44: Finding Your Artistic Life with Gabriella Buckingham

In this week's episode, I chat to visual artist Gabriella Buckingham, whose creative path has taken her from illustration, to product design, to online teaching, and finally to the richly expressive painting practice she runs today.

Gabriella reflects on her childhood desire to be an artist and how finally reaching her destination "was just what I wanted. So I'm very grateful." And how her time spent in the business side of a greetings card business left her with invaluable knowledge of trends, sales analysis and creative stamina which she could ultimately apply to her own creative business.

"I really feel that to run art as a business, you've got to be an optimist. You've got to be able to pick yourself up when you fail."

We discuss: • Our shared Lithuanian heritage - and the mystery at the centre of Gabriella's family history • Growing up obsessed with the paintings in her family home - as well as colour and ballet

• Why she realised graphic design wasn't for her as she cared far more about the painting than the type.

• The commercial years that gave her strong business foundations

• Life as a kitchen-table business owner on Not On The High Street, https://www.notonthehighstreet.com/ and the moment she realised success was costing her more than it gave back

• Creating and teaching her own online painting course, and why seven-month "live experiences" are as intense as they sound

• Entering work for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition - and the electric moment she learned she'd been selected

• Brand inspiration, colour psychology, and why she thinks she's a "Spring business with an Autumn edge" inspired by Fiona Humberstone @thebrand_stylist https://www.thebrand-stylist.com/

• Brands she loves: Boden https://www.boden.com/, Toast https://www.toa.st/, and Kemi Telford https://kemitelford.com/

• Success, according to Gabriella: "the life I have now… just with a little more space, more painting, and more galleries."

You can enjoy Gabriella's work at - https://www.gabriellabuckingham.com/ and on instagram @gabriellabuckingham