Finding the best Twitter hashtags and how to use them

Twitter was built on the power of hashtags. It's a way of finding out what's happening right now in conversations around the world, and in your communities. Hashtags are not only a social tool to help jump right into a conversation and talk about the latest news, or to have some laughs on the variations…

Artist deadlines – July

Well, hello July! The months have rolled by, and here we are in the middle of a sweltering Summer, and the competitions are heating up. There's a HUGE mix of competitions, open calls and residencies to go for in July. Highlights this month include the RAW Labs residency at Bow Arts, where you get to…

pablo picasso

Go forage and digest: Top 5 art shows to savour this Summer

Summer in the city is made all the more better with a bit of culture-soaking. With so many exhibitions to forage and digest in London, it can be hard to make a choice. But have no fear, as my top 5 art show guide will hopefully smooth the way and help with your decision. Okay, so…

Melanie and Me Swimming

The All too human experience at Tate Britain

Where can you go and see Freud, Bacon, Rego and Auerbach all under one roof? Tate Britain's 'All Too Human' captures the intimacy of life throughout the 20th Century in the idiosyncratic gestures of these renowned artists. As I walked into this show, into the first room 'The Raw Facts of Life', I was struck…

view from firefly - tom voyce

Artist deadlines – May/June

#Maythefourth be with you this month and the next, as I combine both months for a creative mash-up of fresh opportunities. This time of the year is the perfect point in your creative calendar to enter and make it into a Summer show, where you can ensure you get the most exposure. A couple of…

turtle drawing

Illustrator of the month: Zoe Keller

Explore the natural world through highly detailed illustrative, charcoal drawings intended to educate and inspire audiences of at-risk species. Zoe Keller creates stunningly detailed drawings of animals and fauna, done completely in graphite. They are annoyingly amazing! These drawings act as visual research into the various kinds of species of the native land in which…

Artist deadlines – April

Put a spring in your step with a new exhibition this month! There are some juicy call outs this month, including the Chiara Williams Solo Award, which has extended their deadline until 6 April. The SOLO Award™ is an annual contemporary art prize open to artists of all ages, working in all media. The finalists are…

Life stilled: Tacita Dean at the National Gallery

Contemporary artist Tacita Dean takes on a well preserved and cemented genre in her refreshing new show. 'Tacita Dean: STILL LIFE' has a new exhibition at the National Gallery that promises to investigate the history of the genre by taking inspiration from the gallery's own collection, and interpreting it with a modern twist. Not only is…

Artist deadlines – March

Another month, another chance to get some valuable exposure for your work. We're 2 months into 2018, and it can be difficult to get going and find the time to motivate yourself to just create! Believe me, I know! Hopefully you can see this list as markers in your timeline - deadlines to work towards.…

What’s in a frame? Artist of the month: Holly Lane

How important are frames to artworks in the contemporary world? Can they add context  or meaning to the painting it surrounds? Well, artist Holly Lane repurposes religious items to create ornate and elaborate frames that envelop the artwork and helps give new meaning to an archaic, and somewhat dated practice.   When you visit an…