Wow…what a year.
Last July I set up Danielle O’Reilly Art while living in Sydney and released the Manly Collection into the world. What a whirlwind it has been!
The Manly Collection sold out most of the originals and a fair number of prints within the first 2 months, and was being displayed locally in 2 retail spaces which was more than I could have possibly asked for, and then I moved to Canberra, no longer had the beaches to inspire me, had a big reshuffle and directed myself towards painting nudes.
The thing with having such a big pivot after only a few months in business was that I had a very disjointed fan base, some following my journey because they loved the landscapes, then others were keen to see where the nudes took my work. I was confused, disorientated and had no clear goals or direction until I set myself a mammoth challenge of doing 100 paintings in 100 days.
I needed a kick up the ass to actually just produce a high volume of work so that I could learn how to lean into my own style! The whole time I had been creating I was doing my best to make things as realistic and close to the reference as possible, when in real life I am a high energy, fast moving (and fast talking) person who loves variety and excitement in my life, so spending weeks and weeks getting frustrated that ‘something isn’t right’ isn’t what was making me happy.
When I took away the option to be a perfectionist and forced myself to commit to whatever I was painting without second guessing myself, I found that I could have so much more fun in the process without being obsessive over small details, the paintings actually worked out much better first time! My style soon started to develop into a mixed media dimension and much better represented me as a person. A bit untidy, very colourful and a lot more unique! This whole time I had been trying to create art that impressed people rather than what was true to myself and my vision.
Having this huge influx of paintings has also allowed me the ability to start bringing my work to you in person through markets! I booked my first one for this weekend in Rose Cottage Markets and I’m so excited to see how it goes, I’m sure I won’t have everything prepared but when do you ever!
So what’s next?
I have my favourites in the Get Messy Collection, and although I’m not creating prints of those particular paintings, I am working on a print collection! I’m being inspired by a couple of my faves (that have also been requested by many people) and creating a range or prints that can be affordable and enjoyed by as many people as possible. I’m super excited!
I’m going to be keeping you up to date during the process and can’t wait to see what you think.
Do you have a favourite from the Get Messy Collection? Let me know! I love hearing your feedback and using it to improve how I can be of service xx