What I am excited about right now

sunshine and swimming

The lovely warm weather and my fabulous Billabong Spring suit have opened up a whole new world of wild swimming for me. Last weekend I had a swim at Porth Gwarra, which is a small cove along from Portcurnow (where the amazing cliff side Minack Theatre is) and had a swim with a seal! It was a really exciting experience and the seal swam underneath me which also made me a bit nervous. But what was really lovely was the amazing blue water that reminded me of dreams I used to have as a child.

I don't know if you have tried swim in a full wetsuit but it's really awkward as it is so floaty and you don't feel so connected to the water. My spring suit is pretty light weight though and so it keeps me warm enough whilst enabling me to play in and out of the water in comfort. It's great with Tabitha too as she is in and out of the water and it makes for the perfect thing to wear. It's even supportive enough of my boobs to chase after Tabitha, which is great and makes running more comfortable than when I am in my normal clothes.

new car

So I am really excited about the prospect of getting a new car! Hurrah! I sold my old one at the beginning of the year and have coped pretty well without it. However recently I have started getting pangs of jealousy when my husband is able to just go off on his own for a surf or whatever and I'm left at home having to think about how to keep my little one entertained without going crazy.

There is potential for me to do some more craft fairs and a car will definitely make that easier for me. It will also mean that I can explore some more coves for some wild swimming and even get some surfs in too! Tabitha is starting nursery in September and so I have some freedom and adventures calling to me!

the global talent search

I have been really excited about the global talent search and would happily chat away to anyone willing to listen! It was a really enjoyable project - something that I have never done before - and I loved having to consider how the different items, the napkin, saucer and tea-cup, would interact and support each other.

I did consider creating an alternative submission, but I got drawn back into an old project that needed finishing and just couldn't muster the drive to do it all again.

I kept getting flashes of images that I wanted to play with, jungle scenes and dreamlike images, but I couldn't visualise the different elements and how they would all tie together. I do a lot of visualising before I start work and run through lots of different combinations. In the end I just felt tired and wanted to reignite my passion for illustrating.

I have found that even just the focus of trying to 'Make Art That Sells' is a useful one, but I don't want it to stop me from exploring things that make my heart sing.

So, now I have submitted my entry for The Global Talent Search and have to patiently wait until next Friday to see if I am one of the 50 lucky artists that get to go through to the next round. Until then, I have got an idea in my head of creating fairy worlds and incongruous images inside of crystals and I am very excited to see what that turns out like.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading! I'd love to know what you are excited about right now.
Best wishes and fairy kisses xxx Jacs xxx