I am an artist and confident verbal communicator with a broad skillset, variety of experiences working in creative industries and a passion for the arts, creativity and community.
EDUCATION
History of Art MA(hons)
University of Edinburgh, 2019
Building Crafts Program: Heritage Skills
The Prince's Foundation, 2018
Figure and portraiture drawing
Edinburgh Atelier of Fine Art, 2017
EXHIBITIONS
Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year, 2022
Scottish Portrait Awards, 2022
Scottish Portrait Awards, 2020
Solo show, Fine Roots Gallery, 2016
'From Life', Edinburgh Art Society, 2015
EXPERIENCE
LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT ASSISTANT
TRAVELLING GALLERY, 2020-2021
Co/facilitating and designing creative workshops for various community groups. Designing brochures, leaflets and activity packs for various visitors including children using Procreate and Adobe InDesign. Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity training and engagement with the EDI team for Museums and Galleries Edinburgh. Research and report/writing for accessibility, workshop materials and digital projects. Grant application writing. Social media and website strategy design, proposed and directed.
FOUNDING DIRECTOR, TOLLCROSS LIFE DRAWING CLUB, 2021
Founder and directer of fortnightly life drawing sessions. Duties included liaising with and booking models and venues, event-promotion though Eventbrite and Facebook, bookkeeping, market research, tutoring and facilitating sessions, ordering materials and coordinating themed sessions providing opportunities for attendees to work with a range of different concepts, techniques and materials.
ARTIST AND TUTOR, 2015-Present
Freelance portraiture artist working in pencil, charcoal and oil paint; live sketch artist working at events; drawing tutor; and commercial artist largely working from independent commissions for sign and mural painting, logo and packaging design, graphic harvesting, and book illustration. For more information, please refer to my online portfolio. Further skills include marketing, website design, documentation in photography and video, social media management, drafting contracts, bookkeeping, and communicating with clients.
TECHNICIAN, TO ARCHITECT GEORGE SAUMAREZ SMITH, 2020
Employed independently to transfer a number of designs for wallpapers into lino print and provide technical advice.
STUDIO ASSISTANT, TO SCULPTOR ALEXANDER STODDART, 2018-2019
Employed to assist the execution of a large classical freestanding cast bronze sculpture, working as part of a small team directed by the artist.
LIFE DRAWING COORDINATOR, EDINBURGH ART SOCIETY, 2015-2019
A self-directed voluntary position, running both tutored and open life drawing classes and workshops. Duties included coordinating a small team of volunteers; liaising with tutors and models; booking rooms; researching and sourcing equipment and materials; arranging courses, workshops, exhibitions and events; bookkeeping, data collection and risk assessments; drawing up contracts with tutors and models; documenting in photography and video; and managing social media. Run with cooperative principles and a community focus, using non-hierarchical decision making, with a mission to provide accessible and affordable art classes, and fair wages for tutors and models.
GALLERY MANAGER, THE FOREST ARTS, 2016-2017
A self-directed voluntary position leading a team of volunteers to organise exhibitions showcasing local artists’ work. Other duties included promoting exhibitions, managing social media, facilitating workshops and events, designing and distributing posters and flyers, renovating the exhibition space, and coordinating monthly art and craft fairs for local makers.
ADMINISTRATOR, ADAM ARCHITECTURE, 2015-2016
Administrator and front of house secretary working as part of a large team to contribute to the daily running of large architectural practice with a focus on designing by hand. Duties included welcoming visitors and clients, handling telephone and email communications with clients, architects, and other staff members, keeping records and organising data, ordering drawing equipment.
ADMINISTRATOR AND SALES ASSISTANT, SAVILLS, 2013-2015
Welcoming and communicating with clients, collecting and compiling data, working with contracts, supporting other staff members through administrative assistance.
Further experience in hospitality, as a barista, waitress and cleaner for various employers from 2011 to 2018.
SKILLS
TECHNICAL 2D
Professional level and experienced teacher in all painting and drawing media; skilled in lino printing, mono printing, and wood-block printing; experienced in commercial design and illustration, murals, sign painting, and logo design.
TECHNICAL 3D
Competent in basic furniture making, green woodworking and joinery; introductory training in traditional timber-framing, stone masonry, lime plastering and pargeting. Skilled in textile repairs and alterations; needle felting and weaving; some tailoring and basic pattern designing experience. Intermediate level potter and ceramicist: competent in throwing, hand-building, working with moulds, and kiln-firing, and sourcing and preparing clays and glazes.
DIGITAL MEDIA
Proficient in digital photography, filming and sound recording; basic video, visual and audio editing skills in Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, Garageband and Ableton; some experience in website design with Wordpress, Wix and Squarespace; graphic design, digital art, animation and 3D design in Procreate, Sketchbook, and SketchUp.
ORGANISATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE
Confident working independently or as part of a team; experienced in cooperative models of meeting facilitation, team leadership and time management; proficient I.T. skills in Microsoft, Google and Apple programs; confident verbal communicator in person, as well as via email and telephone; experienced in researching and writing reports, risk assessments, bookkeeping, and data collection; confident in promotional writing and social media management on Instagram and Facebook. Other skills include coordinating exhibitions, workshops and events.