An Art To It

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

Ever wanted to eavesdrop of gallery owners in conversation? Now is your chance . In this Christmas Special edition of An Art to It, I'm joined by two fellow gallerists: Sharon Harvey (Sanctuary Gallery, Gloucestershire, and landscape artist) and Sara McKee (Life Full Colour gallery and music venue, North Wales).
Together we unwrap what 2025 has really been like for independent galleries: the tough months, the surprising highs, the "Dunkirk Spirit" of a Private View in a rainstorm and flood, and why layering income streams and experiences has become essential.
We also answer questions posed by artists and makers on:
How galleries choose new artists

Whether being a "Northern" artist limits your gallery chances

Following up when a gallery goes quiet

The reality of pricing for galleries vs. art fairs

Whether galleries worry about "missing the next Van Gogh"…

It's a cosy, honest, very real conversation about art, money, risk, resilience - and why your relationship with a gallery matters as much as your work.
You can visit each of our galleries here: https://thebyregallery.co.uk/ 
https://www.thesanctuarygallery.com/
https://www.lifefullcolour.com/
And find out more about me https://elainedye.com/
An Art to It will be back in mid January 2026

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

In this final episode of my mini-series An Art to It: Unframed, we're talking about the quiet power of presentation - and why giving your digital presence a bit of a make-over can make such a difference to how your work is seen, understood, and valued.
As a gallery owner I get a lot of submissions from artists and makers asking me to consider their work, and naturally I look at their Instagram accounts and websites. Some times I'm excited by what I discover and others… well, let's just I'm left a bit confused as to what their practice actually is. So this episode explores how your online world: your Instagram grid and your website, act as your shop window. And just like any good window display, it needs a little thought, clarity, and styling to really invite people in.
In this episode we cover:
Why artists often resist "styling" - and why it matters more than we admit
What major retailers can teach us about presentation 
How your Instagram grid works like a mini exhibition
Simple user-friendly and effective upgrades: profile photo, bio, pinned posts, highlights
The "mini shop window" effect and why clarity beats clutter
How to curate your website so visitors instantly understand your work
Seasonal styling and how small changes make your online presence feel fresh and current
This isn't about perfection, aesthetics for aesthetics' sake, or style over substance.
It's about helping your beautiful work shine in the way it deserves to.
If you've enjoyed this mini-series, I'd love to hear from you — and if you have topics you'd like me to explore in possible future Unframed episodes, just drop me a note.
And you can…
• Join my monthly Creative Brief newsletter: elainedye.com
• Listen to the full An Art to It interview series
• Follow along on Instagram for more tips for artists & makers @elaine_dye_ and @thebyregallery.co.uk

In this episode of An Art to It,  I'm joined by applied artist Amy Stringer, who has just celebrated ten years of running her creative business.
Amy's practice moves between jewellery and ceramics – think structural, architectural, process-led work that blurs the boundaries between wearable pieces and sculptural objects. Starting with body adornment and bold cement forms, she's now known for both her chain-led silver jewellery and her carved Kurinuki vessels, where jewellery sometimes lives inside the ceramic object.
Together, Elaine and Amy talk about what has changed over the last decade for makers, and what it really takes to sustain a creative career over the long term.
They discuss:
How the landscape for makers has shifted pre- and post-Covid, from material costs and gallery closures to the boom in workshops

Why Amy's teaching practice has become a vital pillar in her business, and what she loves about passing on traditional skills

Her transition from "fashion-minded" body adornment to process-led jewellery and ceramics, and the tension she's felt around the word "artist"

Working with Kurinuki - an ancient Japanese technique of carving clay- and why her ceramic pieces can take months before they even reach the kiln

Pricing, value and how ceramic audiences respond to labour-intensive work

The differences between jewellery shows and ceramics shows, and why ceramics seems to invite more play

The realities of self-employment as a maker: admin, tax, tools, rejection and the business skills that are rarely taught at art school

How Amy approaches teaching second-career makers who are thinking about going professional

The role galleries have played in her journey, and why having the confidence to approach them early on made such a difference

What success looks like for her next ten years - from multidisciplinary exhibitions to sustaining a comfortable, creatively fulfilling life

And, as always, I ask Amy the podcast's central question:
Is there an art to running a successful creative business?
Amy's answer is honest, encouraging and very recognisable to anyone trying to make their creative work pay the bills: it takes a particular personality, a lot of internal drive, and a willingness to keep going through self-doubt and imposter syndrome.
You can see Amy's work @amystringerdesign and at https://www.amystringer.co.uk/