This is Sian Ellis

The portfolio of Illustrator Sian Ellis

A Peek at My New Studio

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I have sectioned the studio off into different spaces with different jobs. It means I get to move around the space throughout the day as I work on different things. This is really attractive to me and how I tend to work at home. I have three main work areas plus storage and a corner all for Dot. There is my main desk with the most glorious shelf of ghosts. I was adamant I wanted this feature! It’s not practical but I love it. This is my main working area and where I do all of my hand drawn work.

Behind it is a more casual area. It has a bench and a beautiful monstera plant. I am still searching for cushions and a coffee table to finish it off. Plus I am really enjoying trawling for artwork for the walls too. This is like a breakout space and somewhere I can sit more comfortably to work digitally. It also means I can work and snuggle Dot at the same time. Basically live the dream! When I find a coffee table it will be in such a good light that I know it will make a great space to photograph my products too. 

The Most Organised Corner of the Universe 

Well, my universe! The third area is a corner dedicated to my online shop. It’s an area where I can pack orders like a little production line. This is a surprisingly time consuming job each week. Partly because I love packing things nicely and adding extra stickers and washi tapes. I don’t want to stop doing that because I know it is much nicer to receive post that way. I just need a great space to do it! With this new space I don’t have to clear away any illustration work I am working on or work around my pens and stationary. I’ve also been able to organise my prints a lot better so designs are quicker to find and there is less chance of wastage from my packaging and prints getting scuffed than when I am constantly routing through not very organised stock in the limited available space at home. I have got a real organisation excitement over this bit!

Feeling Professional

I instantly feel more professional in this space. Which is good because it is an added expense each month that I have to earn more to cover. I have faith that I can though. The vibe of the space is so nice and concentrating is easy. Giving all my work more space just makes working nicer all round. Building an environment that I think is beautiful a dn works for me builds my confidence too.  

My New Art Studio

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I am so enamoured with this place guys! I just realised I didn’t even tell you about it on here! So first I’m going to give you a rundown of why I got a studio, then we’ll have a peek on the next blog.

Calm Down and Stop Shouting

I really am very excited! I dismissed the idea of a studio for a while. The combination of the expense and some weird unfounded feeling. The feeling that I’m not professional enough to be allowed a studio. Like there are folk that gatekeeper this and take it off you. I know it isn’t true but it’s a real barrier I had. Lockdown was the main encouragement for me. I missed people too much. To me it is important to work alongside others and to do that I need to get out of the house.

I also need a better divide between my home and my work. The chance to switch off easier each day. When I did decide I knew that the building I am now in was the one I wanted to join in. It is perfectly located in the city centre and lovely big bright studios inside. Plus it’s full of young creatives in a variety of fields and is dog friendly too! 

My Own Studio

I”ve gone for my own private studio because it was an option available to me. Frankly, I am a weirdo. I like to talk to my dog constantly and listen to scary story podcasts. When sharing I’d be a bit more conscious of reigning that in but when I am working in my natural environment I am more productive and work more freely. It also means that I get to design the whole space exactly how I want it. 

Trafalgar Warehouse

The space is in the Trafalgar Warehouse. A converted warehouse with studios and a huge large event space. I first visited on an open studio day. From the moment I walked in the first studio I was enamoured. It really is a lovely space! I have since been as part of an AR&VR exhibition with Sheffield Doc Fest. I know they have done markets and weddings and club nights too. As an event organisation I can appreciate what a versatile space it is. It’s only a 20 minute walk from my home too. Plus, my ceramic studio is a minutes walk away, and there’s a park round the corner to take the dog. 

Peshkar Stay at Home Art Club

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July 6th marks the first day of this virtual art club. I am running the club in collaboration with Peshkar. Peshkar are an arts organisation based in Oldham. It developed as Peshkar are interested in looking at art activity in the time of COVID. The pandemic has change the landscape of working in the art world hugely. Everything has changed hugely. Artists are capturing it and exploring working in new ways. I was excited to apply for the chance to work with Peshkar on creating in a time of Covid.

Inspiration

I had the drawing club idea to help us to see our homes in a new way and stretch our creative muscles. We are desperately seek new surroundings right now. It’s ninsuorise that everyone is sick of their homes. We have never spent so much time within them. It doesn’t mean it is safe to do so though, so seeing our home surroundings in a new light is a safe way to experience a new environment.

With extra time on our hands taking creative risks and exploring new mediums is a great use of time to. Finally, I wanted to stipulate that the art needs to be taking offline. Between watching the entirety of Netflix’s catalogue and getting RSI through scrolling through feeds, being forced off line is a good thing. I also found a lot of relaxation in working offline on art projects. Giving my eyes a rest and steering clear from emails and notifications for a little while. 

The Challenge

Over the first three weeks in July a prompt word will be released each Monday. Each prompt should form the basis of a theme for the challenge. Interpretation is up to you! Throughout the week I will be posting my response to the prompt word and sharing other people’s work too. To submit you just need to tag your post with the hashtag #PeshkarSAHAC or complete the google form in my instagram bio.

The Prompts

I am going to give you a sneak peek of the prompts here today. I’ve written prompts inspired by our time in lockdown. Week one on July 6th is ‘Togetherness’. Week two beginning July 13th is ‘Home’. The last week is the week beginning July 20th and the final prompt is ‘Respect’.   

The project will only work if other people get involved too. So I’m really hoping that everyone reading this will. A lot of work has gone into it and it needs participants to work. Plus I truly think it’s beneficial for everyone. I love art challenges on instagram. They help me to practice my skill. They encourage me to create in new ways. All time well slept for a developing artist. I will endeavour to share as many submissions as I can, along with our friends at Peshkar too. Check @wearepeshkar and @sianellisartists from 6th July for details

New Stockist Announcement: Happy Emo UK

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I love announcing new stockists to you guys! As you know from my earlier posts, I have had a big shakeup of this this year. I want to pick the perfect stockists for me and my brand. Places where my work just makes sense to be. i has meant leaving some stockists, but only hen I have felt it was right. When I found Happy Emo online, I knew I found my people! I was surprised I hadn’t seen them before. Even a quick browse on their site showed me I would fit in just fine.

All about Happy Emo

The shop is like an etsy for alternative artists. They link with artists and sellers across the globe to bring a curated selection of gothic goodness, spooky special and twisted treats. There are over 30 premium creators profiled on the site. I am super happy to say that now one of them is me! You can browse by creator, by collection, or just everything on the site. 

Alternative Specialist Site

It’s really exciting to find new alternative shopping sites. When you draw spooks all day, it’s hard to consider your work mainstream. Happy Emo sees me in good company. It’s a one stop shop for anyone into alternative art too. Even the name suits my work just perfectly. Everything I create is dark and cheery simultaneously. Happily emo indeed!

There are a lot of other great artists on the site too. It is such a treat to browse a site where everything is a bit dark, rather than trying to seek out that one alternative artist which is common in bricks and mortar indie shops. The beauty of an online platform can bring us something niche and wonderful. 

Discount alert!

To celebrate joining you can grab 10% off your whole basket on your first order! Wowee right? Just use the code SIANELLIS10 at the checkout.  

New Collaboration: Girl Gang Sheffield T-shirt Release

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I’ve been lucky enough to work on some fab collaborations during lockdown. Some I’ve announced and some still hidden under my hat. All will be revealed later! Today though I’m revealing my collab with Girl Gang Sheffield. GGS put a call out on their socials for artists to work with them on designing some merch. They have a fantastic crowdfunded scheme to support artists. They commission artists to create designs and make sure that they get fair pay for doing so. Importantly they don’t ask artists to send finished designs up front that might not get used and they commit to commissioning underrepresented artists. They are all round good gals! It is important to have folk like them who are committed to supporting the arts and to accessibility. I was super chuffed to have been picked to be the T-shirt designer of this round.

And It Gets Even Better!

If that all wasn’t great enough, the sales of the tees and totes that they commissioned this round will all go back into the seed fund. Meaning that they can support even more artists in future rounds of funding. Great right? So you can get some fab garb, locally made AND support a brand new artist with each purchase. I’LL TAKE FIVE PLEASE!

The Design

The design needed to be in keeping with the values of GGS. I wanted to create something that would look great on a T-shirt and that I think will sell well. I also wanted to create something super happy! 2020 has been tough as heck. Finally I wanted it to represent the values of GGS but also be well and truly Sian Ellis style. And so this is how the ‘In High Spirits’ design was born. Look familiar? I was so pleased with the design, I amended it afterwards to become the basis of my new logo!

Where to Purchase

You can purchase the ‘In High Sprits’ tees now alongside tote bags by Jodie from Dolly Pepper Studio. You just need to paypal friends and family with your size and address to girlgangsheffield@gmail.com or visit our pals at Girl Gang Sheffield for details 🙂

I Launched a Patreon!

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I have thought about this for a while. There are so many opportunities to engage with new things as an artist. Technology is an amazing thing! I know I sound like an 80 year old when I say that, but there really is so much to learn! Seeing platforms like Patreon and Kofi is one thing. I have already engaged with online platforms like Threadless and Kickstarter. Yes, they are totally different but I feel like learning and experimenting is a huge thing for young career artists to do. 

Patreon appeals to me as a creator and as a patron. Artists that I love on instagram and YouTube I can get such a further insight to their work on Patreon. It feels like you get to connect with that artist more too. It’s a bit more intimidate. I’d even go as far as to say it feels like a secret art club? I am trying not to explore the platform too much just yet for fear of becoming slightly addicted! 

As an artists commercially I am quite terrible. I join platforms to explore them as a creator and I always end up a customer. I‘m a sucker for good art and the chance to support artists. Also I spend a fortune on prints, clothing and earrings that I spy on people’s instagram pages. I back kickstarters for books and pins all the time. Left unchecked I would subscribe to so many Patreon’s I just know it! 

I want my Patreon to be a place where artists can learn about my materials, projects and techniques but also a space to be enjoyed by people who aren’t artists too. With discounts for my store, digital merch and sneaky peeks into everyday life as an artist. I aim to get more confident with videoed material so I can share more process vids too. 

Tell me what you’re after!

It’s important for me to be aware that I am not an expert at this. I want to create content that you guys want to see. If you think I am missing something, tell me! What sort of stuff would you like to see on my Patreon page? What kind of rewards would encourage you to pledge? Drop me your ideas on my contact page and make my day! 

Find my Patreon page here!

Week Two of Painting for the Bears of Sheffield Trail

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Last week was my second and final week of painting my Bears of Sheffield sculpture. Eeeek! It’s the first time that I have started a sculpture and then had a four day break in the middle. It was a revelation! It allowed me to come back fully charged, refreshed and having missed my bear! I got right back to work. The first day after the break felt the most productive painting day. I seemed to get some much done in terms of getting all the first layers of paint down and starting the second.

Remember, the bear is like 7ft tall, so we are talking a lot of paint! It always surprise me how far a little pot of paint will go! I always finish sculpture painting with paint to take home, more than I’d expect to. 

Second layer (and third and fourth!)

It’s always a bit of a guessing game how many layers each paint is going to need to look good. But once the first layer is down, it’s all an endurance test. You just keep going until it’s done. I personally love this part of painting. It’s automatic to a degree as you already have all of your first layer mapped out. You just keep working and see your piece get better and better. I guess what I enjoy is that you see your work improve without any of the fear of making the wrong artistic choice throughout. 

The finishing touches

I got a bit anxious when it came time to add the last layer of detail to my sculpture. I knew it would drastically change the piece but the most effective way to paint it would be to add it on as a new layer at the end. It meant that I created something I was really happy with but I then had to commit to making a big change to it. So yeah, it was scary! Luckily it pai off big time. Yes the design looked different, but better!

I was sad to finish it. Knowing that it could very likely be my last sculpture of 2020. I love painting sculptures sooooo much! I am staying positive that 2021 will have some more!

What I really love about it is that it is very ‘me’. I think people will look at it and immediately think ‘that’s Sian’s!’ It is such a great opportunity that I have had to do this. This week I will return to varnish it and I am so excited to see how much the colours start to pop when I do. It’s a shame that he’ll have to then go into hibernation for over a year, but I am looking forward to being reunited with an old friend. On the streets of Sheffield, July 2021. 

First Week of Painting for the Bears of Sheffield Trail

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After 1645 months in quarantine I was elated to get out and paint last week. I have craved big painting projects in lockdown. Sculptures and murals, I love them! Working on a big scale is an unparalleled creative experience. I feel expressive and a bit naughty like I am a kid drawing on a wall at home. Blooming love it though! I have been gurning to do some big painting for months. Finding out I was a successful artists for the trail during lockdown was a huge win for me. The promise of a painting project coming up was brilliant.

Packing

I am going to dedicate a future blog post entirely to this subject. Packing for painting off site is a tough thing to get totally right. Feeling a little rusty from not being able to leave the house, this took some extra thought this time. Paints, brushes, sarnies and podcasts sorted, I was ready!

Day 1

We are painting in a super secret painting space. The staff at the Children’s Hospital have done a brilliant job of keeping us socially distanced and safe. It means that there are sadly less artists together at a time, but painting alongside even just a couple of people has been totally refreshing after life in quarantine. First impression is that these bears are HUGE! I think 7 ft tall? They even have a base to paint which I wasn’t expecting. I got a start on sanding and printing and accepting that my next few weeks will be a lot of time up and down ladders!

Day 2

Getting the design right was the main theme of today. Translating a 2D design to a huge 3D an as is difficult. Not just in terms of scale but in following the sculpture shape. It took a while to work out where the components of the design were best to sit. You can never been too prescriptive in translating a flat design onto a shaped canvas. Things will need to move and change to suit the curves of the piece. The most challenging part as the bear’s head. A very flat picture is an elongated and complex shape in reality. Getting the flow of the piece right was a big focus of the day.

Day 3

I took me until the third day to get my first layer of paint down fully. I started this on day 1. On such a huge sculpture it is such a big job! Trying to get as much paint down as possible and lock in the whole design was the flavour of the day. By the end of the third day I had just started on my second layers of colour in an attempt to flatten the design and make the colours bolder.

I have another three days booked in to paint next week. This is the first time I have had such a break halfway through painting. I needed it! Months in lockdown means I need a bit of warm up time. Painting big is a really physical job. It also means I have an extra few days to get excited before going back to hopefully finish the piece. Wish me luck! 

Notes From an Artist in Lockdown

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I hadn’t planned on this being today’s blog. It’s important to capture the time we are living in though. So business as usual aside, here’s a Covid catch up blog. 

How Covid affects creation

Lockdown has been such a huge time for me as an artist. I have never spent so much time on my art professionally. I haven’t had this much free time since becoming a professional artist is why. More than these extra hours though, the landscape has changed. We are experiencing something huge which we need to respond to. It creates strict confines in which we can create within. So much physical activity has leapt online and I can access commissions, exhibitions and opportunities from my own home. These are opportunities that geography could have closed to me any other time. 

We are also all experiencing this together. I don’t feel like a newbie artist under Covid. I feel that everyone is being shaken out of their comfort zone. We are all relearning. Everyone is a newbie again, and so the youthfulness of my career feels less apparent.

Not all Rosy

Although I can embrace change quickly and find a way through it to strengthen my business, we are ultimately still in a difficult and dark time. We are combating this huge cloud over our creations. Of course we are all stressed. We miss people. We have multiple reasons to worry. It’s not even like we can even go to the pub to drown our sorrows with friends. The dream of all these hours to create is tarnished by our exhaustion. It’s not just the pandemic either. The political climate is hostile. The awful murder of George Floyd, British and US backwards steps in the face of trans rights, the phrase anti- anti fascists. It doesn’t away feel like sharing my art is the most appropriate use of the internet. 

My business as a comfort

What I am really thankful for at the moment is the community attached to my business. The organisations and individuals I work with on commissions. The other artists I meet. My super lovely customers and social media followers. You guys make me feel connected is this time of great disconnect. You guys have supported me financially and emotionally throughout lockdown. I never realised before how much going into business by yourself can make you feel so connected to others. 

New Sculpture Announcement: Bears of Sheffield

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I am always excited to announce new projects. If you have read any other of my announcement blogs, you’ll know. In this current climate though, it is even better! Lockdown has been scary in that regard. Although it’s bought new opportunities too! Hearing That I have successfully been picked for Bears of Sheffield though? I was buzzing!

After painting on so many sculpture trails, the idea of not painting one in my home city would be pretty rubbish. To get confirmation of a new painting project after these last few months is amazing enough, but a sculpture trail in Sheffield is just perfect! This will be my 9th charity sculpture paint since March 2019.

Bears of Sheffield 

The trail will run in 2021 and raise money for Sheffield Children’s Hospital. In 2015 the charity ran the herd of Sheffield project with Wild in Art. Having learnt a trick or two they’ve gone solo. I don’t want to ruin any surprises, but as an artist on the project I am in some excellent company. 

The sculpture design is based on the statue in the old bear pit in the Botanical gardens. A bit of a grizzly inspiration (ahem) but undoubtedly a great form. The mascot of the charity is a bear too. The statues themselves are absolutely huge. This will be the tallest sculpture I have painted and I predict a step ladder will get some use. 

My Design

The design, as always is under wraps. I can give you a couple of clues though. The piece I will be painting  is going to be bold, bright and very me! When I heard that was the shortlisted design, I was slightly shocked. It was the most experimental design I submitted, but I always like to submit a bit of a wild card. I do it in the hope that it will get picked, of course. But it’s usually a design that’s a bit wilder than your average sculpture. 

I cannot wait to bring the design to life and I think about how sweet it will be when the trail goes live. A whole year after painting! I start my work on the sculpture next week. It’ll be a dream to go out to work again (socially distanced of course!).

Follow me on social media for some sneaky peeks at the process 🙂