Smile & Wave Creations

As a teenager I loved drawing and painting, and derived huge pleasure from time spent in the art studio at school while studying Higher Art.  Fast forward many years, a Uni degree in marketing and a busy career first in PR then in event production, coupled with marriage and family, meant that any artistic ambitions were put on hold.

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Then my daughter came home from school and announced she wanted to sign up for a school trip to Madagascar.  Sounded amazing, but we had to raise £4000 and had 18 months to do so.  What could we do to raise the money?  Just a few weeks before Christmas, the answer was obvious - make stuff and sell it at craft fairs!   We drew up a list of things we could make - and my younger daughter came up with a name for our wee "business."  (Fans of the film "Madagascar" will immediately grasp the connection of Smile & Wave.)   That year, we made a variety of bits and bobs, and importantly, raised a good chunk of money towards Rachel's goal.   But for me, the pinnacle of that craft fair season was selling my first painting.

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Fundraising continued until the summer of 2017 when Rachel took her amazing trip to Madagascar.   I then had a decision to make - give up Smile & Wave and just keep making and painting for my own pleasure, or take what we'd started as a fundraising exercise and try to turn it into a real business.  I chose the latter course, and here we are!

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Focusing on a happy mix of paintings inspired by the landscape and seascapes of Scotland, and a range of textile accessories, I'm now on a journey which is both hugely satisfying and creatively challenging.  I've been part of Perthshire Open Studios twice now, and have had my own successful one-woman exhibition called "Sunshine and Seaspray".  I'm looking forward to being part of the Perthshire Creates Digital Design Market in July 2020, and of course, to getting back to showing my work at live shows. 

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Meantime, I hope you enjoy my work and please get in touch to let me know what you think!