What is the inspiration behind Arcipluvia and your work?
At its heart, Arcipluvia, is a self-created, imagined world which serves to provide an emotive, immersive and joyously colourful escape from the everyday. Being born out of my own longing to visit beautiful landscapes like the Cairngorms and the Tuscan hills, my ongoing gouache series, titled Arcipluvia, depicts this magical place in all its kaleidoscopic glory.
Arcipluvia is a name created from the Latin-derived adjective ‘arcipluvian’, which translates to an ‘arc of rain’, otherwise meaning ‘rainbow-like’ and used to describe something which is multi-coloured. The rainbow has always been a symbol of hope. Through religion and ancient myth across many cultures the rainbow was mostly considered a pathway between Earth and Heaven, and subsequently was deemed a sign of promise that better times lie ahead.
Arcipluvia encapsulates everything good –old and new– that the rainbow represents, through its prismatic, undulating hills. It’s my own love of colour, and this message of hope woven through my work, which drove me to create this platform – an eponym of my landscape paintings. One day, I hope to open Arcipluvia as a physical shop-space, to share and sell the works of other artists and artisans, in an approachable, inclusive and colourful way.
What is your main target market currently and what market would you like to grow into more?
In the spirit of their creation, these artworks are for everyone and anyone who enjoys viewing them – independent collectors looking to add to their collections or source artworks for their homes; hoteliers needing to update or improve their aesthetic; interior designers wanting to incorporate pieces into their projects; councils in need of mural artists for the benefit of the community; or restauranteurs seeking to elevate their dining experiences. It probably isn’t a ‘business savvy’ approach, but ultimately, the Arcipluvia scenes are for all to appreciate.
What are your short and long-term goals?
My short-term goals are to work on a bigger scale –so to be working on murals, or larger commissions– and to improve the reach of these Arcipluvia artworks so that I can achieve my dream of opening Arcipluvia as both an online platform and a physical shop-space, to share and sell the works of other selected, UK-based artists and artisans. Through Arcipluvia’s success, I hope to provide artists and artisans with an alternative or additional avenue through which they could sell their pieces without compromising a substantial amount of their income through things like gallery fees and commissions. I would also want to sell works in a more approachable, affordable and inclusive way, as art-buying can sometimes feel inaccessible, exclusive and expensive. We’re a while away yet, but that is my long-term goal.
What makes Arcipluvia different to its competitors?
At the moment, I am a one-woman-band – I both run the business and make the art that the business relies on. I offer a personal and personalised approach to the customer and the art, I have a distinctive painting style, I have big ambitions and I relish a challenge – those are probably some of my biggest strengths.
Where do your design ideas come from?
It’s interesting, I’ve always been a creative soul. I excelled in my art studies at school, and after graduating in Economics, my working experiences have been in the art-world for an auction house, galleries, and artists. Perhaps it’s a combination of being so heavily immersed in the art-sphere and my degree in Economics which prompted me to approach art-making in a more formulaic way. Landscape painting is one of the most popular genres throughout art-history, while stripes offer me complete flexibility colour-wise –hence why these pieces can be tailored to each client’s need– there’s even an element of pointillism I often use for the greenery. They’re a nod to many Old and Modern Masters, media and techniques –from Constable and Turner to Hockney and Riley– but with a very contemporary finish. With Arcipluvia coming to fruition after the global pandemic, the landscapes were born from a longing to go away and visit scenic places and countries, like Scotland and Italy. Ultimately, they’re a joy to create, and very therapeutic.
What would you say your proudest moment for Arcipluvia has been?
As of late my proudest moments have probably been having my artworks exhibited in a couple of group shows. As an artist, there’s something hugely gratifying in knowing that others love and appreciate your work and it’s exciting to know that my paintings are being shared with people.
What is your best-selling pieces and why do you think that is?
During the earlier stages I found the limited-edition prints and greeting cards sold well –I even had a couple of customers frame their greeting cards to put on their walls, which is wonderful! However lately there has been a gradual increase in the interest of original paintings which is very exciting and means I get to spend more time actually creating. No single piece of art will be everyone’s cup of tea, but the breadth of colour across the different pieces means that there is more potential to be something for everyone, which is perhaps in part why there has been an increase in the sales of originals, where there is more colour variation. This has recently prompted me to consider creating more prints in various colour-ways and sizes.
Do you have any new pieces in the pipeline?
I am often creating new original pieces, though at the moment I am working towards an open-edition collaboration with a gallery, but I suppose, following on from your previous question, I am considering making more prints in more colour-ways, as a more affordable option for people or businesses who can see these pieces in their interior spaces.
What has been your favourite project Arcipluvia has been a part of?
Last summer, so in 2021, I painted a tortoise sculpture for The Blossom Charity, in Suffolk, which was included in their sculpture trail and auctioned in September of that year to raise money for the charity. My sculpture, who I aptly called Arcipluvia, raised £2000 for the charity, so that was both brilliant fun and very rewarding.
