Market Stall Dates

Here’s a list of the remaining market dates I have this year!

Due to the challenging life events that have occurred for me recently, it’s likely these will be the last market stalls I do in Bristol for at-least 6 months… or potentially ever, so catch me whilst you can!

NOVEMBER

17th Tobacco Factory, South Bristol 10am-2.30pm

23rd Made in Bradford on Avon, St Margaret's Hall 10am-3pm

24th Tobacco Factory, South Bristol 10am-2.30pm

DECEMBER 

5th Boston Tea Party, Gloucester Road 5:30pm-8pm

6th Tobacco Factory, Cafe Bar 6pm-9pm

7th Bristol Vegan Fair, The Elmgrove Centre 10am-4pm

14th Made in Bristol Gift Fair, Bristol Beacon 10am-4pm

15th Tobacco Factory, South Bristol 10am-2.30pm

16th-22nd  Dobbies, Thornbury 10am-5pm

4 Skateboards for 4 Years in Bristol

As part of a therapeutic practice during this recent tumultuous period of my life, I painted my 4th skateboard deck. saying goodbye and thank you to the best housemate I’ve ever had.

I moved to Bristol just over 4 years ago, I knew barely anyone and as it was during covid-19 lockdowns, it was really hard to meet people and make friends, but then I started skating at skateparks, mostly rollerskating, but dabbled on a board too, and it contributed to about 90% of the friendships I made, even the people I lived with. I started painted skateboard decks with postcodes on them, they signified home. The first was made for my first home in Bristol where I only lived for a year, it wasn’t the cleanest of paint jobs, but a learning process for sure, much like the relationship and time I spent in that first home… I then moved into a home that I stayed up until my recent eviction, this was my personal favourite home and again reflected in the skateboard. It was my first attempt at gold leaf and it turned out pretty great! My third deck was made as a gift for my partner at the time of his childhood postcode in his requested favourite colour pallet, rainbow!

I grew up in a pretty messy family dynamic and have always had a challenging relationship with this idea of ‘home’, so saying goodbye to the best home and relationship I’ve ever had at the same time, was immensely challenging, but I feel in doing this project and dedicating time, effort, and thought to the grieving process, it’s made it somewhat more bearable.

It also reminds me of the first skateboard deck I ever designed. It was pretty different to these, a digital illustration, professionally printed rather than hand painted, of a nude female figure, with plants growing out of her head. This was done way back in 2018, and a few years later I got a simplified version of the design tattooed on to me. This has acted as a reminder, that home is in the body and mind, rather than 4 walls. It’s where I am, and I forgot that for a while. Sure a base is nice, support and a safe place, and my first ever skateboard deck has come with me to my new home whilst the rest sit in storage, but change is always inevitable, and the only place I’ll every truly be pat home, it within myself.

Bump in The Road

I’ve been burnout since the end of last year. I worked my butt off in the lead up to Christmas. I smashed out some incredible projects and market sales that I’m hugely proud of and thought that the 2 month travelling trip I had booked following on from Christmas would be worth the stress, and a ideal opportunity to relax and enjoy life outside of work, and whilst it was an incredible and inspiring experience, it unfortunately lead to even more burnout. Despite being pretty aware of this and taking what felt like suitable preventative matters, such as re-attending therapy and slowing down a little, it wasn’t enough, I needed a clear cut and reset.

Navigating a capitalist world as a neurodivergent person is TOUGH. 2 months ago I got a section 21 eviction from the best home I’ve ever lived in, the first space I felt truly comfortable and at home, and if that wasn’t challenging enough, life threw in some extra huge curveballs and within the same couple of weeks I also lost my part-time jobs, my therapist, access to a car, my relationship, and had to re-home my cat. I truly felt like I reached rock bottom, however I’ve been reminded of my ridiculous resilience and that I have THE MOST incredible friends in the world who’ve supported me in so many ways. Including feeding me, housing me, listening to me cry and complain a lot, and letting me share a gorgeous little studio space in Bristol so I can still attend all the markets I have booked in the lead up to Christmas!

I’ve now begrudgingly moved home, bought a car, navigated different therapising techniques, and slogged my way out of the trenches, back to where I was at earlier this year, but now with more clarity and a better perspective. Life is still incredibly challenging, but thankfully I can see the light again.

Reaching this feeling of rock bottom, I of course had doubts about continuing my career as an illustrator, I’ve had to look at everything critically, but we heal by doing, and being creative will always be a part of me. I’m fucking great at it and it brings me joy. Monetising it brings me stress, but monetising anything brings me stress, creativity is not the problem here. So I’ll still be drawing and attending market stalls, but my commissions will be very limited whilst I navigate what I’m capable of.

Sunset Swims

Another addition to my travel drawing series, Sunset Swims at South Beach, Fremantle… I redrew this scene way more times than I care to admit. I had such a strong vision of what I wanted the illustration to look like; I remember swimming up to it, climbing up the ladder and seeing the sunset in the background, and thinking I need to capture this incredible moment, so I can remember it forever. But I think I’ve finally accepted the reality that I’ll never be able to quiet capture the endorphin fuelled magic that it was.

My first attempt was based almost purely off memory, of what I thought it looked like, and I was pretty happy with where it was going, but then I looked at photos we had taken, and googled South Beach Fremantle Pontoon, to discover I had drawn a completely different type of pontoon, the shape and material was all wrong, and for a perfectionist like me, I couldn’t just continue with it the way it was.

So I redrew it, trying to combine my foggy memory with a pretty limited selection of photos. My memory has always been pretty useless, and despite this experience being so magical, I feel it’s also pretty valid that I wouldn’t be able to visualise every detail, when my physical fitness isn’t great and in order to experience this moment, I had the swim what felt like miles (probably was about 30 meters), and also had eyes full of sea water. But here it is, Sunset Swims.