Coming to the end of the year on a cheerful note, with the very welcome sale of one of my bigger artworks, via the gallery where it was exhibited for some time - and I'm very grateful for their promotional help. Since it's a Christmas gift for somebody, I can say no more about it  - and of course it isn't this image - this is one that I used as a Christmas card a few years ago. I've got plenty of plans for publicity and promotion in 2015, and - health permitting - I also plan to do occasional craft fairs and shows especially throughout the spring and summer, although I always have to pace myself and take my wife along to do the fetching and carrying from car to stand - it takes me all my time to get myself there.

I've just updated my listing on the excellent new Scotland's Artists website and am looking forward to the Open Studios event in the spring and already starting to plan for that too. Meanwhile, I'm also planning to start a major new painting over the Christmas period and have a really interesting (and very place specific) idea in mind - something on a subject I know well. But much more about that in January 2015. 

We did another antique market at Ayr's Citadel on Saturday.  Very tiring but sold a few prints and cards and spoke to a lot of interested and interesting people.  This was a busy event, the last before Christmas. I've decided to carry on doing these monthly events as far as possible, because people keep asking me if I'll be 'there next month' and I tell them I hope so!

The more often people see you as a regular exhibitor, the more interested (and confident) they become. Or that's what we're hoping, anyway. Back when I was working as a woodcarver, people knew who I was and what I did, but making a name for yourself in another field entirely, albeit a creative one, is a bit of a challenge. One visitor came up with another word to describe my work - primitive, in a good way. He said he loved the way it was so full of life. 

The next market is at the very end of January and we've booked a stall, hoping that the weather won't be too bad. At least the disabled parking is very close to the door, and my wife does all the carrying!