Presentation Notes

Hello!

-my practice as established -

 I am a printmaker, storyteller, multidisciplinary, low-fi artist. Not what i expected to become, but i’m happy with my development. 

Highs and lows over the past few years 

-getting my work sold and out there! 

Actually saw someone buy my first piece of work ever at colours may vary

Very affirming in my practice

making work that i wanna make- Like Ben says, if you wanna paint a rocket paint a rocket (or something similar) 

Cop taught me that i love a good investigation into a project (if i keep up momentum) 

Discovering my favourite joy is hands on-especially ceramics. Something beautiful about them, i love the process and physicality of it all. 

Lows- 

Letting life stuff get in the way, having a terrible work ethic, being sad and letting that affect my uni work ie not making much work. I regret the potential, but don’t think i’d do anything differently. 

HYDE PARK FLOWER CLUB 

Was so exciting, they were looking for local female artists, and approached me on instagram. 

established a connection and working relationship with the owners and other artists through it. 

Selling work is income, and validation! 

Freedom and control over what i stock, negotiated payment and they understand my priorities are uni work. 

Want to stock in more shops! Grateful for the opportunity. 

The Piece that they were most into,and got me the most sales and recognition was actually a piece that didn’t do well in university grading! What does this tell me? That uni grades don’t (neccessarily) measure success

Importance of Instagram to me! 

Set up my page last year as a kind of blog, more than anything. It has grown quite a bit in  a year which is cool and I'm grateful for! 

DM’s

Where i get in touch with other artists, where they contact me

Its where anyone wanting to stock my work/commission me applies 

It’s also currently where people would buy my wok from

Advertising- 

It started from making one tshirt of freddie mercury and a cat for my partner’s birthday, and he went out in it, and then demand for it grew! Sold them at hpfc and online and in print fairs, been such a good income from one or two designs! Mad that people want to buy them, i still get requests for more! 

Plans for more print fairs, stock in more shops, and I'm very excited to fully set u p my online shop! 

Joy of people wanting my work! 

Gives me an idea of income, and where i’d sit in the creative community- 

Know i don’t want to freelance as have no self discipline,

Ideally Would like a work/life balance and have it as a secondary income. 

PAYE job 

Ideally want one that doesn’t drain my creative juices, and maybe something with a little bit of distance from illustration (for now) 

I would like a proper job because i need security and a guaranteed  income, as i have terrible work ethic,

 and am not very good at prescribed work,

 and definitely not as an editorial artist. 

I like research projects that are about things i wanna explore. 

I also need a hands-on role, because that’s where i’m happiest, 

I also want a job where I can make a difference, or is fulfilling in some way. 

Too much to ask? 

Travel and work abroad-

I think it’s valid to want some time off, and to do something completely different at this point. It feels like choosing not to jump off a springboard, but there's so much time for that. BUT also, i know it’s important to not lose momentum and walk away completely from it all.  BUT doing an MA is out of the question right now. 

I know it’s possible to have good balance- 

Audrey Weber 

Know from her contact report last year that she has a work/illustration/life balance 

Seems to suit her quite well, structure gives her time to set aside for illustration and for relaxing too. Her ‘day job’ doesn’t consume her creative energy.

The roles i were hoping to go into i've since researched and definitely don't wanna do 

They all require further education, which I can't afford, and can’t be arsed with. 18 years in education and i'm sick of it now! 

Art therapist?

Cousin is Head of Arts Therapies Adult Mental Health & Learning Disability Service, spoke to her about it and there's a lot more to it than...

2-4 years training, 60 days on placement, requiring you to pay for and take your own personal therapy during the course...what does that say about it….. 

Don’t last very long in the role either-maybe a waste of time?  But it would be fulfilling…

Madame tussauds- 

I have reached out to the creative workshop manager at madame tussauds, and sent off a range of images and a link to my instagram, asking for work experience and being very excited about it- 

Even if i don’t get anything from it, i’ve got my name out there and asked for something that i want to be a part of! 

After uni, i think that the most important thing for me is to not give up, and to keep momentum, keep asking for what i want, keep getting involved, and take control of my life, steer it in a direction that makes me happy!

PP Presentation

Hot Dog Book

Making my Hot-Dog book was a lovely exercise to me rather than something necessarily serious. It helped me gain focus on what my creative practice is really about, which isn't necessarily just exactly what I do, but also my lifestyle and how I process thoughts and come up with energy and ideas.
My bio was hard to write, as I struggle to sell myself sometimes:

My name is Rosie Reynolds, but you can call me Roy if you like.
I ma from the Peak District, but currently based in Leeds.
I am an illustrator, ceramicist, storyteller and printmaker.
I make work about the sun, birds, human stories, superstition, and folklore.
I am fuelled by researching untold stories, engaging in exploratory practices, and spending time in the sun.

7 words whittled down to one-

Humans and their stories, truth, nostalgia.

Stories, fallibility.

Fallibility,

Reality isn't truth
Of course Ghosts exist
Simulation, life is a simulation
I don't know what being human is about yet
Existential crisis!



My Roy Soup is too embarrassing to think about again, so I wrote some more Haiku's

Old man in the pub
Tell me a story, old man!
Who you calling old?


Roy soup is best served
from a flask, on a blanket,
next to the ocean.


Said Seagull CAW CAW
Said Crow GOBBLE GOBBLE GIP
And Dove stayed quiet.

Bird bird bird look bird!
Hop hop hop skip hop peck peck
What are you like, sir!

My Manifesto:
-look at the sky and don't think about it too hard
-grow towards the sun: eat sun food, drink sun drinks, swim in sun sea
-don't get bogged down by jobs or rules or tiktok because that's what the man wants you to do
-feel nice every day, be with positive people, let grudges go
-we're not sure why were here so make things like pottery or vegetables or something nice and important and gentle and just be kind.

So, yeah. Not necessarily illustration based, because that's not the one thing in life that will make me happy. More just life based.

Promo Material

I'm pretty happy with the business cards i made last year, that look like this:

(I actually loved this design a bit too much and made it into some T-shirts)


They've served me functionally very well, especially at the print fair i was a part of. I handed out stickers alongside them which people really seemed to love. Maybe a better idea for this would be to skip the business card bit and just give out stickers with my contact details on them. This is going to be a little bit more expensive to produce, but so much more fun!

I feel like the paper I chose to use for them is not professional quality, and I definitely cut them out a bit wonky- whether it's good that this echoes my practice at all is definitely up for debate, so I need to make some more and get them professionally printed. It would also save me the hassle of making them double sided on my little printer at home- definitely more professional. I'd like to get them printed matte as before, but this time on a thick cartridge or handmade paper, to give it a nice feel. AwsomeMerchandise does really nice promotional material, 100 business cards for £5 isn't bad if they're good quality. And it's always good to support a local business.

The postcard from Hanbury was a nice touch to have there. I didn't really put time and effort into making something new and refined for it, and used one of my recent digital sketches for 603 that I reckon sums up my current practice quite well. I didn't curate a portfolio for Hanbury, as I didn't feel it was appropriate- I already had my business cards and the postcards, and my plan was to show my Instagram if I spoke to any of the professionals in depth (which didn't happen). Everyone seemed to be burdening the people because they were clutching about 30 postcards and little books each. I'm glad i didn't go for this approach, as I didn't feel anyone at the symposium really rang a bell with me in terms of my own career or future plans.  It was a worthwhile visit, and everyone was so interesting to listen to, however I didn't really feel any of the industries were particularly relevant to me.

Work Experience

I reached out directly to the managing director at Madame Tussauds. I was asking for some work experience in a hands-on, creative role, and I found it easy to just drop the guy there an email. What I learned at Hanbury is that you gotta actually make contact and send things to them, if you wanna get anywhere in life!
I sent a link to my instagram page, and also three examples of a range of my work that I feel represent my style where I'm at right now., including digital and ceramics work. I gave them dates which I'm available, and showed excitement and enthusiasm for any opportunities they can offer me. I know my email has been received, and as of today, I'm still waiting on a response. However, whether I've been successful or not, I'm proud of myself for making contact with people and getting myself out there, and asking for what I want!

Everpress Workshop

Getting Everpress in to talk was a cool insight into how to go about selling my work in a professionally produced, well-renown company. I have digitally printed and sold my designs on t-shirts at print fairs and in Hyde Park Flower Club, and I hope to do more when I've established an online shop fully. The talk was less hands-on than I though it would be, however they covered the basics of how it all works: explaining how to submit work, how to campaign, how they print their products, and their ethical ethos. Although I didn't make a new design and submit it there and then, I played with an existing idea I already had, and I now know how to start a campaign and submit my work when I have finalised it. I didn't realise it came with so much self-promotion, so I will have to refine my ideas and promote myself if i want to sell any work.

Art Therapy

I've been looking into some art therapy courses , both full and part time. 

The majority seem to be the East Midlands, or in London, which would suit me quite well. 

The one at Goldsmiths is an MA full-time in Art Psychotherapy, for 2 years. 

How would I afford to live in London for 2 years in education, l do not know. 

In the specifications, it says that an expense of the course is that you, yourself, need to pay for therapy for the two years that it runs for. You need to be in therapy. I don't know what exactly that says about the course, but even as a physical cost that's too much to ask, let alone a mental cost.

Another requirement is a years full-time, or 1,500 hours of relevant work experience. How am I meant to get that without... an MA...wow... what a thinker...

Why does it seem so inaccessible??!!

It's an absolute turn-off.