I've just been awarded a Polaris award for August, it's given by a business start up unit I'm linked to. Northern Lights is a group of artists and craftspeople, and along with the business incubation units at the Media Factory, UCLAN, Preston, England they make up the groups entitled to a Polaris award.
It's basically a recognition that my business advanced the most in August, from the groups I'm involved with. I get a trophy/plaque, a cheque for £250 and PR in local papers.
My business advanced the most in August following a PR campaign in the national press, in England, with the help of Linda Preston. Linda is a freelance writer with plenty of good contacts.
As of 19th July some of my art wil be available from the Chi-Qi.com site. I've gone with Chi-Qi because of their raison d'etre, they're also a small independent company and not a part of some multi national corporation. Chi-Qi believe in what they do with art and music, we artists and customers aren't another number in their computer database.
I'm pleased that the PAD Gallery in Preston, England is now stocking some of my work for sale. They have prints and greetings cards. The Gallery has moved and is being fitted out now, and it's looking like a good space for art with plenty of space and light. It will open on Friday 1st August 2008.
Address is PAD, 10-14 Market Street, Preston, Lancashire, EnglandPR1 2AR. Telephone 01772 903471 E-mail is pad@preston.gov.uk
It will be open from Tuesday to Saturday each week.
Some of my prints are now available at the Chapel Gallery, St.Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, England. Phone 01695 571328 website http://www.westlancsdc.gov.uk/chapelgallery
That now makes 3 galleries stocking my work in N.W England
I'm now designing a range of creatures for the Spore™ online game by EA games. Initially I'm using them on the range of products I have on zazzle, plus the greetings cards I'm starting to make. And of course you can see most of them on the Spore™ Gallery on this website.
I'm now back at my old university 'Hotdesking'. That basically means using their Media Factory facilities and contacts to help further my business, I get to use their computers, broadband and phones. Plus I get to access their networks of help and advice.
If you're a creative based in Lancashire why not contact nlights@uclan.co.uk
I've now started creating t-shirt designs for www.redbubble.com under kenwalters. Some are straight abstract art, some are puzzles, but they're not the cartoon types with their supposed humour. If you want to add a splash of style to a t-shirt why not try mine.
I now use my art on a wide range of items at Zazzle. T-shirts from babies to adult, mugs, bags, coasters etc see for yourself at http://www.zazzle.com/taxus194*
To give my artwork an extra dimension I've just started using Daz Studio software, I'm thinking of sci-fi and fantasy type images in true 3D. My own software is fine for 2 1/2D, but I want a little something extra. I'll let you know how things go.
I now have an exhibition of 7 of my images on our body tissues and cells at <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.wooloo.org/new/s3/swf/slideshow.swf" FlashVars="id=6511" height="234" width="300"><param value="http://www.wooloo.org/new/s3/swf/slideshow.swf" name="movie"/><param value="transparent" name="wmode"/><param value="all" name="allowNetworking"/><param value="always" name="allowScriptAccess"/><param name="FlashVars" value="id=6511"/></object>
Two things happened yesterday, I remodelled the lake bed of my Hollow Mountain gallery, and I added a layer of caverns . The caverns will be used for art exhibitions and live music events.
I also get to use the inSL and Second Life logos for my business, it's like being accredited by SL.
Since starting to build this web gallery I had my work profiled in Digital Arts Magazine, April 2008, page 017.I hope those in the digital industry looking for an artist read it ;-) I've also been interviewed for the Liverpol Echo, Liverpool is about 20 miles away from where I live.
I've also completed phase 1 of my Second Life gallery in a hollow mountain, it may seem an odd thing to build but please remember Second Life's physics are not those of the real world. I built the mountain up from the base, deliberately making it hollow. I flooded it then scattered my art, pottery and glassware around the lake bottom. To make it more interesting I built a 'beach area' above the gallery and put in water specially scripted for avatars to swim in, plus inflatble beds to float around the lake on. Phase 2 is now underway, I'm excavating the mountain base, and creating caverns to hold my art as well as to add a slightly spooky underwater experience. It will be searchable by avatars using scuba equipment, or by undersea avatars like Merfolk, silkies etc. Phase 3 is still on the drawing board, but will include a white water rafting experience. The idea is to appeal to as many as possible, some of the build is business, including conferences, some of it is social.
My hunt for agents to help me sell my work is still ongoing, and was one of the main reasons for building this web gallery. So if you're an agent selling to industry under licence, or a buyer for an Interior Design or Home Interiors companies please contact me. Same applies to those writing for magazines in those industries.
inSL and Second Life logos for my business, it's like being accredited by SL.
