An Art To It

Elaine Dye
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Arts
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When does your passion become your profession? Can you take a love of making and creating and turn it into a successful business? This is the podcast where I talk to artists and makers who, whatever their discipline, are all fortunate to have turned their passion for creating into their occupation. As we discuss their journey to being professional artists and makers we explore inspirations, imposter syndrome, what success really means and of course, if there IS an art to running a flourishing creative business. I'm Elaine Dye, I'm the owner and curator of Cornwall's Byre Gallery, I'm also a creative business mentor and coach, and the creator of the course, 'An Insider's Guide to Gallery Success.' When the Byre Gallery celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024, I thought it was the ideal opportunity to chat to some of the fascinating creatives I've got to know over the past decade and to explore what it means to be in the business of doing something you really love. I discovered that I love doing the podcast... so I'm keeping going!

  1. May 22

    55. A Creative Approach to Business with Alice Sheridan

    Having her eyes fixed as firmly on her business goals as on her paint palette, has been the bedrock of Alice Sheridan's creative success. In this episode of An Art to It, artist, mentor and co-host of the long running and much-loved Art Juice podcast, Alice Sheridan, shares her journey. Alice talks about her move from a career in graphic design into painting, how she began taking her art seriously as a business, and why structure, support and self-awareness have all played such an important part in her creative career. We discuss the realities of building an art practice alongside family life, the role of ADHD in how Alice works, and why understanding your own energy, habits and decision-making is so important when you're running a creative business. Alice also shares her thoughts on selling directly, working with galleries, art fairs, social media, membership communities, pricing, and why artists don't all need to follow the same route to success. This is a wonderfully honest conversation about commitment, creativity, business, tenacity, and learning to build a creative life that works for you. In this episode, we talk about: Alice's experience of co-hosting Art Juice Moving from graphic design into painting Taking art seriously as a business The importance of structure and support ADHD, organisation and creative working rhythms Open studios, art fairs and direct selling Galleries, endorsement and choosing your own route Building and evolving an artist membership Why creative business is not one-size-fits-all Pricing, confidence and standing by your decisions The long-term nature of a sustainable creative career   You can find out more about Alice's work and her membership at https://alicesheridan.com/ and on instagram @alicesheridanstudio

    48 min

  2. May 8

    54: From Marketing to Making with Katie Robbins

    A passion for colour, flowers and making all came together for Katie Robbins as she said goodbye to a career in marketing and welcomed a new creative direction as a ceramicist.  In a lively and very open chat Katie - known by many on Instagram with her memorable handle @ceramicmagpie - shares her journey from a career in marketing to becoming a full-time ceramicist, and how creativity was always present in her life - even before she could imagine it becoming her work. She talks about studying French and politics at university, working in marketing, keeping her creative levels topped up with evening classes, and eventually finding her way to clay after having children. Katie reflects on the slow process of building confidence as a self-taught maker, the challenge of calling herself a ceramicist, and how selling her first pieces helped her begin to believe in her work. She also discusses how her marketing background has helped her shape her brand, understand social media, and bring people along on her creative journey. We talk about the realities of running a creative business: learning new skills, managing admin, showing up online, doing both general markets and specialist ceramic shows, developing a product range, and balancing heart-led making with commercial decisions. Katie and I also explore the importance of community, customer experience, and delighting buyers - from sharing the behind-the-scenes process to creating beautiful packaging and memorable moments. A warm and practical conversation about confidence, creativity, flowers, ceramics, and the many skills involved in building a sustainable creative business. You can see Katie's work at https://www.ktrobbinsceramics.com/ and on instagram she is @ceramicmagpie

    43 min

  3. Apr 24

    53. The Fine Art of Balance with Lucy Burley

    Ceramicists never really retire, but they are allowed to indulge in a sabbatical. In this episode of An Art to It, I chat to Lucy Burley, whose beautifully distinctive ceramic bottles and vessels have been a much-loved part of my gallery https://thebyregallery.co.uk/ for ten years. In our very lively chat Lucy reflects on her creative path, from a first life in London as a tri-lingual secretary and then working in television production to discovering painting classes, art school, and eventually clay. She talks about developing her now instantly recognisable style, inspired in part by Giorgio Morandi, and explains how she built a ceramic practice rooted in harmony of form, colour and use. We also discuss what it means to sustain a creative business over decades: learning as you go, building gallery relationships before the internet made everything visible, managing health challenges, and knowing when it's time to step back and reassess. Lucy shares why 2026 has become a "mini gap year" or sabbatical for her - certainly not retirement, but a pause to think, travel, learn, and explore new directions in her work. This is a very open and honest conversation about longevity, resilience, creative identity, and the delicate balance between making work and making a living. Oh and, as a memorable postscript, Lucy also shares the extraordinary story of the time she ended up in prison in the Indian Ocean. In this episode: Lucy's route into ceramics via painting and art school Leaving television and finding a more creative path Developing a distinctive style and glaze palette The influence of Giorgio Morandi on her work Building a ceramic career before Instagram and websites Why she chose not to do large craft fairs Teaching ceramics and why she eventually had to stop Living and working with Lyme disease The decision to take a sabbatical from full-time potting What success means at different stages of a creative life The "fine art of balance" in a creative business And the unforgettable story of a spell in jail in the Andaman Islands   Lucy talks about some of the fellow creatives and businesses who have supported or inspired her:   Charles Gladstone: https://gladstonehellen.co.uk/@hawardenestate and @gladstone_hellen Scilly flowers: https://www.scillyflowers.co.uk/@scillyflowers Fiona Findlay: @findlayfiona Thom Hudson:  @thom_hudson Lucy Nicolls: @lucydorothyart Kyra Cane @kyra.cane

    50 min

  4. Apr 10

    52: Painting and Possibilities with Laura Menzies

    Freedom of choice and taking up all opportunities are just two of the topics I chat about with visual artist Laura Menzies in episode 52 of An Art to It.  From a multidisciplinary arts degree and early love of dance to developing a distinctive painting practice in Cornwall, Laura shares her creative business journey; and reveals how studying, teaching and later completing an MA in Fine Art helped her refine her artistic voice.  We also discuss the reality of building a creative business: learning the business side on the job, approaching and working with galleries, and the inventive collaborations that have helped Laura reach new audiences, including projects with Celtic & Co https://www.celticandco.com/  and Neptune https://www.neptune.com/.  Laura speaks openly about growing in confidence, learning to market herself in ways that feel aligned, and the value of staying open, flexible and resilient in a creative career. Topics covered Laura's early creative life and multidisciplinary arts degree Why visual art, rather than performance, became her focus Moving to Cornwall and the draw of the coast and creative community How her painting practice developed during and after her MA at Falmouth Landscape, memory, movement and "visual poetry" in her work Learning the business side of being an artist Building confidence in promoting and talking about her work Collaborating with Celtic & Co on a range of clothes using her painting  Using books, branding and beautifully styled imagery as part of her business Growing into a more entrepreneurial mindset Her thoughts on success, freedom and creative choice Advice on resilience, flexibility and running a successful creative business   You can see Laura's work at https://www.lauramenzies.co.uk/ and on instagram she is @lauramenziesart

    41 min

  5. Mar 27

    51: Silver, Stories and Staying Power with Lucy Spink

    Exhibiting - and wearing - a maker's work for a decade is definitely something worth celebrating. This week I'm chatting with Cornish jeweller Lucy Spink, a Byre Gallery regular for ten years since I first discovered her work thanks to two clients who were wearing her jewellery; surely the best kind of introduction. Since then I've got a considerable collection of her work myself - as have many of the gallery's clients. In our lovely chat we talk about how the jewellery world has shifted over the last decade, the eye-watering rise in metal prices, Lucy's love of unusual stones, and the way photography, texture and storytelling all weave through her practice. Lucy also shares the real behind-the-scenes of creative life: fairs, imposter syndrome, the juggle of life, dogs and studio time… and why residencies can be pure creative gold. We chat about: How I first discovered Lucy's work a customer-styling recommendation! How the jewellery market has changed: trends, saturation, and shifting tastes Why unusual gemstones sparked a new direction Metal prices rising fast - and what makers may do next Lucy's photography background and why it helps her in her practice   The quiet power of "back story" in a creative practice (nothing is wasted) The reality of fairs: visibility, energy, and "bearing your soul" The role galleries still play, and how online selling has changed things The art to running a creative business: persistence, hope, and adapting   You can see Lucy's work @lucyspinkjewllery and www. lucyspinkjewellery.co.uk

    39 min

  6. Mar 13

    50: Where the Work Wants to Go - Meg Fatharly on Process, Play and Building a Creative Business

    Word play and the serenity of printing are under discussion in this episode of An Art to It, when I'm joined by artist and maker Megan Fatharly.  An exciting talent, Meg has won a deserved reputation  - and fan base - for her witty and distinctive embossed metal work.  In a lively and honest chat we talk about Meg's relationship with place (Scottish beginnings, Cornwall now), her diagnosis of ADHD in her late twenties, and how art-making became both a way to process the world and a "capsule of process" she could return to when things felt too much. Meg shares the behind-the-scenes truth of building a creative business: the push-pull between play and commercial demand, the exhaustion of systems and delegation, the emotional reality of visibility, and why success can feel strangely rigid when your work becomes known for "one thing". We also discuss taking part in the trade show Top Drawer, the difference between that and a market, how audiences connect with the person behind the work, and a line that Meg wrote in her blog about showing her work at Top Drawer that stood out for me: "paying attention to where the work naturally wants to go, rather than where I think it should go to be more easily understood." I asked how that fits in with being an entrepreneur We chat about: The pull of geography and "sense of place" in creative identity ADHD, hyper-fixation, and the relief of processes that slow the mind down Meg's love of printmaking Poetry, collage and using words to anchor ambiguity When your art becomes a business: contracts, VAT, systems and structure The tension between exploring new work and "will it sell?" mentality Visibility and boundaries: when people want to meet the maker   You can see Meg's work at https://meganfatharly.com/ and @printcessmeg   Meg very much admires: The Fabled Thread Website: https://www.thefabledthread.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefabledthread   Meg worked alongside the Institute of Imagination facilitating workshops.  Website: https://www.instituteofimagination.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/instituteofimagination   Meg took part in Top Drawer with Cornwall Shop Small and Creative Kernow Associates Website: https://www.cornwallshopsmall.co.uk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cornwallshopsmall   Website: https://associates.creativekernow.org.uk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativekernowassociates   John was one of Meg's tutors during foundation and degree, and his open-access print studio remains an invaluable creative space in Cornwall. Website: https://www.johnhowardprintstudios.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnhowardprint

    49 min

  7. Feb 27

    49: Sticking to Your Guns: 20 years of Contemporary Jewellery with Victoria Sewart

    Celebrating 20 years as a beacon of creative excellence in jewellery, I'm delighted to be joined this week by Vicky Sewart, founder of Victoria Sewart Contemporary Jewellery Gallery in Plymouth, Devon.  In a lovely chat with Vicky we talk about what's changed in the jewellery world, and why, with a very clear vision of what she wanted her gallery to be, she "stuck to her guns" through recessions and retail shifts.  Vicky also shares how teaching has become a huge part of her creative life, the reality of navigating breast cancer just two years into opening the gallery, and why she's now embracing a fresh "next chapter" with mentoring and renewed energy. What we cover: How the contemporary jewellery landscape has changed over 20 years Why Vicky chose "gallery" over "shop" -  and what that means in practice Sticking to a clear vision (even when the market pushes you mainstream) The joy of teaching design-led jewellery Whether you need university to become a jeweller today The role galleries still play in a world of Instagram selling What Vicky wants next: lifestyle business, career business… or something she can eventually sell? You can see the gallery at https://victoriasewart.com/ and on instagram @victoria_sewart_gallery  Vicky talked about the work of one of her gallery team, Rachel Darbourne whose work you can see @racheldarbourne, also part of the amazing team at the Gallery is @valmuddymanjewellery @kathleen.ashcroft.jewellery and @donna.burns.jewellery  If you enjoy An Art to It podcasts, please, please do follow us on Apple and help more people find us.  It's really easy, open the Apple podcast app, go to An Art to It; the top three little dots on the upper right hand corner, touch that and it will offer you 'Go to Show' select that, you're on the home page, and then back to the three dots, select that and tap FOLLOW. Thank you v much!

    40 min

  8. Feb 13

    48: Memories and Making with Carolyn Tripp

    In this episode of An Art to It, I'm joined by ceramic artist Carolyn Tripp for a very enterianting and thoughtful conversation about finding your voice, building confidence, and taking the long view in a creative career.   Carolyn shares her journey from advertising to ceramics, how loss shaped a deeply personal body of work, and why success in the art world often comes slowly - through consistency, clarity, and community rather than quick wins.   In this episode we talk about: Finding your true creative voice later in life How personal experience can become universal in your work Why Carolyn describes her work as a "visual diary" of things she notices The value of getting help with words, storytelling, and communication Imposter syndrome - even when showing your work at a prestigious event like Collect How previous careers can quietly support a creative business Selling work through galleries and how collectors engage with ceramics Why evolution in your work needs to be careful and considered What success looks like when you play the long game     Carolyn also shared businesses that she loves for their brands and their authenticity: her local bakers @august.bakery_ and skincare specialist @drsambunting   You can find Carolyn's work at https://www.carolyntceramics.co.uk/ and on instagram she's @carolyntceramics   Carolyn is showing her work with the Cynthia Corbett Gallery https://www.thecynthiacorbettgallery.com/ at the Craft's Council https://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/ international event, Collect at London's Somerset House https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/ from 26th Feb   If you enjoy An Art to It podcasts, please, please do follow us on Apple and help more people find us. It's really easy, open the Apple podcast app, go to An Art to It; the top three little dots on the upper right hand corner, touch that and it will offer you 'Go to Show' select that, your on the home page, and then back to the three dots, select that and tap FOLLOW. Thank you v much!

    44 min
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About

When does your passion become your profession? Can you take a love of making and creating and turn it into a successful business? This is the podcast where I talk to artists and makers who, whatever their discipline, are all fortunate to have turned their passion for creating into their occupation. As we discuss their journey to being professional artists and makers we explore inspirations, imposter syndrome, what success really means and of course, if there IS an art to running a flourishing creative business. I'm Elaine Dye, I'm the owner and curator of Cornwall's Byre Gallery, I'm also a creative business mentor and coach, and the creator of the course, 'An Insider's Guide to Gallery Success.' When the Byre Gallery celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024, I thought it was the ideal opportunity to chat to some of the fascinating creatives I've got to know over the past decade and to explore what it means to be in the business of doing something you really love. I discovered that I love doing the podcast... so I'm keeping going!

Information

  • Creator
    Elaine Dye
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    61
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    An Art To It

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