Peta's blog

September is one of the most hectic and exciting months for us - no time to bemoan the end of summer! Quickly stepping up the pace and leaping into decisions about new products and looking ahead to this new season. We started with a very successful trip to Top Drawer, and already lovely shiny new things are arriving in the shop. Come and see!

Autumn starts here then with a howling gale and inside-out umbrellas decorating our high street! Just last week we were on a road trip visiting friends and family in Devon and Cornwall. Such a beautiful part of the world, wide open skies and beautiful seas.

If we are a nation of shopkeepers, the unbelievably shocking events of this week, puts those individuals into even sharper focus. I sent my love and thoughts to those whose businesses have been so mindlessly and shamefully ruined, I feel even more determined that the role of the independent trader is key in society, displaying our strengths alongside our wares.

Happy Birthday to Taylor for yesterday!

Steve has been really enjoying a very different type of work this last couple of  weeks, with the building of all the internal walls and spray booth in our new workshop, and since school has broken up now, both our children Sophie Rose and Jerome have been put to work with the painting too! We are so looking forward to the efficiency our new space will bring.

The High street is full of sale signs and it is a funny experience for a shopkeeper,  but you have to see the positive side in it being a time for a bit of a shake up and reducing pieces that have been lovingly made by our own fair hand means that they may sell to someone who will cherish their bargain even more! It does mean we have a vibrant busy shop and thats got to be a very good thing!

How gorgeous to wake up, this morning to blue skies and beautiful bright sunshine after a week of so many drenchings! Everything in my garden seems to have grown a foot though and look fantastically green!

We have been chatting to lots of artists this week in the shop who are getting back to normal after this years open houses, which finished last weekend, and its interesting to learn what has been selling. As we have observed for years, it is the quality of  the print that  buyers of art really look at with much more scrutiny, when as now, people want value for their money.

This week was full of people bringing positivity and inspiration. Our Monday morning meeting with Lucy Sheridan set the tone for the week, she brought with her some fabulous new works, including the fantastic tiger called 'Grrrr'. She has produced this gorgeous orange and black edition of seven, exclusively for us and we also have a pink and orange version available both at £300.
 

We launched into the week by changing our window display, we have built a reputation over the years for our displays, and I love hearing that someone’s day has been brightened by them, and it puts us under pressure to maintain our high standards. I always try to show new artwork or products to contrast with the display before, it throws the shop into chaos and I love the energy change always brings.

Taylor was away for a day this week,  so Steve and I worked together in the shop, a rare occurrence these days and something that took us back to the beginnings of Kings Framers. Like a fish out of water, Steve being in the shop resulted in some hilarious consequences, his tendency to say whatever comes into his head left a few customers bemused!

Hello, my name is Peta King. This is my first Blog entry for Kings Framers as we launch our brand new website. We have been busily putting the final touches to the site, but last week did manage a flying visit to Cornwall to see two of our favourite artists, Roger Hilton at the Newlyn Art Gallery -- a celebration of 100 years since his birth -- and a lovely collection of works on paper by Sir Terry Frost at the Belgrave Gallery St Ives.