All posts by marniehiggsart@gmail.com

I am lucky enough to have sent a piece of work to the other side of the world to be part of the Rebel Against Skin Cancer exhibition in Vienna to raise awareness of melanoma and other types of cancer.  If only I could curl up and post myself to Austria as well…  “Left in the Storm” has arrived in Vienna ready for the art show which is being held on May 24th, and will be sold for charity after the event.  I feel so honoured to have a piece of work in an art show that holds such meaning to me, as an Aussie (the melanoma capital of the world) and as someone who has seen melanoma touch the lives of people close to me.  Please visit Spot The Dot to see the important work they do and what they are trying to achieve.  I’m so proud to be part of it, and an amazing first art show for a new artist such as myself!

I’m so excited to say I have had my first day at Rose Street Artists Market! It was a great day, great stallholders to meet and I was lucky enough to meet some lovely customers and speak with them about my journey and my paintings.  I’m back at Rose Street on April 23rd and looking forward to it already!  I also found out this week I will be at the Heide Markers Market on May 13th – another Melbourne institution and another “big hitter” on the artists market circuit.  I feel so fortunate to be able to have a presence at these markets, to be able to talk to people about how I started painting and show them my work.  It’s all happened so quickly and I love that I can share it with the world.  And of course, now I have markets in my future to look forward to!  Hoping to see any Melbourne-based people at my markets soon!  xx

Well, I can’t believe it, but my story of starting to paint in hospital, and my journey through depression and anxiety, is now online. It’s such a daunting thing – to read such personal details in a forum that’s so public..  But I’m so glad to be able to share a “good news” mental health story and hopefully be able to help and give hope to others through my story.  Although it makes me more vulnerable – to have these details available for all to read – I strongly believe in the importance of being open about mental health. This is something I feel extremely strongly about.  Please – ready my story here.

Well, I have my very first market coming up! Followed shortly by my second, then third, then fourth and fifth…  It’s going to be a busy 3 months until the end of April – I call it “Market Season”!!  I don’t know what to expect, having never done markets before, but I’m cautiously enthusiastic about them.  I’m most excited about my first market – Our Little Caravan Artisan Market (February 11th); the Abbotsford Convent market in March (19th), and the Rose Street Artists Market in April (2nd and 23rd) – the last two are artisan markets and can be quite difficult to get into as a stall holder, so I’m so proud I even got a stall!

For anyone who is Melbourne based, please come by and say hello.  It will help settle my nerves to see some people who already know my work!

I’ve done it! I’ve set up a mailing list and added a free EXCLUSIVE digital download of “Dragonflies Dancing” (which is not available to purchase via the shop) for anyone signing up!  I painted this specifically with the end result in mind, and made it the most beautiful and playful painting I could so those people signing up could own a beautiful piece of Marnie Higgs art.  I’m so excited!  I love this painting, it’s already one of my favourites, and I hope you sign up to the mailing list so you can print it at home.  Go back to the Blog homepage and click on the image on the right hand side.  It’s a special gift from me to you.  Enjoy!

I had a fabulous Christmas and New Year – my sister and her family spent Christmas with us (they flew out from Houston) and I was lucky enough to spend time with my 10 year old niece who received watercolour paints for Christmas. It was a “masterclass” of sorts, with me imparting my (limited) knowledge while we sat, side by side, and painted each other a picture. It was beautiful – tranquil, and very meaningful to me to share my new love with my much loved niece.  I painted her a picture with two dragonflies – representing my two nieces – and she painted me a landscape with snowcapped mountains and flowers in the foreground.  She got bored long before I’d finished! But I had a blast for 30 minutes while I finished up her painting.  It was truly a special way to bring in 2017.  May all my paintings this year be filled with this much love!

What a Christmas!  My fears of falling down into a depression were unfounded – I had a lovely day with family and gave the gifts of some of my prints to some very happy family members.  Winning all around!  I also had the luck to hear back from some customers who’d ordered prints earlier in December – all extremely happy and just overjoyed with their purchases. It made for a very fulfilling Christmas!

I’ve been a little worried that all the work I’ve spent on getting this website live, and working on spreadsheets etc had stopped my creativity but fortunately I’ve churned out another four paintings in the past 3 days so I think I still have it. Phew! Because I feel like the ability came out of nowhere, I’m forever terrified it will disappear the same way… I need to take control and trust in my abilities more (easier to write/say than to believe).

It has helped doing some commission paintings for friends (one of them is shown here), and having them absolutely adored. It’s made me feel like I can create something special that people want and desire and that makes me feel on top of the world.  Even when I am feeling down, the ability to create something always makes me feel more able to take on the world.

Sending everyone  happy and safe love for a wonderful New Year no matter where you are in the world.  May 2017 bring a fresh new start and the beginnings of something great in your lives.

After getting out of hospital, and visiting a few professional art printers, I decided to get some of my pieces printed for sale.  I put the word out and OH MY LORDY what a response I got from friends and family…  I received so many orders in my first “run” that I ended up overwhelmed, in tears, and beside myself to think people actually wanted my art.  It was amazing to think people would spend money to own something I created – it was a real rush, a real ego boost and a moment in time I’ll never forget.

I’ll also never forget when I went to pickup my first print run.  All of those prints of my work, packaged up and ready for their new owners. It was humbling and exciting and such a rush!  All I wanted for Christmas was for people to acknowledge what I was doing, and I got that in spades. And in turn, I got to brighten up some people’s holiday season when I sent or delivered their prints.  Even now, I’m still receiving feedback from people who ordered from that first print run.  I love it.  It’s addictive and it makes me want to create more in the hopes that they’ll find homes as well.

When I got out of hospital, almost 6 weeks had passed. It was truly terrifying being out, the world seemed to move fast and be SO VAST… After the cushioning and security of hospital, I felt really lost and vulnerable my first few days out. I was emotional and uncertain, and didn’t know what the future held for me…

My very first night out I painted the first of the #cantfly series – “If I could only fly…”. This piece is very personal to me and one of the favourite things I’ve created. It shows such a yearning to take flight… just how I felt.

My first weekend out my gorgeous husband suggested we turn our study into part-studio, so we purchased a draft table. I love it – lots of space to spread out and I can angle it for sketching vs painting. And it makes me feel like a “real” painter! It’s helped me having a space I can retreat to – away from the family when I need “me” time. It’s been the perfect place to keep my creativity flowing.  And with time, I have gotten used to being out of hospital.  I am used to being a wife and a mum again, used to being a daughter and a friend. Every day it feels less and less like an act.  😊

It was another patient who suggested I sell my paintings – before then I’d never even considered it. The more I thought of it, the most optimistic I felt about the idea. My friends and family were all behind me, surely they’d like to own a “Marnie Higgs”?! The hilarity of the idea died down when the first few people I spoke to about it placed early orders – maybe this could really turn into something…

The important part for me was that the idea of selling my work didn’t change the way I painted or my process of creation. I still painted for myself, still concentrated on things that meant something to me or told part of my story. I did some research and found a few local professional art printers in Melbourne and made a plan to “eventually” take some of my work in to discuss making prints. I didn’t expect that would happen sooner rather than later! In fact, less than a week after I was out of hospital, I’d visited two professional art printers, met with a friend for a business lunch to discuss a website and was working on a logo.  All systems go!