I write a blogpost at this time each year looking back at what I have done during the year. This is quite a long blog with a few photos. As I wrote it I realised that I had a very busy year !
( I have done this in 2017 as well as 2014 2015 & 2016 )
In this blog I look at the ‘professional’ art events that I have been involved with over the year on my weekends and in the evenings. ( I also work full time as a librarian)
I sketch everyday and I have tried to capture that in my Weekly Art blogposts. All have come about due my Moleskine Watercolour Sketchbook, Faber Castell Pencils, Lamy Safari Ink Pen and my love of drawing and sketching.
- Daily sketching. I filled nine Moleskine watercolour sketchbooks 13 x19 cm of everyday sketching. I scan every page of my sketchbook and put them all on Flickr (an image sharing website) Some go onto Facebook at Alissa Duke Art , some on Instagram alissaduke1. I have fewer daily sketchbooks than previous years as I have spent more of my “everyday sketching time” on private commissions.
- I have maintained my weekly art blog. Thank you to everyone who follows my weekly art blog. I hope that you find it enjoyable and interesting to read and full of information. I hope that I am able to share a bit of my passion for drawing and watercolour pencils. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like me to explain anything I do. I still hope to be able to produce a video one day, (but that is in the too hard basket again) You can subscribe to my blog to receive it via email.
- Etsy Sales – I have an Etsy online store selling my Greeting cards. This year I had fewer online orders, with single and multiple card orders coming from United States, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Canada and within Australia and also many directly from friends and family and organisations. I need to learn more about marketing in the new year, and making people and organisations aware of my art.
- Newsletter. I sent four newsletters this year to the 94 people who subscribe to my newsletter . In March, June, July and November. The newsletter is for people who are interested in my art and would like to know when major events happen – new card designs, markets, exhibitions and classes. They may not necessarily be interested in my Weekly Art Blog, but still want to be updated.
- Instagram. I now have over 1000 followers on Instagram alissaduke1. I post an image daily to instagram.
2018 month by month
February – Travel Sketching – Melbourne Library Service
I held the first of three Travel Sketching walks in conjunction with Melbourne Library Service at my local library.
March – commission to draw house
On A3 paper with watercolour pencil. Much bigger than I am used to drawing. But that allowed me to focus in on some details of this wonderful house.
April – Arts on Burgundy
I held the second of my full day travel Workshops at Arts on Burgundy in Heidelberg , Melbourne. Thanks to Sarah for contacting me and initiating this event.
June – Melbourne Rare Book Week (MRBW)
Once again I was the official Urban Sketcher at MRBW and sketched at many of the events over the one week. I hope to capture the essence of the people, the place and the events on the page. The talks go for 45 minutes to 2 hours. An exhilarating week ! The sketches were used in the AANZAB report and distributed internationally . This first link explains my approach and the lead up to the event.
http://ww.alissaduke.com/2018/06/mrbw-lead-up-to-the-event.h
Culminating in the Melbourne Rare Book Week Fair on the final weekend.
http://www.alissaduke.com/2018/07/mrbw-fair.html
June – I also drew posters for the Melbourne Library Service MRBW events, which had a Gothic theme
August – local arts festival
I was asked to be involved in the local Melbourne East Arts Festival, organised through the local Holy Trinity Church. Someone had heard of my travel sketching classes and I was invited to include a class in the weekend of events. After the class I organised for the Melbourne Urban Sketchers to sketch ‘inside and out’ the church. The day was a little cooler, so many of us sketched inside. The sketches were photocopied and put up on the church walls for the parishioners to see and enjoy. It was a successful event, and I have been asked to come back next year.
August – Commission
I was commissioned to draw two buildings by a previous client. Once again I was pushed outside my comfort zone in terms of drawing on A2 paper, the style of the buildings and also the format of the page. Once again – I enjoyed it and was so pleased when I was sent a photo of them framed when they were presented as gifts. They look so professional !
October – BiblioArt exhibition
I entered and was accepted in the Blarney Books and Art annual BiblioArt exhibition. I worked on the Art all August and was pleased with the final result. I was even more pleased that it SOLD when the exhibition toured to Tacit Galleries in Melbourne. see all the 49 drawings on pages of a book at https://www.flickr.com/photos/alissaduke/albums/72157700102383675
October – Travel Sketching classes begin for Spring and Summer
After returning from a months Holiday in the UK I organised a schedule of nine Travel Sketching with Watercolour Pencil classes from October to March . I have three different classes on offer: the original class, a further class and Food & Drink sketching class. See more details and book on my Trybooking website.
October – commission – East Melbourne Historical Society Christmas invitation
I was invited back to draw this years East Melbourne Historical Society Christmas party invitations. There is a story why this fireplace was chosen by the committee for me to draw and locals recognise the significance.
November – Linden New Art Postcard Show exhibition
Linden New Art at St Kilda, Melbourne, holds an annual open-entry small artwork prize exhibition . All artworks in the Linden Postcard Show measure a 8 x 10 inches. There is no set theme. I have drawn on pages of an old London A-Z Street Index. These are available for purchase through Linden until April.
December – commission
A local resident and friend commisioned me to draw a in special sketchbook for her family for Christmas. I visited her house a few times and took many photos of objects, views and at a family picnic. We decided on the format of the final piece, I drew 16 objects and scenes on a page each in a 13 x19 cm Moleskine Watercolour Sketchbook. I left about half of the page blank for the family to write their memories about the object. The blank pages in the rest of the sketchbook will be drawn in by the family or me at a later date. I had a wonderful time on the project and hope to do another similar one in the future. I will be drawing objects from my own childhood home next time I visit.
2019 – plans and ideas
January, February & March – Travel Sketching with watercolour pencil classes
See more details and book on my Trybooking website.
More classes planned
Plans are in the making for my Travel Sketching with Watercolour Pencil classes to be held out of Melbourne . Watch this space. It will be fun and a great opportunity.
Melbourne Rare Book Week
Melbourne Rare Book Week dates have been announced for 2019 . Friday 5 July to Sunday 14 July , My annual leave is booked and I am looking forward it,
Prints
I had planned to expand into selling prints of my drawings on my Etsy online store last year. This did not go ahead. I will have to have a think about which images would look best at a bigger size, what size to print them and prices.
Thank you for your support and see you next year
This year has once again been full of wonderful and interesting people – sketching with new friends and old. It was very special to sketch with my UK friends in London, Bristol and Edinburgh. Drawing and sketching could be seen to be very solitary things to do. But for me they are interactive , social times where I talk with other sketchers or non-sketchers. Although I am documenting my objects and events in my world around me, I am also part of it. And after I draw, I share my drawings with my online friends, as I view and comment on their artistic adventures.
Thank you for your continued interest in my art and I am looking forward to what 2019 will bring.