1st VANniversary; reflections & new directions.

31-01-23

It’s so hard to believe it has been a year since we set out in our van! Initially I was working with my husband, who is a tiler by trade, so we became the travelling tilers! It became all too much for me with trying to juggle work and the kids online schooling (and we were still actually trying to finish the van)! However, the less hours I was putting into tiling, the more hours I had to finish projects in the van and work on my ULTIMATE dream of being a travelling artist! It was so good to be back into art after a soul destroying 18 months of little to no creativity. 

I spent the remaining portion of 2022, creating many physical products, in order to minimise the art materials I’m carrying around in the van. I had also spent a great deal of time re-establishing and updating my website, customising and branding, reinstated my ABN, you know: all the boring stuff. I also decided to quit the slavery to social media (I have written about that here), and that I would give selling on Etsy a go, which has already outdone social media in terms of sales! I think it is definitely worth the effort double-listing items.

Heading into 2023 I am attempting to balance my time between physical objects, and digital assets. This is great news for you, dear reader, because it means I will be posting more of these riveting Journal posts (which is essentially a blog, I just don’t like that word, lol), yay! My ultimate goal is to embrace the life of a digital nomad, and the travelling artist. My dream life!

I designed ample storage space in my van for my art materials. Of equal importance; I have archival storage for completed items and artworks, to ensure there is no nasties like dust and moisture ever touching my finished works. Everything stays perfectly clean ready for postage. I have also created an outdoor studio space as well with the back doors that can be configured in a few different ways (depending on which way the sun is coming in, haha). The doors also hold a lot of art materials as well! But if the weather is awful., there’s still plenty of space in the lounge area to work.

There is still much to do in the van, but in terms of my ‘art studio’, I need a decent portable, lightweight, fold up, chair. That is also comfortable… which I am afraid, may be the white whale of chairs! I am working on a contraption that transforms my tripod, into an easel. The back doors I spoke of are already primed, and are waiting to be painted, I just can’t make up my mind what I want in those locations. I will post images of this when I am finished, for your viewing pleasure! I would also like to put an awning on the back, for more shade while i’m working outside. There’s various non-art studio projects inside that remain unfinished too, like my felted jungle roof in the cabin area, that also doubles as my office. I will share art/business related van progress right here in my journal. 

But for now, heres a sneak peak. (Note: I no longer use tiktok).

~Karlie