56: From Floral Art to Fine Art with Brigitte Girling

56: From Floral Art to Fine Art with Brigitte Girling

When creating with flowers is not quite fulfilling you, it's time to pack away the secateurs and pick up the paintbrushes. Brigitte Girling shares her story in Episode 56 of An Art to It. Brigitte is a fine artist based in Suffolk whose vivid, joyful still life paintings celebrate what she calls "the beauty of the everyday." But her route to the easel was anything but straightforward. In this episode, Brigitte talks about a childhood of creative freedom in Framlingham, being steered away from art at school despite loving it, studying psychology at Exeter, teaching primary school children, and eventually building a thriving floral design business specialising in seasonal, chemical-free flowers. When COVID brought events to a halt, Brigitte found herself retrieving a box of art materials from the attic — materials that had been sitting there for a decade — and quietly began to paint. Within a couple of years she had exhibited at the Colchester Art Society, done Suffolk Open Studios, and become artist in residence at Wickham Vineyards in support of the charity Art for Cure. We talk about: * The creative thread that runs through every stage of a life, even when it isn't obvious * Why she called herself an artist from day one — and why more of us should * How her floristry background shaped her composition and colour instincts without her even realising * Changing her mind about galleries — and why she's glad she did * Self-limiting beliefs, fear of judgement, and the art of ignoring both * What it really means to burst out of the chrysalis of other people's expectations A warm, funny and genuinely inspiring conversation to kick off Series 6. You can see Brigitte's work at brigittegirling.co.uk [http://brigittegirling.co.uk] and @brigittegirling Brigitte talked about: Mandy Leeson of Vanil in Woodbridge @vanil_ltd https://www.vanil.co.uk/ [https://www.vanil.co.uk/] Kay Prestney Kinship Creative @kinship_creativedc Art For Cure @artforcure https://artforcure.org.uk/ [https://artforcure.org.uk/] Wyken @wykenvineyards https://www.wykenvineyards.co.uk/ [https://www.wykenvineyards.co.uk/] An Art to It: the home of inspiring stories of how women artists and makers turned their creative passion into their business. Hosted by gallery owner and mentor to creatives, Elaine Dye. Follow An Art to It for artist conversations, creative entrepreneurs, creative women and interviews with women artists and makers.

55. A Creative Approach to Business with Alice Sheridan

Having her eyes fixed as firmly on her business goals as on her paint palette, has been the bedrock of Alice Sheridan's creative success. In this episode of An Art to It, artist, mentor and co-host of the long running and much-loved Art Juice podcast, Alice Sheridan, shares her journey. Alice talks about her move from a career in graphic design into painting, how she began taking her art seriously as a business, and why structure, support and self-awareness have all played such an important part in her creative career. We discuss the realities of building an art practice alongside family life, the role of ADHD in how Alice works, and why understanding your own energy, habits and decision-making is so important when you're running a creative business. Alice also shares her thoughts on selling directly, working with galleries, art fairs, social media, membership communities, pricing, and why artists don't all need to follow the same route to success. This is a wonderfully honest conversation about commitment, creativity, business, tenacity, and learning to build a creative life that works for you. In this episode, we talk about: * Alice's experience of co-hosting Art Juice * Moving from graphic design into painting * Taking art seriously as a business * The importance of structure and support * ADHD, organisation and creative working rhythms * Open studios, art fairs and direct selling * Galleries, endorsement and choosing your own route * Building and evolving an artist membership * Why creative business is not one-size-fits-all * Pricing, confidence and standing by your decisions * The long-term nature of a sustainable creative career You can find out more about Alice's work and her membership at https://alicesheridan.com/ [https://alicesheridan.com/] and on instagram @alicesheridanstudio

54: From Marketing to Making with Katie Robbins

A passion for colour, flowers and making all came together for Katie Robbins as she said goodbye to a career in marketing and welcomed a new creative direction as a ceramicist. In a lively and very open chat Katie - known by many on Instagram with her memorable handle @ceramicmagpie - shares her journey from a career in marketing to becoming a full-time ceramicist, and how creativity was always present in her life - even before she could imagine it becoming her work. She talks about studying French and politics at university, working in marketing, keeping her creative levels topped up with evening classes, and eventually finding her way to clay after having children. Katie reflects on the slow process of building confidence as a self-taught maker, the challenge of calling herself a ceramicist, and how selling her first pieces helped her begin to believe in her work. She also discusses how her marketing background has helped her shape her brand, understand social media, and bring people along on her creative journey. We talk about the realities of running a creative business: learning new skills, managing admin, showing up online, doing both general markets and specialist ceramic shows, developing a product range, and balancing heart-led making with commercial decisions. Katie and I also explore the importance of community, customer experience, and delighting buyers - from sharing the behind-the-scenes process to creating beautiful packaging and memorable moments. A warm and practical conversation about confidence, creativity, flowers, ceramics, and the many skills involved in building a sustainable creative business. You can see Katie's work at https://www.ktrobbinsceramics.com/ [https://www.ktrobbinsceramics.com/] and on instagram she is @ceramicmagpie

53. The Fine Art of Balance with Lucy Burley

Ceramicists never really retire, but they are allowed to indulge in a sabbatical. In this episode of An Art to It, I chat to Lucy Burley, whose beautifully distinctive ceramic bottles and vessels have been a much-loved part of my gallery https://thebyregallery.co.uk/ for ten years. In our very lively chat Lucy reflects on her creative path, from a first life in London as a tri-lingual secretary and then working in television production to discovering painting classes, art school, and eventually clay. She talks about developing her now instantly recognisable style, inspired in part by Giorgio Morandi, and explains how she built a ceramic practice rooted in harmony of form, colour and use. We also discuss what it means to sustain a creative business over decades: learning as you go, building gallery relationships before the internet made everything visible, managing health challenges, and knowing when it's time to step back and reassess. Lucy shares why 2026 has become a "mini gap year" or sabbatical for her - certainly not retirement, but a pause to think, travel, learn, and explore new directions in her work. This is a very open and honest conversation about longevity, resilience, creative identity, and the delicate balance between making work and making a living. Oh and, as a memorable postscript, Lucy also shares the extraordinary story of the time she ended up in prison in the Indian Ocean. In this episode: * Lucy's route into ceramics via painting and art school * Leaving television and finding a more creative path * Developing a distinctive style and glaze palette * The influence of Giorgio Morandi on her work * Building a ceramic career before Instagram and websites * Why she chose not to do large craft fairs * Teaching ceramics and why she eventually had to stop * Living and working with Lyme disease * The decision to take a sabbatical from full-time potting * What success means at different stages of a creative life * The "fine art of balance" in a creative business * And the unforgettable story of a spell in jail in the Andaman Islands Lucy talks about some of the fellow creatives and businesses who have supported or inspired her: Charles Gladstone: https://gladstonehellen.co.uk/@hawardenestate and @gladstone_hellen Scilly flowers: https://www.scillyflowers.co.uk/@scillyflowers Fiona Findlay: @findlayfiona Thom Hudson: @thom_hudson Lucy Nicolls: @lucydorothyart Kyra Cane @kyra.cane

52: Painting and Possibilities with Laura Menzies

Freedom of choice and taking up all opportunities are just two of the topics I chat about with visual artist Laura Menzies in episode 52 of An Art to It. From a multidisciplinary arts degree and early love of dance to developing a distinctive painting practice in Cornwall, Laura shares her creative business journey; and reveals how studying, teaching and later completing an MA in Fine Art helped her refine her artistic voice. We also discuss the reality of building a creative business: learning the business side on the job, approaching and working with galleries, and the inventive collaborations that have helped Laura reach new audiences, including projects with Celtic & Co https://www.celticandco.com/ [https://www.celticandco.com/] and Neptune https://www.neptune.com/. Laura speaks openly about growing in confidence, learning to market herself in ways that feel aligned, and the value of staying open, flexible and resilient in a creative career. Topics covered * Laura's early creative life and multidisciplinary arts degree * Why visual art, rather than performance, became her focus * Moving to Cornwall and the draw of the coast and creative community * How her painting practice developed during and after her MA at Falmouth * Landscape, memory, movement and "visual poetry" in her work * Learning the business side of being an artist * Building confidence in promoting and talking about her work * Collaborating with Celtic & Co on a range of clothes using her painting * Using books, branding and beautifully styled imagery as part of her business * Growing into a more entrepreneurial mindset * Her thoughts on success, freedom and creative choice * Advice on resilience, flexibility and running a successful creative business You can see Laura's work at https://www.lauramenzies.co.uk/ [https://www.lauramenzies.co.uk/] and on instagram she is @lauramenziesart