Ucreateartstudio

Sometimes you just can’t compromise.
You can’t keep telling yourself, “It’ll be fine,” when deep down you know it won’t.

I’ve just spent 3 hours so far painting this new retro cockatoo design I came up with, and we’ll it’s an epic fail.

I changed the layout because the birds wouldn’t fit the page… and that’s where it all went wrong. You can’t just squash or stretch a bird to make it fit. It doesn’t work. The proportions are off, and the whole piece feels wrong.

Then there’s the background. Watercolour was the wrong choice. It needed a flat, matte acrylic finish, and instead it’s patchy and distracting.

So… back to the drawing board.

This is the reality of being an artist. Not every idea works, and not every painting is a success. Sometimes the best thing you can do is admit it, learn from it, and start again.

Progress isn’t about getting it right every time it’s about refusing to settle for something you know isn’t your best.

“Tell me… have you ever had to scrap hours of work and start again?”

The Nook - Pricing your artwork is one of the hardest parts of exhibiting. There isn’t a magic formula, but there are a few things I always consider:

1) Material costs – canvas, paint, framing, firing and supplies.
2) Your time – don’t undervalue yourself. I use around $60/hour as a starting guide.
3) Exhibition costs – marketing, venue hire, packaging, opening night and anything else you’ve invested.

Then think beyond the numbers.

Create a range.

Have a hero piece that gets people talking, affordable pieces for first-time buyers, and smaller products like cards or prints so everyone can take home a little piece of your work.

Every exhibition has a different audience. My Open Studios is aimed at local families, so my pricing reflects that. It’s about offering something for every budget without undervaluing your art.

Pricing isn’t an exact science—it’s about knowing your market, valuing your work and having the confidence to back yourself.

How do you price your artwork? I’d love to hear your thoughts below.

A little behind-the-scenes peek at Monday afternoons…

Before the creativity begins, there’s always a moment of waiting.

Daisy and I arrive with the car packed to the brim, trolley loaded with art supplies, and then we sit patiently outside the school art room until the final bell rings. When you’re lucky enough to teach in a school’s art room, you work around the school day. Sometimes the art teacher is away and I can sneak in early to set up. Other days, like today, we simply wait our turn.

Then… the bell goes.

It’s all systems go! Tables are set, paints come out, pencils are sharpened, and within minutes the room is buzzing with children creating, experimenting and making a glorious mess.

It’s a small part of the job that most people never see, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Every week, another room full of young artists ready to create.

If your child would love to join the fun, I’d love to welcome them for a FREE trial at one of my U Create after-school art classes. Just send me a message to find out which classes have availability.

Week 2 of our Sport theme at Create Club was all about swimming and what perfect timing with the Australian swim team dominating the Commonwealth Games!

This lesson wasn’t just about drawing a swimmer. We explored one of the most important art skills: creating realistic skin tones using oil pastels.

The children learnt to layer colour with a light touch, experimenting with warm and cool tones before drawing their swimmers in action.

To finish, we added watercolour, allowing the oil pastel to resist the paint and create beautiful splashes and movement across the water.

I love projects like this because they’re about so much more than the finished artwork. Every lesson builds new techniques, confidence and creative thinking-one layer at a time.