Hello again! I hope you have had a good start to 2024; for one reason and another it’s been an unusually busy one here at HooperHart Headquarters. The first 3 months of the year were mostly devoted to a project which I received VACMA funding for last year…I’m going to delve into that in a separate post but for now I quickly want to share some exciting news with you.
Firstly, the brand new Perth Museum opened its doors on Easter weekend after a long-awaited refurbishment and repurposing of the former City Hall. The museum’s main attraction will undoubtedly be the Stone of Destiny, returning home to Perthshire for the first time in 700 years. Another good reason to visit though is the museum shop, where you can purchase a selection of my work! As you can imagine I was very chuffed to be asked (who doesn’t love a museum shop?) and also encouraged that they were approaching local makers to be a part of it, celebrating Perth’s new UNESCO status as a Creative City of Craft.
Now to my second piece of news – I have moved in to an actual proper studio! It’s in Perth Creative Exchange which is a fantastic former school building near North Inch Park. It’s lovely and bright, light and warm – no more struggling to see or jostling for space in my cold and dark spare room.
I’m sharing with the very talented Alison Price in a really wonderful community of creative people. After spending most of my time working on my own for the past 8 years, this comes as a really welcome change…it can be very isolating being a one-woman band. After only a week at the studio it feels like home already.
In addition to all this I started a new part-time job and joined the committee of Perthshire Open Studios. This year we have a comprehensive programme of events, including a month-long summer exhibition at the very grand Perth Civic Hall, a showcase exhibition at the beautiful Barn Gallery at Blackruthven, and of course Open Studios itself at the end of August. Keep an eye on my ‘shop’ page where you will find details as they become available.
Well, I think that’s enough excitement for one post! I’ll be back with an in-depth one on my project soon.
Well, that’s the festive fair season over for me for another year, and once again I am pleased and relieved to report that it was enjoyably frantic! Back in October I was quite concerned about how it was going to go, with online sales down and the harsh reality of the Cost of Living Crisis properly kicking in for many of us.
Happily however, people turned out in their hundreds (and sometimes thousands!) to support local events. Fortunately for small creative businesses like myself, folk seem to be really considering carefully how they spend their money and who they spend it with, and they also really appreciate handmade craft and the uniqueness of it…I can’t tell you how much all the purchases, interest, kind comments and general enthusiasm for my work means to me. It gives me such a boost and carries me through the times when my motivation is at a low, and for that I am very grateful.
Some of my favourite HooperHart pieces from 2023
2024 will likely bring many challenges, financially and creatively; Production costs continue to rise, and I need to re-evaluate my materials and range to make everything more streamlined and sustainable…and of course like many creative types I have lots of ideas, some of which I’m pretty sure cannot be brought to fruition using laser-cut wood! It would be lovely to devote some time to experimentation…but I think I might have said all this at the end of last year..!
Whatever happens I will be back next year with news of what I’m up to over the coming year.
For now I’ll take my leave with a massive THANK YOU to everyone who supported my artistic endeavours this year…I wish you happiness and good health in 2024!
So amazingly there’s only two more events left in the festive fair calendar and it’s two that I have really been looking forward to!
First up we’ll be hitting the road north once again and heading for Inverness to the beautiful Creative Academy! The newly restored former Inverness Royal Academy building in the heart of the city is now the first creative hub of the Highlands established by Wasps, providing studio/office spaces, events spaces and galleries. The Winter Market will take place in the beautifully refurbished Gym Hall and Science Room.
Spread over 3 days, we’ll be there on Friday, Nov 24th 4pm-8pm, Sat 25th & Sun 26th 10am-4pm.
The following weekend we will be back closer to home at one of my favourite events: the Winter Market & Open Studios at Perth Creative Exchange!
I spend a lot of time at Creative Exchange, whether it’s using the machines at the Famous Grouse ideas room, or having stationery printed at Craigrossie Printing or even just visiting Ceri White Studios, it’s a hub of activity and this is always a really enjoyable event.
You can find me there on Sat Dec 2nd & Sun Dec 3rd 10am-4pm.
Remember if you can’t buy from me in person this year, I will be stocking up my online shops Folksy and Etsy the week beginning December 4th.
One final thing before I go – just a wee reminder that the HooperHart 2024 calendar is available from my online stores and at all my events! Each month is illustrated by a miniature scene reflecting the time of year, inspired by the wonderful wildlife, countryside and coastlines of the British Isles. I am donating £1 from the sale of each calendar to Hogscroft Hedgehog Rescue, Perthshire, who were flooded during October’s storms.
Well, I had better go and get on with more making before our impending road trip to the Highlands! Thanks for reading and have a fantastic festive season!
Hello again! After an extremely busy weekend at Aberdeen Art Gallery I’m back to quickly let you know what’s on the agenda here at HooperHart Headquarters. I’ve got a lot of replenishing to do, with a broad range of items proving popular with the Aberdonians including brooches, Paint Your Own Flowers, hanging decorations and a selection of framed dioramas:
So it’s going to be making, making, making in time for my next event at Bowhouse in St Monans, Fife. Organised by Tea Green Events it’s always a fun day out with tip top talented artists, makers and designers, loads of yummy food stalls and refreshments galore! I’ll be there on Saturday, November 11th from 10am – 4pm.
Then on Sunday, November 12th I will be back in Perthshire for the White Church, Comrie Winter Craft Fair
Into its 22nd year, Comrie’s Christmas market takes place in the most gorgeous setting on the river Earn and showcases the work of over 25 talented Perthshire artists. You can find me there on Sunday November 12th 11am-3pm.
I’ll be back with more news next week but in the meantime you can find details of all my events on my ‘Shop’ page. TTFN!
Bowhouse images: VisitScotland, Love from the Scotland, Scotland the Bread. Comrie images: Good News Perthshire
So somehow it’s November in a few days’ time, and once again I am wondering how that happened (like I do every year). Autumn obviously decided to take the year off – wet and windy weather has been the order of the month, and with darkness falling at 5 o’clock we seem to have been plunged rather than eased into winter. On the upside it means that the festive fair season is just around the corner and this year it’s kicking off with a very exciting one – Tea Green’s Festive Market at Aberdeen Art Gallery
It’s exciting for me because I have never done a fair in Aberdeen, and it will also be nice to revisit the city I lived in for two years as a teenager (back in the mists of time) while I got my portfolio together to apply for art school!
I’ll be there all weekend, November 4th & 5th from 10am – 4pm. With a fabulous line up of over 50 of the best independent creative business based in Scotland, it’s the ideal place to start ticking off your Christmas shopping list!
See below all the places you can find me over the next two months, and I’ll be back soon with more details
It’s nearly a whole month since Open Studios finished and I am happy to say it went very well.
There were lots of new faces, interesting chats and healthy sales, all of which I am very grateful for. It was the first time I’d taken part and I didn’t really know what to expect, but it was all good, and the (mostly) warm and sunny weather definitely helped!
But looking out of the window this morning those sunshine-filled days seem very distant now…
There are weather warnings in place for most of Scotland with roads and railway lines closed due to flooding. The vibe is wet, windy and wintery! With weather like this there’s no denying we are approaching the end of the year, so it’s a good time to let you know that my 2024 calendar is now for sale online!
I’m very excited about this – it’s the first time I’ve designed a calendar and I wish I’d done it before! It was a hit at Open Studios and is selling fast in my Folksy and Etsy shops. It features 12 photographs of my original dioramas, with each month illustrated by a miniature scene reflecting the time of year – all inspired by the wonderful wildlife, countryside and coastlines of the British Isles. The calendar was printed by a small local company in Perthshire and £1 from the sale of each calendar to Hogscroft Hedgehog Rescue.
I hope you like it!
I’ll be back soon with more new products and a timetable of events for the coming months. In the meantime coorie in!
Somehow September has arrived which means that this year’s Perthshire Open Studios is only a few days away!
P.O.S is back in full effect after a wee hiatus and there will be over 120 artists, designers and makers welcoming the public to their workspaces and galleries
I’m experiencing a mixture of excitement and panic as this is my very first P.O.S and there’s an awful lot to tick off the to-do list before it kicks off on September 6th. It’s amazing what you can accomplish with a deadline though, so I’m confident everything will be ship-shape and ready to roll come Wednesday!
Perthshire is a sizeable, mostly rural county so it has been split up into six easily navigatable areas – you can find me on the official South route, but I am also handy for the West route which covers our nearest town, Auchterarder. If you haven’t already picked up a brochure you can download one as a PDF from the P.O.S website and everyone has a What 3 Words address to help you find them. You can also browse each area’s studios online before you go – have a look at mine here
It’s a great opportunity to buy/see my new work and pieces I’m currently working on, as well as experiments and discounted items I won’t be selling anywhere else. It’s also a really fun way to explore corners of Perthshire which you might not see otherwise (I’m hidden down a quiet little single track road outside Dunning).
So look out for posters, banners, bunting and arrows around Perthshire, and keep an eye on my social media for updates and photos!
The summer holidays are in full swing and I’m looking forward to my upcoming fortnight off. I’ll be using the time to do much-postponed jobs around the house and garden, as well as catching-up with old friends and hopefully squeezing in a trip or two in the campervan (the first since 2019!).
July is normally a quiet time for makers but it’s a busy time for some – there will be plenty of visitors heading to Perthshire and hopefully to Artisan And in beautiful Aberfeldy.
Here you can find my work showing as part of a mixed exhibition of wonderful art and craft from around the country, alongside paintings from featured artist Victoria Wylie running from July 22nd to September 1st:
There’s lots to see and do in Aberfeldy and the surrounding area at this time of year, from fantastic independent shops, eateries and galleries, to beautiful forest and river walks, so if you’re in Highland Perthshire over the next couple of months, make sure and pop it on your to-do list.
I’ll be back next month with Perthshire Open Studios news but in the meantime have a great summer!
Somehow we’re almost halfway through May and yet again the year seems to be getting away from me somewhat…how does this always happen? Ok, so there’s been another house move to contend with (the 3rd in 4 years) as well as numerous projects and events to prepare for, but I’m convinced that time speeds up the older you get!
Anyway, I’m here to tell you that the first of said events is right around the corner on May 20th & 21st:
Inspired by its hugely successful Christmas event last year, Perth Creative Exchange will again be opening its studios to the public AND hosting a market in the foyer. In partnership with Perthshire Artisans the market will showcase some of Perthshire’s best art, craft and design. Entry is free and the building is dog-friendly, so if you’re in the area pop along between 10-4.
The following weekend we have the marvellous Makers for Maggie’s at Dundee’s Steeple on Saturday, May 27th:
Maggie’s Centres provide free practical, social and emotional support for people living with cancer and costs a phenomenal amount of money to run. Like many people I have experienced the devastating effect that cancer can have on loved ones. The disease is affecting more people than ever before, and with the cost of living crisis it is vital for organisations like Maggie’s to keep going so they can continue to provide this crucial support.
There will be 30 stallholders (all donating a percentage of their sales to Maggie’s), a pop-up cafe, a raffle (with prizes donated by the stallholders) and goody bags for the first visitors. Entry is a suggested £1 (donated to the charity) and it’ll be open from 11-4.
So if you’re in Tayside, it would be great to see you at one of these brilliant events! Thanks for reading and I’ll be back with more news soon.
Now and again a customer will contact me to ask if I can make a unique piece for themselves or a loved one which will incorporate an element personal to them. I don’t go out of my way to advertise the fact I can make bespoke pieces, mainly because they can be very time-consuming (not to mention nerve-wracking), and at certain times of the year it’s just too difficult to fit around everything else that’s going on.
Having said that, commissions can also be exciting, fun and educational!
Back in March I was contacted by a customer who’s husband was publishing a novel called ‘Fray’ and she wanted to give him a special, unique gift to mark the occasion. She thought my work was reminiscent of the book cover and asked if I could create something similar in diorama form; the book is set in the wilds of Glencoe and the cover artwork by Holly Ovenden features a red cottage set amongst the fir trees and mountains…
If you know my work then you’ll know that all of these things couldn’t be more right up my street if they tried! Mountains, trees, a remote cottage, an intriguing story within = some of my favourite things and what I strive for in a lot of my work. I was also very flattered and excited to be asked to make a piece to celebrate such a wonderful achievement.
As I could use Holly’s artwork as a direct reference point, and with it being very graphic in nature I initially thought “well this will be fairly straightforward”. Always foolhardy! You think I would know by now that starting a piece from scratch is always a lengthy process, even in this case when the separate layers are already quite obvious and I have a good quality image file to work from…to explain further I should really give you a quick rundown of the stages of the design process:
First of all I draw or trace out what will become the first layer, in this case the mountains with their contour lines; when I first saw the book cover design I was immediately taken by the use of contours which you would see on an OS map (again one of my favourite things to use in a diorama, but previously as an actual piece of map forming a backdrop). I thought they would look great laser-engraved onto the wood’s surface. I used to incorporate screenprinted elements in my work to create lines and pattern, but due to a lack of workspace over the past year I’ve replaced this with laser-engraving.
Even with the lines already in place in the cover design, I have to admit they took ages to get right – there was a fair bit of tweaking involved until I was satisfied they would work as engraved lines!
Then comes the 2nd layer – the land with the cottage; the cottage only measures just over 1cm wide so I knew I couldn’t attempt to paint the details of the roof, door and windows, so they all became engraing lines too. When working on this scale I always spend time ensuring no detail will be lost in the cutting process:
The same goes for the trees on the 3rd layer. At this point decisions had to be made regarding simplifying the design to make it work on a small scale (the final scene measures 8cm). This is where artistic licence comes in! I decided to reduce the number of trees and lose the reflection from the original cover design so it didn’t look too busy.
The shapes need to be solid black so that they can be turned into vector drawings readable by a laser cutter. As I have yet to join the 21st century I do this using Photoshop (rather than something like an iPad). While all this is happening I’m also thinking about how the final piece will be painted to create more depth and texture. To help me visualise the final piece I make a mock-up in Photoshop:
Once I’m happy with all the pieces, individually and together, I can then import them into Inkscape (a vector graphics editor). Inskcape enables you to transform drawings into outlines which will be cut or engraved by the laser cutter (for a deeper dive into this have a look at LaserFlair’s blog post).
The really exciting part of the process comes when the pieces are finally cut; I always hold my breath though until I know that everything looks as it should…there are a multitude of things which need to be checked and double-checked before the start button is pressed! In this case everything came out perfectly I’m glad to say:
Of course the pieces still had to be painted and assembled, and the painting on this one in particular filled me with trepidation! Opportunities for mistakes are still plentiful at this point – I was concerned about painting the black mountains neatly to avoid blocking out the contour lines, and I also hadn’t nailed down the foreground area below the trees…
It all turned out fine in the end though, and I’m very happy to report that the customer and her husband loved the finished piece. I feel very honoured that my work is now a small part of the ‘Fray’ story. I can’t wait to read it!
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