It's been a while since my last diary entry, but this time of year is always so busy for me. In the lead-up to Christmas - and since promoting my pet portrait offer (more below) - I’ve been working on A LOT of custom orders and have been getting everything ready for my Christmas cards this year.
I have also been planning my first abroad holiday in FIVE YEARS that was originally supposed to have taken place in 2020, so you can imagine how excited I am to start with!
Anyway, let's dive into what else I have been up to at Mairi Makes HQ!
Pet Portraits
I’ve been working on some really colourful pieces lately, including my biggest rabbit piece yet! I loved how this one turned out, and can’t wait to do more like this in future.
What I love about my custom pieces is that it’s a collaboration with you guys where I get to bring your vision to life through my own little artist brain. I have some really cool commissions I’m working on right now that are a little bit different to my standard pet portraits. It’s so refreshing to bring your own twists and spins to my style and let me try out some new techniques and avenues.
This summer's colour trend was definitely lime green which so many requests for my splashy watercolour pet portraits, but now that the colder months are drawing in I have seen a shift. Instead, I'm now working on a lot of deep greens and teals which I personally love - I did paint my living room this colour for a reason after all!
In the lead-up to Christmas I'm also getting more bookings for my graphite sketches, as these are priced perfectly for gifts. Starting at £35 plus postage, these are still packed with personality.
Stay tuned over the next few weeks to see more on these!
The New Studio
Last time I wrote to you I told you I was moving my art studio downstairs which is now making life so much easier for me. I got some new furniture to store all my stock which has really helped keep things tidy.
I resisted the urge to paint another rainbow - or rainbow highland cow - on the walls… for now anyway! Instead, I think it’s got a bit more of a sophisticated feel that lets my colourful artwork speak for itself and brighten the room.
Pupdates from Pumpkin
Autumn is definitely here, and whilst the trees slowly changing colour and the sunrise now hitting us during our morning walkies makes for good photos for Pumpkin’s Insta (@pumpkinspicedloaf), the cold mornings are definitely getting to me.
But the good thing about working from home is I can shift my schedule and do more artwork in the morning and take Pumpkin out in the evenings after work before it gets dark.
You may have noticed that Pumpkin is the star of the Mairi Makes calendar this month for October 2022. I’ve been sent so many lovely messages about people turning the page on their calendars to find here there.
This one is also available as an A4 print with hand painted gold paint embellishments!
Shop the corgi collection here.
Christmas 2022
This week I placed the order for my 2022 Christmas cards! This does mean that stock is now limited, but the pre-order pricing (20% off the standard price) will continue until 20th October - while stocks last. We have another Pumpkin card this year, making a ‘snow corgi’, and a highland cow with a holly wreath crown. It’s neck and neck at the moment for both designs but I’m excited to see which comes out on top!
Browse the Christmas Card range here.
Christmas Pet Portrait Offer
Ordering three or more custom pet portraits this Christmas? Drop me a message and I will send you a unique discount code for 10% off. Valid until December 2022.
I rarely ever discount my pet portraits but I know that everyone is feeling the pinch at this time of year.
Click here to learn more about my custom pet portraits.
Spooktober is here!
This year I launched by biggest Halloween collection yet which also included some smaller original paintings. Each piece was named after a Halloween-related character from some of my favourite spooky movies (see if you can go through and name them all).
My personal favourite painting had to be Lydia the beetle as she was really satisfying to paint and the end result is just so colourful but also a little more dark and edgy.
If you have yet to browse the full Halloween collection make sure you do!
Shop Holiday
Please note that my shop will be on 'holiday mode' between Wednesday 26th October to Monday 14th November.
Orders can still be placed through my UK and Etsy stores, but will not be dispatched between these dates. Any custom artwork orders placed within these dates will not be started until after this period.
I will add a reminder notice to my website closer to the time, but please do ensure that you place any orders for Christmas ASAP as there is limited time this year.