I feel like me again

As you may know, I have recently started teaching classes and tutorials again. I must say that it has been incredibly tricky doing this while being a full time mum. I’ve had to rely on my mum and husband to take Wren when I teach. Each day, as soon as Wren’s eyes close for her afternoon nap, I zoom around planning, prepping and all the stuff in-between, praying that I get at least an hour! Having said this, it feels like a dream having such lovely students putting their trust in me to help them improve their art. I absolutely love teaching and I’m sure I was put on this planet to be an art teacher. Art education is so important as there are so many layers of skills that are being learnt, which transfers to so many other parts of a childs life. For example, it takes a lot of patience to produce a watercolour painting. you have to wait for the layer underneath to dry until you can apply the next one. You also have to really think about the colours that you want and work out what colours to mix together to make them. The water paint ratio takes practice. On top of this you have to consider the composition and form of the objects on your page and work out the shapes and spaces to get them accurate. In this fast paced, digital world we now live in, I think these skills are increasingly important to nurture. Isn’t that why we have hands and fingers? I can honestly go on for hours advocating the importance of art education, but I am not going to do that, I promise. I just want to spread the love of my passion and Invite you all in to have an art lesson. You can also meet Indie and Wren as they usually show up just before the end. Why not book in a lesson with me and I can show you why art and creativity is so important. take a look and see what’s on this Autumn.

http://www.missbird.london/whats-on

Looking ahead and the future is Art

I’m so excited to announce that we are having a beautiful art studio installed into the garden next spring. I ended up shopping with Malvern, as they have a great reputation, years of experience and their range of studios are simply gorgeous. In preparation, I have gradually been filling the borders with plants from my lovely local garden centre, The Nunhead Gardener. I’ve popped in there so many times now with buggy and doggy in tow, taking home plants bigger than me, that it’s become just another normal day! I have to admit that it’s been quite daunting getting my teaching back on track after taking such a long break. It almost feels like I’m starting from scratch, especially as my local area now is so different to where I lived before and I’m a mum now, which changes you. To help combat these feelings of doubt and fear, I recently listened to the audio version of ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear. What I loved about the book was that it talks about changing bad habits to good ones, slowly over time. It’s put across in a really simple way (no pompous Jargon), with lots of examples. I am now slowly adjusting my daily activities to make sure that I’m injecting in good habits that are geared towards my main goal. I also receive his emails and one of his quotes has become my Mantra:

“When making plans think big.

When making progress, think small.”

James Clear

I’m still nervous about the future, but it feels really good that I feel like I’m working towards something. I suppose the Art Studio is a good visual goal as I am beyond excited about this, just ask Wren! haha. In the meantime, I still have a lovely space to teach in, with plenty of lovely clubs and workshops, so please do get in touch as I have not lost my ability to teach art. Get in touch and see what’s on www.missbird.london

I'm back..ish!

I have been away for a little while to say the least, but I have a great excuse, I had a baby! Her name is Wren and she was born on the 29th January 2018. I decided that I wanted to be the person who looks after her and who makes sure that she is surrounded by lots of love, laughter, art music and fun. She’s also a boob girl, so I have these on tap! This is just my way (and there are lots of right ways), but it has meant that Miss Bird’s School of art has taken a back seat for a bit. I have managed to draw a lot and still keep on a few students with tuition, but I am ready and excited to teach a lot more again. Before having a baby, I read the odd article about getting the perfect balance and how it’s hard. Now that I am a mum and I’m doing it, I can tell you that its impossible. Working too much makes me feel guilty that I’m not spending enough time with Wren. Spending too much time with Wren and doing the baby related activities makes me feel like I’ve lost a few brain cells. Keeping a tidy home, cooking three meals a day, walking the dog, getting everyone dressed, laundry, planning, sleepless nights, being a good wife, family member and friend etc etc etc is all thrown into the mix (the exhaustion of writing that!). I have decided that I’m not aiming for the perfect balance, just a bit more of a balance. I have a new Art Studio coming to my garden early next summer and I am slowly working my way towards using it to teach lots of lovely art students (and Wren of course). Keep in touch and I’ll keep you posted.

In the words of Grayson Perry "Be Bothered"

I once went to a live art talk a few years back and will never forget the words that flew out of Grayson Perry's mouth "Be Bothered." By this, he meant that if you want to be who you want to be, then you need to work hard for it. 'Being bothered' isn't as easy as it sounds, especially if you are a creative who has to fit this in with your 'everyday'. As you may already know, this academic year, I gave up teaching art in full time education because I've lost a lot of respect for the education system in this country (which you can read about here.) I had this romantic idea of teaching and making art on my own terms. In reality, I suddenly found myself with all this extra time, not knowing how to use it productively or where to start. So far, I've managed to create my website to a pleasing standard, have worked with a bunch of students and have made time to make and see art. However, this is not a success story by any standards. I have made (and am making) many mistakes along the way, I am nowhere near where I want to be yet and on many occasions, I have felt like giving up for an easier life. I would regularly feel guilty if I spent a day working, but wasn't really productive or I would spend a whole day painting, yet thinking of all the things that needed to be done on my computer. Some days I would not do anything at all, especially if I felt a little under the weather, which would then make me feel lethargic and un-creative.

One day, A little voice came into my head (well, more like slapped me across the face) and said "You need more structure.'' It was so simple, I needed more structure, to be more organised with my goals. Firstly, I worked out all the things I wanted to do, both for pleasure and work, long term and short; painting; gallery exhibitions; teaching; research and experimenting; sharing etc. I then grouped  these activities into headings (Art, business, research etc) and bought myself a visual calendar. KIKi in London do a great A4 pad style calendar that allows you to plot in your own month and date, which means that you can start using it at any point in the month/year. On my callander, I plotted in whole days of one heading in a chosen colour. For example, Tuesday is my 'Art day,' written in Orange, so now I no longer feel guilty about not working on the computer on Tuesdays. At the start of each day, I plan my main targets that I would like to reach on a piece of paper, then go into a little more detail with each target. I've actually ordered a journal designed by Best Self, that claims to help you structure your day to an optimum level of productivity. I'll let you know how that goes once it comes. 

Sometimes, something pops up, which means for example that my 'Art day' can't happen. That's how life works, it doesn't always go to plan. It's ok though! Working in this way means that I can simply move my art day across to another day with a simple arrow. I may need to split the day in half with another activity, but I can re-plan this on paper, instead of frantically in my head.

This level of organisation and structure to my day has meant that I feel like I'm on the right path. It has massively motivated me to learn more and expand my comfort zone and fit in what I enjoy as well as work tasks. Reading is also a very powerful tool. I recently joined my local library Westminster reference library, which by the way, has a vast art collection, I highly recommend a visit. I regularly use this space to do my research as it takes me away from technology and other distractions, which I think is necessary if you work from home. Speaking of reading, I recently received the book 'Show your Work,' by Austin Kleon, as a gift from one of my lovely students. The book is bursting with little snippets of advice on how to get your work out there, in a straightforward, honest and tongue in cheek kind of way. Reading books like this is so useful for creative practitioners as you get some incredibly useful advice from people who have already experienced what you are experiencing, and are kind enough to share that advice with you. The message in this book is very similar to that of Grayson Perry 'Be bothered.' You can be the most organised person in the world, but that doesn't mean a thing if you're not putting in the work and working to expand your skills and knowledge. I would love to hear your thoughts on this...     

Goodwood Revival 2016

I was lucky enough to attend the Goodwood revival festival this year as a guest of Ralph Lauren, thanks to my husband's love for fashion. We were located in the beautiful Salvadori area, whilst being wined and dined in a way that you would expect from Ralph Lauren. One thing that couldn't be controlled by Mr Lauren of course was the weather. It rained and pored and drizzled all day long. The rain eventually held back for a while at around 3.30pm so a few of us quickly trotted off to the Pit stop area to see the vintage cars up close and personal. I must admit, I'm not a huge lover of cars, but these cars were art, so impeccably designed with beauty. I found out that the cars were made in small numbers and the ones that were left were here to be adored at the Goodwood festival. Not only were they here to be looked at and admired by car enthusiast and anyone who appreciates their beauty, they were here to be raced in their full integrity on a dangerous track in the torrential rain. I now understand why people travel to the Goodwood festival year upon year. It is unique, a kind of kinaesthetic art gallery where you get to mingle with interesting people. Of course, the fashion is great too! I will definitely be back again.   

What a fantastic summer!

We have been so busy here at Miss Bird's school of art, the good kind of busy that makes you sigh with an enormous sense of wellbeing. I have witnessed so many wonderful creations from my students, young and mature. It has been wonderful meeting new students and sad saying goodbye to old ones. I can't believe how far everybody has come from their first lessons. I absolutely love seeing that leap in technical and creative skill and watching how excited people get when they've achieved something that they are proud of. I am also so proud of all my A Level and GCSE students. You got amazing results and thats down to your amazing work ethic..well done!!!!! Tomorrow, I will be another year older and I can happily reflect back on my years as an art teacher so far...the best job in he world!

A visit to the National Portrait Gallery

Last week, I took my year 12 art class to the National Portrait gallery to see the BP Portrait Award 2016 exhibition along with the permanent collection. On the way from Waterloo station, we stopped off at several locations around the city, where I got them to do an on the spot drawing activity. Upon arrival at the NPG, the students were given further drawing and contextual instructions, ending with a wonderful talk organised free of charge by the gallery. I was so pleased to see how the students responded both visually and thoughtfully to the work around them, engaging in conversation and being inspired by the broad range of art on display. There was something for every kind of artist and it was so interesting to see which works the individual students were drawn to. We followed our trip with a two day Oil Portrait Painting workshop back at school, while the inspiration was still fresh in their minds. It's hard to find time to go to art galleries, but seeing art in reality is such an important part of being an artist. Try and visit a gallery or museum at least once a month if you can. Many galleries have late closing times at the end of the week, so you could even take a group of friends and make a night of it. 

School Art Exhibitions

Last week, the art team and students installed the art exhibition at our school. The work consisted of A Level art and Photography, GCSE, Arts award and some enthusiastic key stage three students. There was even a little teacher section too. The exhibition is probably the most important time in our calendar in the art department as it allows the students and the rest of the school to see just how much creativity and hard work has gone into their two year courses. Seeing it all together is something really special. Allowing the students to install and present their work is also an incredibly important process as it is an esential part of being an artist and communicating their ideas to the world. Last Thursday, we held our annual arts evening in the school. We were absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of positive comments received from our visitors about the sheer quality and range of the students work. We are so proud of our students, we could burst! Why not check to see if any of your local schools are holding art exhibitions? It's so inspiring to see what our young generation are thinking up and making. Maybe take your children along too, as this may encourage a whole new generation to value the arts.  

A lovely sky view from the studio

I am absolutely obsessed with the Sky, not only is it a great subject matter to photograph, draw and paint, It also changes the whole landscape of the London skyline. From my studio balcony, It sometimes feels like the sky is the backdrop to a play, and when it changes, it changes my reaction and mood like a member of the audience. I especially love it when it is just about to rain, the view is so dramatic as the clouds darken in the background and the buildings'  beautiful facades light up in contrast. Why not try and record the sky from your window once a day. This can be a simple two minute drawing to record cloud activity and direction or a ten minute watercolour. you could even create a collage, but make sure you have lots of colour strips ready in advance as the sky doesn't like to wait, even for us artists! 

Finding the time to make art

It's hard to find time to paint, but I make sure that I make the time. Every other Monday I get the day off, which I use as my 'art day,' which involves a trip to a gallery or a long day painting. I try and squeeze in as many drawings as I can throughout the week, and usually work on at least two paintings at the same time so I don't get bored. It's really hard to get back into art if you've had time away from it, so my advice would be to try and make a piece of art at least every other day. This could be anything, a quick drawing, a paint experiment from an existing artwork or even a creative photography shoot. Don't worry if you're out of practice, the more you make art, the better you will get at it!