exhibition is open every day until this Saturday 2nd November.
Address and opening hours below.

Ad Lib Gallery
10 Church Road,
Wimbledon Village,
SW19 5DL
10:30am - 5:30pm

Artwork info:

The Choice. 2023
Oil on canvas
100 x 90 cm
For price and more info please email info@ariettachandris.com

Wishing you a great week ahead and I'll be in touch again in a few days with a final exhibition reminder.

Lots of love,
Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #58: Exhibition Reminder - Opening Next Week

Our Newsletter: Issue #58

Hello, and welcome to another issue of Our Newsletter

This isn't so much a newsletter as it is a reminder for next week's exhibition opening plus a happy pic of me in front of my billboard.

Here's the details, and if you can make it don't forget to RSVP!

Private View - Thursday 24 October 2024, 6-8pm
Art Below Autumn Show
24 October - 2 November
Ad Lib Gallery
10 Church Road, Wimbledon Village, SW19 5DL
RSVP here.

Pursuit of Perfection: A Fool's Errand, 2023
Oil on canvas
152 x 122cm
To enquire please email info@ariettachandris.com

As always, wishing you a pleasant weekend ahead! 

Lots of love,
Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #57: Spotted! At Hyde Park Corner 👀

Our Newsletter: Issue #57

Hello, and welcome to another issue of Our Newsletter

Further to last Friday's newsletter, I am delighted to confirm that my billboard is officially up at Hyde Park Corner station!

It went up this Monday and should be there for at least the next two weeks.

Whether you frequent the Piccadilly line or simply happen to find yourself in the area, keep an eye out and if you see it please share a photo with me.

And don't forget: 
I'll also be taking part in the Art Below Autumn Show at Ad Lib Gallery. Opening on the 24th of October, you can RSVP here.

Photo courtesy of Ad Lib Gallery
 

Pursuit of Perfection: A Fool's Errand, 2023
Oil on canvas
152 x 122cm
To enquire please email info@ariettachandris.com

As always, wishing you a pleasant weekend ahead! 

Lots of love,
Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #56: Exhibition Announcement & Invitation

Our Newsletter: Issue #56

Hello, and welcome to another issue of Our Newsletter

Following on from last week's teaser,
I am thrilled to announce my participation in the 2024 Art Below Billboard Campaign and Autumn Show at Ad Lib Gallery this month!

Coinciding with London's Frieze Week, the Billboard Campaign will see my painting Pursuit of Perfection: A Fool's Errand showcased at Hyde Park Corner tube station from next week (exact date tbc, but I'll send another announcement once it's up).

Later in October, I delight in inviting invite you to the Private View for the exhibition on the
24th of October at Ad Lib Gallery. 

Full details below:

Art Below Autumn Show
24 October - 3 November
Private view: 24 October, 6-8pm

Ad Lib Gallery
10 Church Road
SW19 5DL

To RSVP please click here

Pursuit of Perfection: A Fool's Errand, 2023
Oil on canvas
152 x 122cm
Available - reply to this email to enquire

As always, wishing you a pleasant weekend ahead! 

Lots of love,
Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #55: Art this weekend? Here's 2 recommendations for you

Our Newsletter: Issue #55

Hello, and welcome to another issue of Our Newsletter

Remember how in the last newsletter I mentioned how difficult it sometimes feels to write because I don’t always have sparkly news to share? 

Well, today's newsletter deals with the opposite problem:
There’s a few things I’d like to share and I’m not quite sure how to do this without making this an impossibly long read...so,
I made a list!


1.   I have exciting art/exhibition related news coming in the next week or so. Feel teased.

2.  If you are in London and enjoy viewing art (which I am going to assume you do, based on the fact that you're signed up to receiving my occasional artistic updates), I have two recommendations for you:

  1. Graceland London's first solo exhibition with Halcyon Gallery on New Bond Street. Graceland and I used to share a studio for many years and to see her hard work and talent culminate in this stunning exhibition is extraordinary. 

  2. Guerin Projects Solo Contemporary Booth at the British Art Fair at Saatchi Gallery this weekend showcasing the work of James Vaulkhard. While I unfortunately will be missing this, there is really no reason why you should too. MC Llamas (the powerhouse behind Guerin Projects) is a genius curator, and James Vaulkhard a brilliant artist. You can find them at Stand 01. 

3.  After a self-imposed (but longer than anticipated) painting hiatus, this week I picked up my brushes and gave a canvas I started in (or around) 2021 it's third do-over. The creative process can often feel like a fickle mistress, but I bask in the glory of having painted *something* finally. Is it anywhere near finished? Definitely not, but I'm excited by its prospects. Hopefully it really is third time lucky for this canvas! I'll share when the time is right. 

4. Rabbit holes: I fall down them frequently. Not literal rabbit holes where rabbit families live, as I like to imagine, their delightfully cute existence. The metaphorical kind of rabbit hole: an all engrossing and detailed foray into various nuggets of knowledge. I have many ongoing ones that span years of on/off interest but my two most recent ones are: 

  1. Embroidery (New skill for me. Fantastic, 10/10 recommend).

  2. Baking bread (Also 10/10, I like to believe that I’ll never again have to buy bread because I can make it now).

Image descriptions:
1. Colour palette of this week's painting progress.
2. Pic of one of Graceland's many amazing artworks on view at Halcyon Gallery. The sign reading 'Hell is Real: Welcome to America' made me giggle.
3. Finished embroidery (based off a free pattern I found online)
4. Work in progress embroidery (also based off a free pattern I found online)

And that is it for today's offerings!
As always, thank you for reading and wishing you a great weekend ahead.


Lots of love,
Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #54: You might have the answers to my questions

Our Newsletter: Issue #54

Hello, and welcome to another issue of Our Newsletter

Trying to fall back into the rhythm of sending out these biweekly newsletters has been feeling difficult.

Consistency and routine when it comes to communications are often considered the golden rule. But, as someone that tends to struggle with procrastination and staying consistent, working toward getting back into any rhythm often feels daunting. 

One of the main reasons for this, in my mind at least, is that I often feel like I must have a sparkly new update every time I write to you.
Which is a silly expectation to have of myself, and yet it's there.

So today, in an effort to prioritise consistency over perfectionism,
I write with a reminder for feedback
and I attach a bonus pic of my sweet sleepy kitty who in my entirely biased opinion is the best cat ever.

***

My questions to you:

1. If I opened up the opportunity for either 1-on-1 art making sessions or small workshops, is that something you'd be interested in?
- If yes:
Are there any specific topics/techniques/ideas you'd want me to cover?

2. What are some things that make your experience of a website, any website, better or worse?


To respond, you can reply to this email directly. 😊
To read our last newsletter: follow this link here

Thank you as always for reading these and I look forward to receiving some of your thoughts!

Wishing you a great (bank holiday) weekend ahead.


Lots of love,
Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #53: A penny for your thoughts? 💭

Our Newsletter: Issue #53

Hello, and welcome to another issue of Our Newsletter.


The feeling of time is a curious thing. Particularly how it seems to speed up exponentially as we age. I still haven't quite decided whether this is a result of the actual aging process or just being busy, or both, but it does really baffle me that it's already August (like...how!?!).

Also, before I get into the topics for this newsletter, I hope that you're doing ok and staying safe. The world is a scary place in general, that's not new, but the tension in the UK at the moment is palpable and really quite concerning. Hopefully receiving this update though will provide a pleasant break from current events!

Last time, I mentioned having started to teach monthly art workshops for the charity True Ambassadors, and I also shared with you some pieces I did in collaboration with my friends over at Queer Frequencies. 

Today, I'm really keen to get some of your thoughts and feedback. So please read on, and to share your opinion just reply to this email.

Please & thank you 🫶🏼

Workshops

Pictured above: 2 workshop prep pages in my sketchpad. For more info on these, I've added some image notes a bit further below.

Since I last wrote to you, I've continued with the monthly workshops for True Ambassadors and with each class I surprise myself with how rewarding I find the whole process.

From planning the workshop (see above images for examples of this) to actually delivering it and having to adjust things in real-time to suit the needs of each person in attendance. It's teaching me a lot, and it's this exchange of knowledge that I think is so interesting.

This leads me to the first point upon which I need your input.

If I opened up the opportunity for either 1-on-1 art making sessions or small workshops, is that something you'd be interested in?
If yes:
Are there any specific topics/techniques/ideas you'd want me to cover?

I'm still very much in the 'figuring this whole thing out' part of the process, but it's been something I've been thinking about a lot so I'm curious to get an idea of how this might be received and if there's any actual interest. 

Image notes for 2 workshop prep pages pictured above:
> Part of the workshop prep I've been doing involves practicing the exercises I want to deliver in the workshop. This week's workshop focus was on drawing from imagination rather than reference. 
> The pencil drawings are timed exercises (3 and 5 minutes) based on prompts such as 'draw a tree'. I usually start a workshop with warm up exercises like these as I find it helps with getting into an art making mindset, whilst also training the hand. Under each drawing, I scribbled some thoughts on the process of completing the exercises which helps me preempt some of the things that others might find challenging.
> The colourful drawings are my two practices for the 'main event' of the workshop, which in this case was the process of Doodling & Noodling, ie making a random shape on the page (doodling) as the starting point of the whole drawing and then proceeding to add to it in whichever way feels appropriate at the time (noodling). 

Prints

Communitas, 2024
Fine Art Print on Somerset Paper
44.7 x 34.7cm
Price tbc but we're aiming to keep it below £100
Closed edition, quantity of prints tbc

Perseverance, 2024
Fine Art Print on Somerset Paper
48.2 x 35 cm
Price tbc but we're aiming to keep it below £100
Closed edition, quantity of prints tbc

The prints I made in collaboration with my friends over at Queer Frequencies are still happening but we haven't yet launched them for sale as we've been in the process of working out and finalising the actual logistics of doing so! 

This too is a new venture, and it is super important to me that the whole experience is smooth and seamless for everyone involved, especially anyone interested in buying one, so I've been looking into a few different options on how to best deliver this project. I've concluded that the best way to go about this is to update some things on my website and I'll go into this a bit more below.

For now, please enjoy reacquainting yourselves with these two artworks.
They're two pieces I thoroughly enjoyed creating and am excited to be sharing with you.

Website

Over the next few days I'll be limiting access to my website as I need to make some much needed updates to it. 

My practice has evolved and changed over the years, but the way I express that on my website hasn't. While it does the job of showcasing aspects of my practice in an aesthetically pleasing way, I am starting to find it a bit, well, lacking. And if I, the person who made it is feeling this way, then what hope do I have to appeal to anyone else?
So, it's time for a change.

In this update I'm looking into adding a shop for the prints above, as well as some other prints and smaller pieces I'm lining up. I'll also be adding some more information on the projects I've been working on.

Here is the second point where I'd really appreciate your input:

What are some things that make your experience of a website, any website, better or worse?

Anything you can think of, please share.
While I have a decent understanding of user experience I am also limited by my own preferences and biases so getting some other ideas and opinions is always so so valuable.

Thank you as always for reading these and I look forward to receiving some of your thoughts!

Wishing you a great weekend ahead.


Lots of love,
Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #52: Did ya miss me? 🤭

Our Newsletter: Issue #52

Hello, and welcome back to another issue of Our Newsletter.

'Back', here, being an operative word! 
It has been a while, to say the least, since I last wrote to you. So much time has elapsed that I've had some of you reach out to me just to check in (which is very lovely indeed, and has helped give me a much needed push to write again). 

Let me address the elephant in the email.
Why has it been 6 months since my last update?
The short answer is, well, life just kind of got in the way.

The truth is, I haven't really been painting much this year and that makes me feel a little like an impostor considering I introduce myself as a painter, but I try not to pay too much attention to that because despite having taken a break from my favourite medium, I've been working on some other things instead.

Which leads me to the actual updates I wanted to share today:
an exciting collaboration for a print release coming very soon and workshops!

Queer Frequencies Print Release

I may not have been doing much traditional painting this year, but that's not to say I haven't been creating...

Whilst taking a tactical break from my oils I've been developing my digital drawings, which you may remember is something I started learning how to do a few years ago. 

Enter the collaboration with Queer Frequencies: an initiative spearheaded by my friend Benny Cooper alongside Maxine Heron. 

Queer Frequencies creates sparkling events amplifying the voice and talent of the LGBTQ+ community, and it does so in some of the most renowned venues in central London. The events fundamentally aim to promote solidarity, awareness, inclusion and community, especially at a time of increased adversity toward the LGBTQ+ community in the UK. 

For this collaboration I created two drawings (pictured above) that I'm very excited to be sharing with you today!

The drawings reimagine two images from previous Queer Frequencies events in the drawing style that I've been nurturing, and use a pride themed palette to create artworks that I hope highlight the vibrancy of not just the events themselves but the community as a whole. 

The collaboration will be officially announced tonight at the next Queer Frequencies event at Soho House's 180 The Strand, with more information on their official launch and availability to buy coming in the very near future.

A percentage of the sale of each of these prints will be going to the charity Not A Phase.

Health & Wellbeing for All Art Workshops

Last September, you may remember, I led my first ever workshop in collaboration with the charity True Ambassadors. This was a uniquely wonderful experience that gave me a taste for something I've been quietly curious about trying out for a while: teaching. 

In April, the charity reached out once again: they had secured The People Powered Places Grant to launch their project 'Health & Wellbeing for All' and they wanted me to lead their monthly art workshops, which of course I said yes to!

Focusing on the key pillars of soul, body and mind, the project seeks to, and is in fact, delivering a dynamic catalogue of events and engagements in all aspects of wellbeing. The aim is to foster intergenerational and intercultural community ties through shared experiences in creativity, movement and learning. 

So far, I've done a workshop in May and in June, and have a third coming up in early July. They take place in Plaistow Community Centre and the feedback has been nothing short of wonderful. 

This is still all very new and each session I learn new things about the people that come and the myriad ways there are to get through to each individual. My goal however remains the same: to create a space where making art is approachable and fun.

I'll update you throughout the year with how this is coming along, but for now I'd just like to express my gratitude to my friend Anastasiia for approaching me with this opportunity, and the charity's CEO Doris Okundaye for trusting me with delivering something so special. 

Although I hesitate to promise a consistent increase in the frequency of newsletters to come for the time being, it is certain that you will be hearing from me in much less than 6 months time!

As always, thank you for reading my updates and supporting the work that I'm doing.

Please feel free to let me know how the last few months have been for you by replying to this email. 


Wishing you a great weekend ahead!

Lots of love,
Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #51: The Choice 💭

Our Newsletter: Issue #51

Hello, and welcome to another issue of Our Newsletter.

Today's newsletter takes a closer look at my painting 'The Choice'.
(I was meant to send this out on Friday, but alas I had no internet connection all day and sending out an email on Saturday just didn't feel quite right). 

So, let's get straight into it:

The Choice.

I like this title because initially it has an air of seriousness about it, but ultimately I'd say this is an optimistic painting.

Inspired (loosely) by a musical recreation of Charles Bukowski's poem 'Bluebird' wherein the bluebird symbolises the poet's inner soul, which he hides from the world lest his vulnerabilities are shown, this is a painting that turns the slightly depressing edge of the poem on its head to instead creates a narrative about daring to get out of one's comfort zone, daring to dream and having the tenacity to just be yourself. Rather than hiding the inner soul, this painting asks whether you'll take a leap of faith and allow the self to shine.

2023
Oil on canvas
100x90cm
(Available - reply to this email for further info)

A couple different blues appearing in this piece.
Blue is calm and expansive, reminiscent of the sea and the sky. The dark(ish) blue outer frame is mixed using ultramarine and magenta, which lends the colour this rich, comforting and almost magical quality.

Central to the canvas is a lighter sky blue dotted with fluffy clouds: a window (perhaps to another reality?). The clouds are a very deliberate nod to René Magritte's work (Belgian surrealist artist) whose work I've always really enjoyed.
This window is all about daring to dream
(and to an extent about redefining the term "head in the clouds", which is associated with being absent-minded or impractical when it should be all about actually having dreams and goals, but I digress). 

The gold birdcage simultaneously symbolic of entrapment and luxury is portrayed with its door open, offering an exit: a choice, if you will, of staying or going.

The bird, a great tit - frequent garden visitor in the UK (and elsewhere) - is symbolic of joy, spring, and going out to get the things you want. This little feathered friend is perched on a bird stand ornate with lavender (symbolic of calm and serenity). 

The question this painting poses is truly a straightforward one: will you stay in your comfort zone where everything is familiar and wonderful, or will you take a leap of faith and see where it takes you?

I suppose that's for you to decide.

As always, feel free to let me know what you think by replying to this email. 

Before I go, a reminder that 'Awakening: The Journey to the 5th Dimension' is on for only a handful more days (until the 31st of Jan).
It's located at Ice Health Cryotherapy, 237 Kensington High Street, London,  W8 6SA and is open Mon-Fri from 9:30am-7pm.

Also, if you didn't catch it last time, I recently had an interview with Shoutout Colorado - you can read it here.


Wishing you a great week ahead!

Lots of love,
Arietta xx

Newsletter Issue #50: Looking forward to 2024

Our Newsletter: Issue #50

Hello, and welcome to another issue of Our Newsletter.

This being the 50th issue of our newsletter feels like a bit of a milestone!

I started writing newsletters in July 2021 (which feels like yesterday, but also like a life time ago), and I can truly say that I've enjoyed writing every single one. I've always felt like I can be quite a shy person and social media, while a total necessity, continues to feel alien to me. Writing on the other hand is second nature after painting and so these newsletters feel like a logical extension of my practice. 

I love having the space to share in a bit more detail, and I am so happy that you're here for that, receiving my words with, I hope, the same joy that I write them with.

So without further ado, happy new year and let's get into it!

January is shaping up nicely with the exhibition 'Awakening: The Journey to the 5th Dimension" having been (re)extended to January 31st! 

Even though I'm not in London full time at the moment, I'd like to offer the option for a guided tour of the exhibition for anyone that would like a more in depth view of the artworks displayed. 

Please let me know if this is of interest to you and I'll do my best to accommodate. 

Awakening: The Journey to the 5th Dimension
On until 31 January 2024
at
Ice Health Cryotherapy, 237 Kensington High Street, London,  W8 6SA
Opening hours:
Monday-Friday: 9:30am - 7pm
Saturday: 9:30am - 4pm
Sunday: Closed

In other news... 

An interview I did with Shoutout Colorado in July of 2023 is now available online - you can read that here.

I am also in talks for a number of projects in the coming months so I'll share more on these if/as and when they materialise. 

This week I've been spending some time getting myself organised and preparing canvases for a few different pieces I want to start working on. 

2023, for me, was a year centred around growth (both artistically and personal. Though, I suppose, these two kind of go hand in hand for an artist).

I produced a quaint number of paintings (3, not including the commission I completed) while I got into the groove of figuring out the direction of my work. And, while I always feel like I should be doing more, the paintings that I did complete have been (in my opinion) some of my best work yet, and also some of the most challenging. 

Having focused my energies inwards for the last year, I spent a lot of time in my sketchbook: noting down ideas, sketching, writing, changing my mind… This process has created a plethora of painting plans that I’m excited to revisit throughout this year and decide which of these pieces will make it out of my sketchbook and onto canvas. 

In thinking of 2024 as a whole the word that keeps coming into my brain is ‘action’. So let’s have a virtual toast to that! I am so excited to just do stuff. 

1. Pursuit of Perfection: A Fool's Errand. 2023. Oil on canvas. 122x152cm
2. Slice of Summer. 2023. Oil on canvas. 100x70cm
3. The Choice. 2023. Oil on canvas. 100x90cm

Throughout January you’re likely to be receiving emails from me at a somewhat higher frequency as the exhibition continues to the end of the month, though I anticipate from February to fall back into our usual routine of biweekly updates.
Our next issue will feature a more in-depth view of The Choice.

Thank you, as always, for your support in what I’m doing and for taking the time to read the things I have to say. I am full of gratitude for the time you choose to give to my work. 
 

Wishing you a great weekend ahead.

Lots of love,
Arietta xx