I am trying desperately to get into the habit of writing more often so two posts in 5 weeks is at least a big improvement! However, after a disruptive few months life is settling into a routine and mercifully my time management is improving! This is a relatively short blog to just update on what is happening with WOA. Firstly, the big news: as of early April WOA became affiliate members of Banks Mill Studios here in Derby! This is a big step for me personally due to being neurodiverse but it also means as an artist I am stepping out much more in to the big wide world and becoming part of the Derbyshire artistic community. Banks Mill Studios opens up new opportunities for us as a business in terms of exhibiting, hearing about open calls and also networking - all of which seem daunting but also very exciting! It is also a big confidence boost particularly as my creative work has undergone such a transformation and growth in the last few months and now the plan is to engage fully with whatever comes our way and what we can also explore.

Secondly: I am going to take the shop off-line until May 20th to allow for a re-design and the uploading of new artworks. This is long over-due and will be more in tune with the new aesthetic of the website in general which is something we have been working on for the past few months. These changes are as a result of an evolving understanding of who we are as a creative business and the professional impression we wish to create as well as simply getting better with website design - it is a steep and sometimes winding/frustrating learning curve.

Thirdly: in just under 3 months time I will be completing my masters degree in fine art and upon graduation finishing with Open College of the Arts after 8 1/2 years of study. OCA has been affiliated and then in full partnership with University for the Creative Arts who are the graduating university. As I write this I feel a real mix of emotions as my initial dreams were just purely to complete my undergraduate degree - an MA was simply not even in my dreams or aspirations until early in my final level/year. However, that MA not only became reality but I am now in the midst of preparing my exhibition proposal which will be developed for a solo show at Banks Mill in late winter/early spring 2024! The next 3 months will be incredibly full-on and hence taking this Coronation weekend off is almost a must to gather strength both mentally and physically for the weeks ahead - but I am going to also relish these weeks ahead. WOA's administrative manager and my partner in life is also now heading rapidly towards the culmination of the end of his second level of his studies and hence our conversations vary between the fungal kingdom and Victorian politics! But then what? .... WOA is going to keep us incredibly busy as plans are now coming to fruition and the aforesaid opportunities up but there is other news in the pipeline but that you will just have to watch this space for!