I started drawing with coloured pencils six months ago. At the time, I’d been working as a Lecturer in Geography at a UK university for eight years, mainly teaching maths to non-mathematicians. To gain an indefinite (tenured) position, however, stress levels were high, and my work-life balance was poor. If not working, I would be worrying about research, writing journal papers, and acquiring grant money. I had no time. Into this busy world, one sunny Sunday afternoon, I came across a free cat’s eye tutorial in coloured pencil, and I thought it would keep my six-year-old budding artist quiet. We sat to draw together with a half a box of kids pencils and some printer paper.

Connecting with a community

Coloured pencils quickly became a wonderful outlet for my own creativity and, with two small children, a chance to develop something that was for me. I stopped bringing university work home and replaced journal articles and maths texts with art books, archival paper and artists pencils. Through coloured pencil tutorials on YouTube, I quickly found UK-based artist Bonny Snowdon and she became a mentor - not only for drawing, but also for personal development. I connected with other artists through her online communities (Facebook groups). After sharing my pieces in these groups, I found a wealth of positivity and encouragement. I’m now a member of Bonny Snowdon Academy where I am using tutorials to develop my skills alongside my personal projects and pet portrait commissions. I’m also a member of organisations such as the UKCPS and the SAA and I subscribe to several art magazines. Here, I’m finding a sense of place among so many inspirational people.

Uncovering Amii Harwood Artist

By drawing daily, pushing myself to more challenging compositions and seeking critique from peers, I developed rapidly. After a few months, I knew I would always need to find time for my art; a few minutes at the drawing table and my stress would melt. “What a wonderful hobby!”, I thought. Confidence soaring, I entered a drawing into Ann Kulberg’s Pencil Box Art Showcase for participating Facebook groups. It wasn’t selected. A little disappointed but undeterred, I entered a different piece (‘Indigo in a cupboard’) the following month. It was selected! Not only for the online video showcase, but also for the in-print magazine feature! (March 2023 edition).

“Indigo in a Cupboard”

Ann Kullberg’s The Pencil Box Featured Artist blog (March 2023)

As an academic, I’ve had work published before but such outputs are objective - you’re detached - it’s about the research, often a team effort, not you. Here, with my art, I was vulnerable. I had transferred a piece of me to paper and that art had spoken to someone else. What a wonderful feeling. It was around this time that I realised that art could be more than a hobby; art could be a new career. To take that plunge, however, would require significant personal reflection and, initially at least, a significant drop in income.

So… what kind of artist was I and what did my dream career look like? I saw myself running a commission-based art business; this would bring in required income and fund personal projects for the development of a wider portfolio. In other words, I wanted to draw people’s pets but also play with other subjects and enter competitions to push my development.

“Indigo” later went on to be shortlisted for the The Artist and Leisure Painter (TALP) 2023 exhibition.

Artist statement

If you enter art into a competition or an exhibition, you’ll very often be asked for a bio and/or an artist statement. The former is quite factual, often written in the third person (he/she/they) and largely concerns your situation and development. The latter is more personal – it’s about your style, approach, and inspiration. Such reflection is also necessary for branding your art business, albeit the language may be a little different.

For a competition, my statement became something along the lines of…

“I like to create art, with a realistic style, so that my audience believes they can anticipate the feel of the subject on their fingertips. I like the play of light across different textures. As I have initially focused on animals, much of my work has a soft look, with colour gently stroked onto the surface, as if it were following the contours of the animal. Coloured pencils give me freedom to gently build up layers of pigment. While I have returned to the same subjects several times, I rarely use the same colour recipes – preferring to blend on the paper and explore what works for the lighting and situation.”

Marketing

No one will buy my work if I am not visible. Perform an internet search with my name (thankfully unique) and you’ll find some academic references, but you’d have to dig to find my artwork. So, my current focus is on marketing and I’m starting by building a social media presence.

I setup a Facebook business page to showcase my work and invited Facebook friends to join. I’ve had some wonderful commissions and am slowly recruiting more followers through word of mouth/ interaction with posts. Instagram was a steeper learning curve for me, but I created my first reel this week (‘Cooper the Toller’) and I’ve been amazed at the number of people it has reached. I’m now reminding myself to take lots of work-in-progress photos and short videos which I can later use for marketing. Linked on both platforms is my mailing list. Here, potential clients can sign up to be notified when I have commission slots available (this was very easy and free to set up via MailChimp). Online software, such has Canva, has helped enormously with consistent branding across platforms. Website? Well, that’s next. I’ve purchased two domains but I’m yet to design my site or host it. The options for both seem a bit daunting but I’ll figure it out.

Stuck Inside cat drawing by Amii Harwood — “Stuck Inside” later went on to win the Faber-Castell award at The Artist and Leisure Painter (TALP) 2023 exhibition.

Finding time and considering finances

To get my art business started while maintaining my day job has been a great challenge. As a result, I get up early to draw. Very early. Sometimes I get up in the middle of the night, draw for a few hours, and go back to bed. This works for me because it’s not a chore; I look forward to getting back to my pencils and the quiet mindfulness while the busy household is asleep. Prioritising art over sleep isn’t sustainable, however, (especially as I’m getting older!) so I’m putting faith in my art and drastically cutting my hours at the university. I’m grateful for the support of my husband, family and colleagues here, but this presents a secondary challenge in terms of an immediate drop in income.

With confidence in my artwork, and great feedback on my first commissions, pricing my work isn’t that difficult. I’ve looked at artists doing similar things. But… I’m inexperienced with a small portfolio and low visibility. I’ve decided to set my prices lower and raise them regularly as my client list grows.

Now, for my art career to take off, I need to visualise the life I want and be committed to grasping opportunities and creating my own. I need to find the time.

Art Hobby to Art Career

Taking effective photos

Amii Harwood Artist