The summer of 2020 was one no one planned. 

But without plans but with the added interference of the unknown and rules I'd never experienced before, more than ever I became appreciative of the freedom that we did have, the nature around us and all of the little details.

The collection "Freedom comes in Waves" grew out that sense of freedom but also my own situation. We acquired a workshop at the end of summer and all of a sudden I had SPACE , a space where I could make bigger pieces, chuck paint around more and not be so concerned with making a mess. So with that these pieces feel freer, there's movement in them that are fresher but also a dream like quality that hopefully takes you to moment in your time, a moment of escapism and freedom.  

Becci - Hiltingbury Interiors
For me personally, I’ll often look for art when we are travelling either in the UK or abroad. I also attend exhibitions, open studios, art/craft fairs and I’m far more likely to purchase art if I’ve met the artist. I think social media is also really important and I’ll follow artists so that I can see who’s putting what out there. 
For clients, I will often hook them up with artists I know. I have relationships with an eclectic mix of artists so can often match the client with an artist to suit their personality and interior design style.

​Sarah - Sarah Beam Interiors
I’m always very excited to put the work of local artists into the homes of my clients #shoplocal. You can’t beat pop-up art exhibitions and local galleries - seeing a variety of collections up close with their varying styles and mediums broadens the chance of finding something that really hits the spot. Meeting the artists is invaluable too, especially if there is an opportunity to commission a piece specifically for my project – I can chat through the possibilities there and then to get the ball rolling.
 
I also increasingly value the opportunity provided by Instagram and other social media channels to get to know brands and the artists behind them.  I’m basically matchmaking my clients to art(ists) I think they’ll resonate with.

Cedars Yard as a vague business proposal was formed in the summer of 2017. We were staying at Dan's parents whilst in between houses, Emma had just decided not to return to her job post maternity leave and Dan was travelling and working many hours going back to Surrey as a tree surgeon. It was a fairly tough unsettling time, but what came with it too was a sense of freedom of opportunity, or at least the potential to do something scary and new. 

In our still fairly young relationship of 3 years and with a young baby in tow we had already learnt that we both had a passion to run our own thing (and do things our own way!), that we could work together in the most stressful and fast paced of environments (we'd run a busy pub kitchen) and that we had similar values of what we wanted a business to achieve. So we hatched a plan of what Cedars Yard could be and got to work on a zero budget, zero experience in self employment but 100% enthusiastic ambition.
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2. THE CAKE.
​Let's face it, thick luscious icing has many similarities to paint. So why not treat your cake like a blank canvas and create a masterpiece on it.

​Photocredit @junebugweddings

Any kind of creativity or exercise are great tools to support mindfulness. In our busy lives, its becoming increasingly important to take a restful moment that promotes wellness and selfcare. Art can help do that and if you've not done much it shouldn't be something to be scared of. These 3 simples steps advise on how to involve art into your life to aide mindfulness.

This isn't about creating a finished piece. This is one of my biggest learnings from university was how to use a sketchbook as an exercise in exploration rather than starting each with the mindset of thinking how will it turn out.

​Take yourself back to your childhood art, when you just created, it could be a mess, it could be organised pattern but overall it is just play. Remove the pressure to make "something" or draw something realistic and just MAKE YOUR MARK. This isn't work to show to be judged, but who the hell cares if its seen, its an extension of the creative side of your brain. I dont want to hear "but I can't draw", because everyone can physically draw. We don't have to be Rembrandt to enjoy the process.

Loosen up and enjoy exercises like drawing with your eyes closed, drawing without looking at the paper and continuous line drawing.

I had an absolute blast hosting this art event at this fabulous couples wedding last weekend. It went way beyond my expectations of how much fun the guests would have.
There was nostalgia as guests donned their back to front aprons and reminisced their school days, there was laughter as they gently teased each other over painting skills, there was competition over whose was the best bit, there was conversation as they kept coming back to see how the painting was progressing and there was pride, so much pride for what collectively they had managed to achieve as their gift to the newly weds.