An Art To It

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

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!

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!

In this episode, I'm joined by ceramic artist Sonya Wilkins, whose vessels are inspired by the natural world  - particularly trees, woodland textures, and the quiet power of time spent outdoors. Sonya shares how creativity has been woven through her life since childhood, from early painting lessons with her father to discovering clay at school, and why ceramics became both a practice and a refuge.
Sonya also talks candidly about her "two pulls": a creative identity alongside an entrepreneurial streak, and how her earlier career in people development eventually found its way back into her work. A turning-point moment brought her full circle to teaching ceramics, and reignited her own studio practice.
We chat about the tension many artists face between commercial demand and soul-led making, how Sonya uses variety (and a range of price points) to support both creativity and sustainability, and why she sees Instagram as a visual portfolio rather than a creative prison. We also touch on other subjects close to Sonya's heart: Reiki, wellbeing, and Ikigai, and how she believes that all of these frameworks can help artists build a business that doesn't flatten their joy.
We chat about:
How Sonya's father taught her observation - and why that shaped everything

Fossil hunting, earth materials, and the "magic" of what's hidden inside rock

Why clay became a companion, and why Sonya always needs to go 3D

A "pre-art" career, and the confidence rebuild that brought her back to making

The commercial temptation: growth vs. conveyor-belt creativity

Trees as muse, symbol, and subject 

Her MA at Bath Spa University https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/

Client stories, significant trees, and creating vessels that hold memory


You can see Sonya's work at https://ceramicsinspiredbynature.com/ and on instagram @sonyawilkinsceramics

2026 - and series five - kicks off with An Art to It's first ever transatlantic episode: this week I'm joined by gallerist Liz Lidgett of Liz Lidgett Gallery + Design in Des Moines, Iowa. https://www.lizlidgett.com/
Liz shares how growing up with a free local museum - and a grandmother who bought her art lessons every Christmas - shaped her belief that art should be for everyone. After studying art history and working as an in-house curator for a major corporate collection, she left the corporate world after exactly one year to become a freelance art advisor before opening her own gallery in 2019… just months before the pandemic.
In our lively chat we talk about how being based in the midwest - rather than LA or New York City - gave Liz the space to experiment with selling art, and how Instagram and lockdown turned a her local gallery into a global business.  and why Liz treats her gallery as her biggest artwork – built on joy, ethics, and a strict "no jerks" rule.
Inspired by her belief that art really IS for everyone, 2026 sees the launch of Liz's book, Art for Everyone where she demystifies buying, hanging and living with art for people who "love art but don't know where to start." It can be pre-ordered now on Amazon. 
In this episode, we chat about:
Why being in the "overlooked" Midwest gave Liz freedom to play, make mistakes and experiment

Moving from art history and corporate curation into art advising - and what she learned from seeing behind the scenes of galleries.

How her Midwest gallery now ships to all 50 US states and 11+ countries, and why location matters less when your voice and eye are strong

The values at the heart of her business: accessibility, kindness, paying artists on time, "no jerks", and approachable (never snooty) language

Building a community for artists: annual surveys, honest questions, and a legendary 5-year party that brought 35–40 artists together in person

The emotional and as Liz says, "slightly woo-woo" side of gallery work: believing that each artwork has a person it's "meant" for – and her job is to connect them

What galleries can still offer artists in an age of direct sales and social media

Treating the gallery itself as her biggest artwork, and why joy is non-negotiable in how she runs her business.

@lizlidgettgallery @lizlidgett 
@elaine_dye_ @thebyregallery