From The Peacock & The Printmaker to Heather Moore Fine Art: spreading my wings and thinking big
I have been toying with the idea of changing my business name for quite a while now. The thing that has held me back is the fact that I love the romantic story feel of ‘The Peacock & The Printmaker’. The trouble is that I want to expand my repertoire of media and experiment a little but that means shedding the niche of printmaker.
I don’t think there was one specific moment that prompted me to make the decision - I can’t pinpoint it at least. I just know that there has been a lot of change in my life - change with me, disruption in my family and generally things that have made me look at life and business a little differently. I feel braver and more adventurous and that makes me want to create larger pieces with a range of materials that will enable myself to express my ideas and emotions in different ways.
What wasn’t working before
I adore linocut and I will continue to create them as part of my collections but the need to work on different scales and at different paces (linocut reduction is a very slow process) leads me to explore other ways to realise my artistic visions.
As well as changing my business name, I wanted to refresh the colours in my branding. The Peacock & The Printmaker was all about the blues and greens - colours that I love but that don’t show the zestier side of me. For that reason, I have included pink and orange as well as tweaking the blue and green hues to be brighter and more aligned with the sense of joy and excitement that I want to convey.
I feel myself pulled towards using more metallics and hot colours in what I do and even exploring a more fauvist approach to palettes. Perhaps it’s my Alice in Wonderland movement. Who knows?
How my work has evolved
I have always started with sketching and watercolours when creating new pieces. It enables me to get ideas down quickly without worrying too much about the outcome. While I explore new ideas, I am using those same materials but on a much larger scale while simultaneously tinkering with elements such as wire and embroidery along with sketches and texture layering.
Sense of place and how places connect to memories will continue to be the inspiration for my contemporary landscape artworks and I am still mixing the real experiences with a dreamy sense of composition and colour. Some of that colour is evident on my studio walls as I splash it energetically while exploring these themes.
Who I’m creating for
My work is for design-conscious, lifestyle-led people who love to entertain and curate a joyful, welcoming home. High earning nest building interior eccentrics who love impactful art inspired by memories in nature. People who love the great outdoors, self expression and individuality. Those same people who have loved my work since the beginning will continue to enjoy it alongside collectors looking for larger pieces with even more impact.
I imagine these dreamy nostalgic pieces hanging in social spaces such as living rooms, dining rooms and even kitchens. They will prompt conversations about happy travels and dreams for future adventures. They will provide a backdrop to the making of many new happy memories between families and friends and they will remind people of brighter times even in the darkest days.
Buying art isn’t about making a sensible choice. For me it’s about connection with something visceral, something that has been created by hand and imbued with joy and passion. You feel that when you see it and you know it’s meant for your home.
Colour, type, and visual choices
For anyone who is already familiar with me you will know that my passion for bright colours goes beyond just liking them. For me the strong pigments kick start my happiness like a hit of dopamine. It’s scientifically proven that colours affect our mood so I choose to use colours that bring warmth, happiness and energy. This needs to be evident everywhere you see me - in the fonts and colours on my website, in the clothes I wear and, of course, in the artwork itself.
Values and intention
Values have always been at the heart of any decision I;ve made as an artist. Much of these decisions are instinctive but the rebrand was an opportunity to step back and take a really close look at what I want my art and the rest of my business to stand for.
Wellbeing - experiencing and making art
Community - spaces and art action
Transformation - for people and spaces
Colour - for personality and mood
Impact - on people, spaces and community
The community impact is something that requires more time and thought but it will include aspects of workshops and take inspiration from the Creating with Confidence project that I ran for East End Women. Seeing the impact that being creative had on those women and knowing how it helps my mental wellbeing, I am determined to offer accessible opportunities for similar creative moments in my local community.
What hasn’t changed
As I have already said, you will still see lots of bold colour and nostalgic stories inspiring my work and it will still be hand crafted by my fair hands.
I'll still be running linocut workshops in person and online but you may see the breadth of workshops expanding.
Members of my mailing list will still get first refusal on my new pieces as well as exclusive access to my quarterly interiors magazine, The Curated Nest.
My philosophy on art hasn’t changed. I’m simply using a wider range of tools and materials to express myself.
How to engage with Heather Moore Fine Art
Here’s to a life with more energy and joy!
