The document provides details about issue 21 of the magazine Gypsy Chic, including interviews with artists Becky Roesler, Ruth Oliver, and Jenny Hancock. It discusses Depop.com as a platform for selling creative works and vintage items. It also shares an experience visiting a Van Gogh exhibition in London and an attempt to paint in Van Gogh's style.

1. Gypsy Chic
magazine
Issue 21 - 2019
the magazine dedicated to greeting card publishing and entrepreneurship
INSIDE!!! Interviews with...
Becky Roesler, Jenny Hancock and
Ruth Oliver
BOOK
NOOK
SOCIAL
MEDIA
JAIL
Flower
POWER
THE MAKING OF A
MASTER
Depop.com
A WISE
OLD
OWL

2. 2
CONTENTS
3
4
7
8
10
13
14
17
18
19
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
INTERVIEW WITH... BECKY ROESLER
DEPOP.COM
THE MAKING OF A MASTER
INTERVIEW WITH... RUTH OLIVER
FLOWER POWER
INTERVIEW WITH... JENNY HANCOCK
SOCIAL MEDIA JAIL
A WISE OLD OWL
BOOK NOOK
P.4
P.13
P.8
P.14
P.10

3. from the Editor
LETTER
3
Happy Spring everyone.
Nice to be back in the role of
editor……it’s been too long since I
put a new issue together.
The art scene is livelier than ever and
Instagram (where I live) is chockfull of the
most aspiring artists and illustrators I’ve
ever encountered – prolific, dedicated and
immensely talented. This is where I saw Becky
Roesler, Ruth Oliver and Jenny Hancock’s
work, who all kindly agreed to feature in the
pages that follow. I’ve written a few articles
which I hope will be of interest to you, one on
a new sales site I’ve experimented with, and a
book I’m currently reading.
So what about you?
I’ve had a busy few months, balancing
my preference for home working with trips
away. The creative side of things is always
my top priority and I have managed to do
lots of painting lately. I’ve garnered a few
collectors who buy my art pieces regularly
which is always encouraging and produced
a couple of new card ranges based on my
artist portraits and floral still lifes. One
painting a day is as much as I can muster
– the lunch and dinner doesn’t cook itself.
Those snatched moments at my artists table
have to be productive otherwise I’d never
complete anything…..and I often work
late into the evening to finish things. I’ve
washed my brushes out accidently in my
cup of tea on more than one occasion when
fatigue has set in.
There are some interesting art exhibits
in London in the next few months and I
have tons of ideas for new work. I painted
so much in March I ran out of materials
and end up recycling old wood panels
from furniture we chopped up. I felt a bit
like Vincent – when he ran out of money
– and have primed the backs of old books
plus a pair of old jeans so I can continue
painting. Necessity is the Mother
of Invention. Still hoping a wealthy
benefactor will step out of the woodwork
and become my lifelong patron J
Breaking even in the art world is no mean
feat. New supplies can be costly, and there
is always a need to replenish paints, toner,
brushes and canvases. I’ve had to cut all
emotional attachment to my paintings and
get them up for sale as soon as the paint has
dried. One cannot ignore local sales either
– and I’ve popped in to stores close to home
to see if they are interested in stocking new
greeting card designs. Leaving cards on
a sale or return basis has been
good so far... with café’s
and shops happy to
have something for
sale on sideboards
and in baskets by
the till. (I wouldn’t
recommend that if a
stockist isn’t within
walking distance).
Please enjoy glancing
through Issue No.
21 and if I get more
painting done I promise
not to leave Issue 22 as
long as I left this one.
Lorraine x
www.lorrainestylianou.com

4. Becky Roesler
Interview with...
Deep Blue Vase - 11 x 14 in.
acrylic on wood panel

5. xx
1. TELL US HOW YOU HAVE ORGANIZED
YOUR LIFE SO THAT YOU CAN PAINT FULL
TIME AND WHAT DOES A TYPICAL WORK
WEEK LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
lll I’ve always loved anything and
everything about visual arts, and am
a life-long maker and art student. I’ve
been painting full-time now for about 16
years, and I’m still thrilled every single
day when I walk into my studio and get
to do exactly what I love to do the most.
I’m usually in the studio seven days a
week, and spend about half my time
painting and half doing the business
end. After a long career in the corporate
world, this hardly feels like work at all!
2. WHAT MEDIUM DO YOU USE MOST?
lll When I first started painting, I
used oil and pastels to make realistic
florals, still life, landscapes, and animal
portraits. I switched to acrylics and
mixed media about six years ago
when I began making abstracts with
elements of collage and a lot of mark
making in them. This year, I am back
to making florals and still life, but with
acrylic this time.
3. DO YOUR FLOWER PAINTINGS SELL BETTER
THAN YOURABSTRACT OR MIXED-MEDIA
ONES? 4. APART FROM YOUR OWN WEBSITE,
WHAT OTHER PLATFORMS DO YOU SELLYOUR
WORK AND WHICH WORK BEST FORYOU?
lll I’ve sold a lot of both styles over the
years, but I’ve probably sold more flower
paintings because I’ve been making them
a lot longer than the abstracts. I sell work
through my own website, Saatchi Art,
and Artfinder online. I also sell my work
in brick and mortar gallery shows and by
appointment from my studio.
5. YOU ARE VERY PRODUCTIVE, MANAGING
TO FIT IN EXHIBITIONS EACH YEAR. GIVE
US SOME OFYOUR MOTIVATIONALTIPS TO F
Happy Heart - 11 x 14 in.
acrylic on paper

6. 6
ENCOURAGE PRODUCTIVITY, PARTICULARLY
ATTHE START OFA NEWYEAR.
lll The most important tips I have are
to Make Art Every Day and Never Stop
Learning. Don’t worry about whether the
art you’re making is good or bad, just do it.
Experiment, have fun, and learn as much as
you can about all the different facets of art
while you’re at it. Schedule your creative
time if you need to, but stick to it. Daily
painting or sketching trains your hands and
eyes to work together as one. The times that
you get into your head’s art zone and create
something wonderful without even knowing
how you did it will surprise and delight you!
Make art. Every day. Do it!
6. WHATARE YOUR BEST MARKETING
METHODS? 7. WHATARE YOUR PLANS FOR
2019 AND BEYOND?
lll I think it’s very important for all
artists to have their own website and to
keep it up to date with fresh work. We also
need a strong social media presence and
an up to date email contact list so we can
refer potential buyers to our website.
Like most artists, the business side of art
making is not my favorite part, but it’s got
to be done on a regular basis if you plan
on selling your artwork.
I’ve been working hard on improving
my art business this year, and am
implementing a number of new (for me)
processes in order to share my art with
a wider audience. I recently signed up
with an art licensing agent and now have
two companies under contract to use
my artwork on products they produce.
I’m also interested in showing my floral
paintings in high-end florist businesses
and in pop up shops in major retailers.
BECKY ROESLER
Website: BeckyRoeslerArt.com
Email: Becky@BeckyRoeslerArt.com
Instagram: Instagram.com/BeckyRoeslerArt
Facebook: Facebook.com/BeckyRoeslerArt
Promises We Keep - 11 x 14 in.
acrylic on paper

7. 7
Depop.com – the website tells us, is where
the world’s creatives come to buy, sell and
discover the most inspiring and unique things.
One could pass it off as an Ebay for teenagers
but it’s open to anyone. A certain person I
know spent her Christmas hols populating her
shop, photographing “pre-loved” clothing and
making pretty earrings for sale on this platform
spending many hours listing items, doing mini-
photoshoots, and running to the post office
with numerous packages.
The website is a place for greeting cards, art
prints, and collectibles too. A quick search of
#greetingcard #wallart #homedecor #illustration
#artwork #handdrawn #artist brings up quirky,
humourous cards by mainly British artists (since
my location is set as the UK) but it is a global
site with sellers all over the world.
You can flog old books, CDs, spare notebooks,
ornaments and anything else that takes your
fancy with “bundles” of items being a big
favourite amongst buyers. You can also do
swaps – where you don’t make any money but
swap things with someone else, whilst still
having Paypal protection.
It’s not just millenials who like Depop... download
the app on your phone and give it a try.
depop.com

8. 8
V
an Gogh is in town and I’m keen to
see his work again. Last time was 20
years ago in Amsterdam. London hasn’t
hosted his art for over 75 years and
the Tate’s exhibition aims to show the painter’s
connection with this country, one he was familiar
with. Van Gogh lived and worked here for about
three years. He spoke the lingo, visited art galleries,
walked the streets, worked as an art dealer and later
as an evangelist.
Many of his paintings feature books, the titles of
which he painted on their spines (works by Charles
Dicken’s and other English authors, no less).
The paintings in this exhibition
have been loaned to the Tate
by private collectors and the
Musee D’Orsay in Paris.
I’ve never really studied Van
Gogh’s work in any depth but
decided to try one portrait
in his honour, using the bold
strokes and bright palette he is so famous for.
Although he is classified as a modern painter and an
impressionist, his work really strikes me as naïve in
many respects (the simple bold lines he uses along
with slap dash dollops of paint). Yet his attention
to detail is incredible – painting the filiments of the
iris so carefully. To replicate his style, I had to buy a
superfine brush.
As a self-taught artist, I haven’t the foggiest about
the elements of composition and start by outlining
(with a tape measure!!) the distance of the eyes
from the top of the head, followed by the mouth
and ears. If I paint the pupils of the eyes in first, the
painting comes to life and gives me
the motivation to develop the white
underpainting (I always paint on
black canvases).
I try to take photos at various
stages as I paint – a useful practice
that allows me to produce short
videos for Youtube later.
MAKING
OF A
MASTER
THE

9. 9
If you are interested to see Van Gogh’s work, the exhibition is on till August. Adult tickets
are priced £12 each. The “Days out Guide” discount allows you a 2-for-1 ticket offer which
makes things more affordable. Might see you there x

10. Ruth Oliver
Interview with...

11. xx
1. HAVE YOU ALWAYS PAINTED ?
SHARE YOUR JOURNEY WITH US.
lll After a lifetime of procrastination and
appreciating other artist’s work I decided
to start and keep painting. This was less
than a couple of years ago. My love of
gardening and flowers became a natural
source of inspiration for my paintings.
Painting has added a whole new dimension
to my life, it has introduced me to new
friends and new thinking .
2. DO YOU HAVE A WEBSITE OR SHOP
WHERE FOLLOWERS CAN PURCHASE
AN ORIGINAL – OR PERHAPS YOU ARE
REPRESENTED BY A GALLERY?
lll At the moment my work is
represented by The Lavelle Art Gallery in
Galway, Ireland. I can also be contacted
directly via Instagram @annavilleart.
3. HOW OFTEN DO YOU PAINT -
TELL US YOUR SCHEDULE AND
IS IT YOUR “DAY JOB” OR MORE
OF A PASTIME.
lll Unfortunately painting is
not my day job I work full time
so I paint in the evenings and
at weekends. I usually start the
week by setting up a still life. I
begin by gathering flowers from
my garden - at the moment the
bluebells and primroses are in
full bloom. I’m captured by how
flowers announce the seasons
with such enthusiastic displays
of colour.
I delight is setting up
my composition from
considering a jug or vase that
complements the flowers to
playing with natural and
artificial light sources to
create magical moments.
4. IS THERE A SIZE OF CANVAS YOU PREFER
AND DO YOU USE OILS ORACRYLICS?
lll I have mainly been painting on
20x20cm wood panels or canvases. I love
the way the paint glides onto the wood
panels. I use heavy body acrylic paints. I
usually start my painting by priming the
wood or canvas with a coat of crimson paint. F

12. 12
5. FROM YOUR INSTAGRAM PAGE FLOWERS
AND BIRDS FEATURE MOST. WHAT OTHER
SUBJECTS HAVE YOUR PAINTED AND DO
YOU PRODUCE GREETING CARDS OR OTHER
PRODUCTS FROM THE DESIGNS?
lll I have two cats who often feature
in my paintings! I am also drawn to
dappled shade and hedgerows dotted with
wildflowers in summer. I hope to produce
greeting cards in the future
6. WHAT PLANS DO YOU HAVE FORTHE
REST OFTHE YEAR IN TERMS OF SELLING,
EXHIBITING, IFAPPLICABLE?
lll I would like to set up my own website
where my art work can be viewed and
purchased. I look forward to seeing where
this journey will take me!.
RUTH OLIVER
Instagram: @annavilleart
Email: rutholiver26@gmail.com

13. VAS1
VAS2
VAS3
VAS4
VAS6
VAS7
VAS8
VAS9
VAS22
VAS23
VAS24
13
ORDER FORM: CACTUS & BOTANICAL CARD RANGES
c
My Flower Vase range is progressing nicely
but time is never on my side. 2019 has been
really productive so far and I’ve managed to
get a small painting out most days.
My focus is primarily blue and white vases, with
naïve style flowers. Once painted, the images are
vectorised which allows me to tweak the designs
and add multiple images to one card front.
I’ve many more to add to this range.
POWER
CODE AMOUNT TOTAL CODE AMOUNT TOTAL
£1 PER CARD
To place an order
simply email:
lorraine@lorrainestylianou.com
Flower

14. Jenny Hancock
Interview with...
Blackbirds Amongst the Berries
Reduction Lino cut

15. 15
1. HOW DID YOUR ART CAREER START AND
HOW HAS IT PROGRESSED TO TODAY?
lll I have had a love of drawing and
painting for as long as I can remember.
After leaving school I went to do a two year
art foundation course at a local college.
I still remember the joy of being able to
produce art all day, everyday. After that I
completed a degree in Graphic Design at
Norwich School of Art. I worked in design
for many years but decided that spending
all day sitting at a computer wasn’t for me.
I then spent some time working in primary
education and enjoyed teaching art to
children as part of my role and continuing to
paint for myself. Two years ago I decided to
put my art first and became self employed.
2. YOUR BIRD PRINTS ARE INTRICATE AND
DETAILED. TALK US THROUGH HOW THEY
ARE PRODUCED, AND HOW YOU ACHIEVE SO
MANY LAYERS OF COLOUR?
lll My prints are reduction linocuts so
only one block is used to create the image.
The block is carved and a colour printed,
further areas are then carved and another
colour printed on top of the first and so on.
The Lino block is destroyed in the process.
I plan the general design but not the colour
sequence so after each layer I assess the
print and decide where to go next. It’s a
time consuming process and I print by
hand so I produce very small editions. I
think because I’m self taught I approach
printing rather like painting. I’m not
very good at simplifying, each image has
between 8 and 12 layers of ink.
3. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PAINTINGS
YOU CREATE EACH YEAR, AND HOW DO YOU
KEEP INSPIRED?
lll Not enough! Rather like my linocuts
my paintings are built up from many
layers. Painting isn’t a quick process for
me so I’m not very prolific.
I very much enjoy the two different
processes of painting and printmaking and
I think that helps to keep me inspired. If
I’m ever short of inspiration a walk in the
countryside or a visit to a garden usually
does the trick.
4. HOW DO YOU MARKETYOUR PRODUCTS
AND WHICH METHOD WORKS BEST?
lll I find social media a good way to
share my work and get feedback, I’m often
overwhelmed by the positive response
and supportive comments I receive. Also,
Green Pebble who publish my work do a
fantastic job!
5. WHAT IS YOUR BEST SELLER... AND
WHERE CAN WE FIND THEM?
lll My images of gardens seem to be
particularly popular, I think ‘Floral Marquee’
is a best seller. There are more products
planned for next year, very exciting!
Green Pebble can be found online at
www.greenpebble.co.uk or at local stockists.F
Floral Marquee Acrylic
and Oil on board

16. 6. THE 2019 PANTONE COLOUR IS “CORAL”.
WILL THIS HAVE ANY INFLUENCE ON YOUR
DESIGNS IN 2019 AND DO TRENDS PLAY A
PART IN YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
lll That’s interesting. I don’t intentionally
look for or follow trends but we are all
influenced by everything around us, so who
knows. I’m a very enthusiastic gardener so
I’m more likely to be influenced by what’s
in bloom in the garden or the wildlife that
comes to visit.
7. WHAT ARE YOUR NEW YEAR
RESOLUTIONS?
lll I enjoy making a list of aims for the
coming year.... I sell my original work online
and through galleries but one aim for the
new year is to take part in a print fair/art
fair or two. I think it would be a great way
to show my work and meet fellow artists
and buyers. Also I’d like to increase my
productivity by producing more smaller
paintings alongside larger work. Above all to
carry on enjoying making art, learning and
hopefully improving.
JENNY HANCOCK
Website: jennyhancockartist.co.uk
Email: jennyhancockartist@gmail.com
Instagram: jennyhancockartist
Facebook:: @JennyHancockArtist
Stunning Pheasants
Acrylic and Oil on board

17. 17
I
literally live on Social
Media. I post most days
on the big uns’: Facebook
and Instagram with a
smattering on Pinterest,
Twitter, Telegram, Periscope,
What’s App and Youtube.
Most of us know people
who’ve had a “strike” – some
temporary punishment for
breaching community guidelines. The one’s I
know of are teenagers who’ve been promoting
their Etsy shops too aggressively or liked
something Silicon Valley doesn’t approve of.
This month I got my first Instaslap….a white
screen popped up as I tried to LIKE an image of
some artwork posted by someone I follow.
It’s quite shocking when you see it – there’s no
prior warning, no indication why you can’t continue
to LIKE a friend’s post – just a ban for 24 hours.
Jumping on my laptop, I realised I could continue
to like posts there – just not from my mobile phone.
Weird! Perhaps it was because I had posted 7 times
in three hours? My hunch is that it was probably
for posting an image of a painting of Orchids
marked “Sold” earlier in the day. Yep – I guess the
community needed protection from that (eyeroll). So
I click the “Tell us” option…..which simply shows that
your indignation has been logged somewhere and
then the screen evaporates.
This leads on to the topic of
free speech, privacy and how
content is monitored. It’s a hot
topic at the moment, and never
out of the news. Since Instagram
is owned by Facebook, some of
their hirelings must have been
working overtime to hunt down
posts that were too salesy and
censor them. But should I be
surprised? Zuckerburg did say “Privacy is a social
norm of the past”.
One could migrate to another platform that
doesn’t piss you off with unexplained bans and
punishments but you’d miss your network of
followers and have to work doubly hard to establish
new connections. Instagram is visual eye-candy for
artists. Many alternative social media sites simply
don’t function in the same way.
You have to remember that Instagram, like
Facebook, are really data companies that track our
every move, like, and comment. They use facial
recognition, and in some instances, procure our
passwords when accessing apps. They’ve been fined
millions of dollars for inappropriate data use.
I’ll continue using FB and Instagram for now, but
I’m not the only one eager for a hybrid to appear on
the scene that combines the great features of FB and
Instagram but without the Fat Controller in the Cloud
policing posts for marketing content.
SOCIAL
MEDIA
JAILDO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT £100

18. 18
A WISE OLD OWL LIVED IN AN OAK,
THE MORE HE SAW, THE LESS HE SPOKE;
THE LESS HE SPOKE, THE MORE HE HEARD,
WHY CAN'T WE ALL BE LIKE THAT BIRD?
The creative process is undertaken in stages and it is wise to build the background as thoroughly
as possible before adding the detail. Owls are relatively quick to do and the way an artist can
build momentum is to have a method that reduces mistakes and time wasting - preparing the
subject of the painting being the 1st most important step..... just as the oak from tiny acorns
grows, so too will your masterpiece if you follow some basic steps - preparation, priming,
outlining, base colours and then a development of the details. Happy painting!

19. l Traction, by Gino Wickman, is this issue’s
featured business book.
Recommended by a famous Instagrammer
(Alex Iconn), I purchased a copy based on his
glowing reports of it.
The book, part of a series (The Traction Library),
is full of sound advice on systemisation (in the
genre of world renowned titles like the E-myth)
and it starts off with 4 pages full of reviews
by people who’ve benefited from its pearls of
wisdom. The solution it recommends is EOS –
not the crypto currency (although I’m certain
holding some of these alt coins could be useful)
but the trademarked Entrepreneurial Operating
System which is made up of six key components
– the end result which aims to give you more
time to enjoy life. I haven’t finished reading it
yet but have found the chapter on visioning and
knowing your customer particularly beneficial.
Knowing their geographic location is relevant
for a card business as you can adapt designs,
language and card size for example.
I’ll report back later if it helps me “get a grip
on my business”.
Cheapest copies are available on Amazon for
around £6.00.
Happy reading!
TRACTION
BY GINO WICKMAN
THE BOOK NOOK
19

20. Gypsy Chic magazine
A window on the world of a greeting card publisher