.The #lockdown of 2020 has affected us all and I was no exception. How do you go from being a passionate artist, teacher integrating with young lives to make a difference and earning a living to no voice at all and no prospect of having a job.
Teaching the vulnerable women had also given me insight to the many difficulties ordinary people face day-to-day and that the best gift you can give them is hope. Along with skills in art that helped empower them to gain confidence that had slipped away from them. But that too, all stopped when the world was affected by COVID-19 and the pandemic hit us all hard.
As an artist it is impossible to stop being creative. I changed my style from mainly painting on canvas or watercolours to making gifts such as cushions, tableclothes, and table runners to give as gifts for friends and family because no shop was open. This kept my creative mind-set going but didn't provide an income, in fact i was rather out of pocket with the postage, and materials.
Then I stumbled upon PRINT-ON-DEMAND shops such as #Redbubble, #Zazzle, Society6 and Cafepress.
All I needed to do was upload my own art images and put them on their products, it couldn't be simpler. I would get a commission or royalty as they called it and it was no outlay for merchandise. It was a winner and best of all people could get to see and use my artwork in clothes, dresses, leggings, skirts, hoodies even baby clothes, there were accessories bags, backpacks, tote bags, draw-string bags, kitchenware, cups, mugs, water bottles, travel mugs. Home accessories, cushions, duvets, throws, tapestries, shower curtains, clocks, the list seemed endless.and whats more my artwork looked GOOD, NO GREAT on them.
Of course the small print is the MARKETING so I am having to brush up on social media and running an ecommerce business. A huge learning curve but if I expect my arduous students and my lovely vulnerable women to put the effort into learning then I have to too.
#lockdown2020 can't keep us down we have to make our opportunities and also do what we can for others.
Teaching the vulnerable women had also given me insight to the many difficulties ordinary people face day-to-day and that the best gift you can give them is hope. Along with skills in art that helped empower them to gain confidence that had slipped away from them. But that too, all stopped when the world was affected by COVID-19 and the pandemic hit us all hard.
As an artist it is impossible to stop being creative. I changed my style from mainly painting on canvas or watercolours to making gifts such as cushions, tableclothes, and table runners to give as gifts for friends and family because no shop was open. This kept my creative mind-set going but didn't provide an income, in fact i was rather out of pocket with the postage, and materials.
Then I stumbled upon PRINT-ON-DEMAND shops such as #Redbubble, #Zazzle, Society6 and Cafepress.
All I needed to do was upload my own art images and put them on their products, it couldn't be simpler. I would get a commission or royalty as they called it and it was no outlay for merchandise. It was a winner and best of all people could get to see and use my artwork in clothes, dresses, leggings, skirts, hoodies even baby clothes, there were accessories bags, backpacks, tote bags, draw-string bags, kitchenware, cups, mugs, water bottles, travel mugs. Home accessories, cushions, duvets, throws, tapestries, shower curtains, clocks, the list seemed endless.and whats more my artwork looked GOOD, NO GREAT on them.
Of course the small print is the MARKETING so I am having to brush up on social media and running an ecommerce business. A huge learning curve but if I expect my arduous students and my lovely vulnerable women to put the effort into learning then I have to too.
#lockdown2020 can't keep us down we have to make our opportunities and also do what we can for others.
My #designs on merch on #redbubble, #zazzle, #cafepress and #society6
BOOKS published by FELICITY PRAZAK
AUTHOR Libya's Unknown Atrocity: A western woman's fight for justice Felicity's first novel 'Libya's Unknown Atrocity' is a true story based on events when her husband was killed in a terrorist attack. It was released in April, 2013. It is a powerful account of her quest for justice and to know the truth of what happened to her husband, Victor Prazak who was killed when the Gaddafi shot down the plane he was on. The sequel was release in December, 2015 it is a non-fiction told as a thriller, crime novel and love story. Felicity's determination to pursuit the truth of how her husband, Victor was killed took her to the raging civil war in Libya. With the uprising coined the 'Arab Spring' Libya's dictatorship fell and the truth spilled out. Felicity tells the stories of the Libyan families who lost loved ones on the flight and their denial of any promise of justice. |
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VISUAL ARTIST |
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ARTIST
FELICITY PRAZAK is a visual artist and author. Felicity's passion is art, she strives to bring a love of art to all she teaches. Felicity is always exploring ways to present her work. She loves to record on site the landscape in watercolour washes using gel pen. These are often done in precision detail so she can later interpret them into oils and mixed media major works.
In Felicity's WRITING, you are taken into the story and the characters unfold bringing to life experiences that are beyond what most people ever experience. The essence is to share a remarkable story that could happened to anyone. Felicity has in many ways had an extraordinary life, meeting presidents and world leaders from Nelson Mandela to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Rowan Williams. These are real life characters that feature in her books as real people who play a cameo part in her journey of life.
