Top 10 Questions and answers you might have about Nay to Grey

     1.    Where are you based?

I am located in the outskirts of Belfast, Northern Irelands` capital city. The closest village to us is Whiteabbey, which is a quiet little place that is situated alongside the shores of the Belfast Lough, that flows eventually into the Irish sea. I live with my husband, two children and two cats.

                 

       2. Have you always worked as an artist?

No, my employment background is in health care, working with adults with severe mental health problems and adults with profound learning disabilities. My first job was around the age of 14, working on a Saturday in a local hardware store.  I started working full-time as an artist at the start of 2021. I have always loved and practiced art in day to day life, and it was during the Covid 19 lockdown that I decided to go full time with dedicating my time, focus and energy towards making art my full time career. 

      3. Where does my inspiration come from?

The easiest answer to this is life. I have always loved people and people watching. I love all the quirks that make us, us.  I am reaching an age in life where I am happy to be in my own skin. I’m glad I am me, and no one else. It has always blown my mind how, there are so many people on this earth, and yet each one of us are made intricately different.  My illustrations try to portray this, and the choices that each individual makes to result in their appearance, i.e. hair style, clothing, makeup, etc. I also apply this same logic to creature characters that I love to design.  Outside of people and creatures, I am inspired by nature, children, and subjects that we cover together as family on our journey of unschooling/home-schooling.
Inspiration for jewelry tends to come from patterns and colors that occur in dresses I own, that I maybe don’t already have a matching pair of earrings for, or, colors that I am inspired to combine due to their interaction with each other. Golds and vivid hues together are my favorite.

      4.  What is your favorite or most frequently used medium to create with?

I find it hard to choose just one medium to work with, and love the mix of several methods to come to an end result.  What medium I use also depends on what it is I am working on, the weather (sounds weird, but I will explain), how I am feeling, etc.
On wet/winter days, I love to curl up on the sofa, staying warm, with a warm drink, tablet in hand and creating on digital art.
On warm sunny days, I love taking my art on the road, or generally in the great outdoors. When I do this, I tend to love to use watercolors, especially metallic, as how they glint in the sun when I apply them to paper is mesmerizing. We are lucky to have a picnic table in our back garden, which gets the morning sun, and on that table has been the location of a lot of my art pieces.

                                               

     5. Do you think being `good` at art is natural (born with a unique talent) or learned?

I love this question, as I am passionate about the idea that everyone has creativity inside of them but is easier to see in some than others. I feel strongly that all children have creativity, but due to societies idea of what makes someone a `good` artist, (mostly being able to draw a realistic copy of something that’s in front of them), many are told they aren’t good at art as a child, and grow up with a perception that they cannot create. Due to this, they avoid taking interest in developing this particular medium that they were exposed to as children. Something I as an artist, and a Mum am very interested in providing for my children, is plenty of instances to explore without judgement, and have access to as many mediums as possible.

Many artists are good at working with, oil paint, for example, but may find they cannot create the images they want with another medium, such as watercolor, as the paints behave differently on paper.  This also applies to what historically would be considered art, and I challenge anyone to widen their perspective as to what quantifies as art. An engineer, draughts person, architect, graphic designer, window dresser, Jeweler, Artisan soap maker, coffee barista and many more professions, require creativity and are no less art than an oil painting. Controversial in some circles, maybe. Art should be accessible for all.

      6.  Do you sell more products online or in person, i.e. Artisan Market stands?

So far, I have been working as a business online, with a few personal enquiries, and being listed on several boutique stores and gallery waiting lists. My goal in 2022 is to set up a regular market stand at a local Artisan market. I love the prospect of getting out there to talk to customers in person about my work.

 

      7. If I want Art for a particular room in my house, or have a color scheme In mind and like your style, but don’t see anything yet that would suit that space. What should I do?

Contact me! I would love nothing better than to work alongside you, to design something to suit a particular space. If local, I would carry out a survey of the area, take in considerations such as lighting, the customers tastes in textiles and décor, and come up with a bespoke piece of art, based on the customers needs.

      8. What products do you make?

• Original art pieces.
• Prints from original art pieces.
• Digital art pieces, which are versatile and can be owned entirely by the customer, digitally, to apply to any format they like.
• Stickers made from original art, printed in Donaghadee by The Wild Trails.
• Blank greetings cards made from original art, designed and printed by Nay to Grey, printed on quality card with a neutral brown envelope and closed with an eco friendly clasp provided by Nellie and Ted.
• DIY bunting kits containing 10 cards with prints from Nay to Grey original art, brown twine cut to length and cute wooden pegs with a variety of colors.
• Earrings made and designed by Nay to Grey, in a range of colors and designs.
• Bespoke illustrations, jewelry pieces and products. I am excited to work with any customer who loves our style here at Nay to Grey, but need something for a particular event/space/outfit. Don’t hesitate to get in touch, where we can get our heads together to produce something amazing.
• Collaborating with other artists and business owners

      9. Where in the world do you sell to?

Currently, Nay to Grey are selling to the UK, EU, US and are currently working to ship worldwide.  

      10. How do I pay for your service or products?

     We currently accept payment in the following ways displayed in the table below.