This is Sian Ellis

The portfolio of Illustrator Sian Ellis

Month: January 2020

2019, A Year in Review

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2019 has been a pretty awesome year for my business. It all really ramped up for me and revisiting some of my highlights in the last few blogs is really just a handful of the year’s achievements. I really got to step up my experience too, from huge murals to book covers. It is safe to say I surpassed my expectations for the year as i outlined in February 2019.

I even went as far as to set some new goals midway through the year. 

My First Set of Goals

-Get 1200 followers on instagram

-Have products stocked in 2 stockists

-Increase to 100 sales on Etsy

-Have a stall at a niche market

-Get 20 reviews on etsy

-Increase etsy product number to 50

-Invest in a new type of product

-Secure a large paid commission

I reviewed those goals before writing more, but happily and surprisingly I absolutely smashed them. Well, with the exception that I listed 49 products on Etsy, but I think that’s ok. I have doubled my etsy review goal, tripled my stockists target and had six times the number of large commissions that I had hoped for. The success of 2019is going to be a tough one to replicate in 2020. 

My Revised Goals

-Secure a mural commission using my characters and style

-be approached for a large scale commission without applying

-trial a pop up shop

-run an arts event (market, workshop, drawing class)

-get agency representation

This new revision of goals wasn’t quite as successful. However, a lot for his was down to willing. I chose not to go in the direction of running my own events. After all, I do more than enough of that in my alternate employment. It’s always going to be something I am able to do if I turn my mind to it. I have no doubt about that. Similarly I did not put very much time into researching and preaching agency representation. I also didn’t trial any pop up shops as I didn’t find any with terms I liked. 

Unfortunately for me I wasn’t approached for a larger scale commission without applying. That’s ok. I successfully got many and have started to be approached about smaller commissions. This was always a big goal and will come with time. I was invited to apply for a large commission too, so it is all going in the right direction as far as I am concerned.

What I did achieve was securing a mural commission in my style. I was voted for by residents of Armley to create a 14 foot mural of my ‘Nice to Be Nice’ characters as part of a local regeneration project. It was a brilliant opportunity and a huge portfolio boost, as well as genuinely fun to take part in.

That’s a Wrap

I am really pleased with what I achieved in 2019. What is exciting about it is that I have so many ideas and such a big drive for taking it forward into 2020, but in a way that allows me to have time to relax, spend time socially and enjoy walks with the pupper on my days working at home. It is going to be hard to grow more than I have done in this last year, because it has been so incredible, but for me 2020 is more about refining my work and focusing on the quality and streamlined approach to how I run my illustration business. It’s about keeping hold of the things I have loved doing in 2019, doing more of them and doing them better.

Thankyou to everyone who has supported me through my journey so far and I hope that you can enjoy sticking it me in the year to come. 

I’ve Just Gone A Day Less A Week With My Employer….eek!

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I briefly alluded in a post at the end of 2019 that I would be receiving more support in my artistic endeavours and my fundraising job too. Well, as of January 2020 I have officially changed my working hours at the day job down to 3 days a week. 

This means that I officially spend more time not at the job than I do at the job! That’s a big move but the right one. Those 3 days a week will be busy and intense I am sure, but it means that some of my responsibilities have reduced.

Plans for the Extra Day

It might surprise you, but my plan isn’t to take on more projects. This last year was the second year of my business. To say it has been busy is an understatement. Through 2019 I have worked across seven cities in the UK with painting projects. This is on top of working a four day a week job, and not counting the additional four cities hat I have worked in at pop up opportunities, markets and stockists. Then there has been all my digital commission work and online shop, my Kickstarter campaign, and designing and producing new products. Importantly it also doesn’t include the time that is spent on everything else. The admin, the commission chats that don’t pan out, the applications that don’t come good. The extra day’s work is already there.

So, what’s the goal?

The goal is still to improve my business but not through taking on more. It is about streamlining the work I already do. I’ts about regaining a better work/ life balance. The pace in which I have been working last year is not sustainable. So it’s about more than just having an extra day to spread my workload over, I want to make sure I am using my time sensibly too.

This does mean that some of the things I have been doing in 2019 I will not continue into 2020. But this will be discussed a bit more in my next weeks post where I look at my goals for the year ahead. 

Under Pressure

It does mean that there is now a financial expectation of my work that I didn’t hav before. I have always been working for pocket money, but now I need to account for the drop in income I have entailed due to dropping my hours with my employer. It’s not that I have put myself in a position of risk,but it is about having a more tangiable reason to set myself financial targets. I am looking forward to his opportunity to run my business more efficiently, more strategically and ensure that it has a strong and viable economic model. Ooooh do I sound fancy right now or what?

Highlights of 2019: The Record Breaking Go Wild Gorillas Auction

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Plus my Wild In Art adventures.

How could this not be a highlight? To be commissioned to create two out if 40 sculptures that raised over a million quid? The highest Wild in Art raise ever! Featuring artists including Stuart Semple and DC’s Kenneth Rockafort, and cheerleader by Henry Cavill himself. It was the top rockstar moment of my career so far.

I even went as far as to say that I’ve peaked! As both a fundraiser and an artist. Even before the spectacular auction, the project was a highlight throughout. It marked my first visit to the island. With a distinctive continental flavour it was like a mini holiday with my art. I met some brilliant artists along the way too. My sculptures both got beautiful seaside locations, including just opposed the aging hire, I had stayed in tinlaint, beneath the castle. It meant that picturing the statue in place, despite being unable to visit, was much easier.

The Auction 

The night of the auction blew my mind, Our Island raised £27,000 at auction. Jersey Big raised £25,000. It was incredible, and all the sculptures went for one phenomenal amounts.Of course I have my tongue in my cheek when I talk about having peaked, but it feels like a tough act to follow. I felt like a proper artist though! My career is still new, and I have been drawing in the closet my whole life. These moments in the real world, where my work is being elevated so much, are still huge ‘pinch myself’ moments.

Other Wild In Art Adventures

These two sculptures joined my Wallabies Gone Wild Wallaby and my Great North Elmer as my Wild in Art 2019 contributions. Plus my Cows About Cambridge sculpture debuts in March 2020. My charity sculpture raise for the year is nearly at an incredible £60,000. A huge highlight for me indeed! 

This piece is part of a three part blog series on my highlights from 2019.  

Highlights of 2019: Armley Murals Project

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This incredible project allowed me to paint my biggest mural ever in September 2019. With support from Leeds City Council and Seagulls paint, Mike Winnard of Armley House studios led the project to regenerate walls in the district of Armley.

Four artists were given four areas in Armley to paint. We were also offered mentoring time with the talented artist Mike. Getting pro tips on the painting and preparation process was a great opportunity for me. Mike was as friendly and helpful as he was knowledgeable. 

The Selection Process 

As part of the project we were given free reign over our proposed piece of art, of which mine was voted in a local forum to be commissioned. Painted over 3 days the 14 foot long mural I painted adorned the side of a local home. I was given chance to meet the locals and get their frank & honest but overwhelmingly positive response to my work.

The Inspiration Behind It 

I chose to create a piece that celebrated community and positivity. From growing up in a town facing a high level of deprivation, not unlike Armley, I know how important optimism and a strong sense of community can be. I wanted something bright and positive that would appeal to young and old. From the comments I heard from local to kids and older residents I think I managed it. 

Why It’s a Highlight 

It felt good to be trusted to paint something so huge on someone’s home and so prominently in a residential place. The positive response it got and the experience I got in painting and scaling up such a large piece were the cherries on top. Id love the chance to get back to visit the piece, so would like to resolve that for 2020.

If you have a photo of the mural, please remember to share it with me! 

This piece is part of a three part blog series on my highlights from 2019.