What Have I Done in 2021 So Far?

A rapid round-up of my 'what-when-where' for the first quarter... 

First up, I have to say I'm so glad to live in the age of modern medicine and vaccines, in a country with a National Health Service... focusing on the positives here, in a time of many negatives. Never 'Back to Normal'. Only 'Back to Better' is acceptable.

Despite the past 12 months of COVID-19 control lockdowns, I have managed to get on with some art activity 'out there'. Curating the . six . shot . gallery . for the new online initiative from The Signifier has been inspiring. I suppose you could say that I led by example with The Stars, At Our Feet, the inaugural exhibition to welcome in the New Year, and have been followed by two really intriguing, enigmatic and poetic online shows from Stephen Green and Julie Upmeyer. I look forward to artist Lou Gunstone taking the slot for April, adding a bolder splash of colour with his illustrative, pop-art vibe... 

I've also been regularly contributing articles about art and design in context for The Signifier publication. You can 'jump in' with these selected examples - try to guess the subject before clicking on the image: 

...and I continue writing regular reviews of film and television as a critic at Frame Rated. Here are a few reviews I particularly enjoyed writing recently - kudos if you can identify the movies from these stills before clicking on them:  

The readership for This is growing slowly but surely as more people get to know Rietta and Carla, joining them on their adventures across the magical realms of This, That and The Other... 

I thoroughly enjoyed a few virtual author visits to primary schools for this year's World Book Day, to talk about my favourite books from childhood and to read from This Part One. I was able to be there without travelling, and without that travel time, I could appear live in more places on the day than would've been otherwise possible. Through the magic of modern media, I even managed to be in more than one place at the same time! Big thank you to the schools for having me, to all those who listened to my stories, and for sharing the amazing art you felt inspired to make - see if you can spot your 'work in progress' below... 

As an author, I've enjoyed concentrating on writing (I could get used to this!) but much of my 'work' had been leading creative educational workshops in schools, colleges, and the wider community, so the pandemic definitely hit some of my main outlets pretty hard. I know I'm not alone in this and have been privileged to continue working for the Arts Council of Wales, helping to facilitate their forward-thinking Lead Creative Schools initiative. It has been a challenge to innovate and adapt, using a 'blended approach' to accommodate these challenging times for the schools, the children and their families. 

I have also been developing workshops and courses for digital delivery and hope to offer free preview access to 'friends and followers' in the near future (watch this space). In the meantime, I have launched my 'Buy Me A Coffee' page (if you're feeling kindly, then a 'coffee' is always very much appreciated) where I will be offering goodies such as signed prints and exclusive downloads... 

There is also a growing selection of merchandise for This, That and the Other at the Red Sparrow Press website including lovely mugs and specially designed stationery. The best way to support small indie publishers and their authors, is to purchase their books or simply to help spread the word via your social media. If you enjoy the work of a writer, then a reader review on your preferred peer-sharing platform is a brilliant way to show support and get the word out to others who may also enjoy their books. Huge thanks to those who have taken time to write reviews of my books on Amazon and Good Reads already! Of course, sales of merchandise can also help a lot... 

The dogs and dragons of This - who can resist Scrufty, Lucky, and Smugly?

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