We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andrea England. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andrea below.

Andrea, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

The most biggest risk I’ve ever taken was voyaging across the Pacific Ocean in a 36′ sailboat. The boat was built by my father-in-law, and my husband and I were going to sail her from New Zealand to Canada. The most obvious risks were environmental- wind, waves, reefs and rocks. That’s what everybody else was worried about- two people in a small boat on a big ocean. My biggest concerns were rather different though- I was leaving behind great friends and a good teaching job and I had no idea when- or if- we’d be back.

The journey was beautiful and challenging and life-altering. I kept sketchbooks as we sailed through French Polynesia, and began creating watercolour paintings of the scenery and wildlife. The daily practice inevitably helped me to improve, and from my experiments grew a distinct style. I shared my creations online, had the satisfaction of my first sales and began to build an audience who joined us virtually for the adventure. I was a long way off making a living, but selling enough to pay for ice cream and art supplies was amazing.

After a few storms and over a year in the tropics, we reached Vancouver Island. The sensible choice would have been to take summer classes and start teaching again, but I wasn’t done with risk-taking. I loved living aboard and wasn’t ready to give up our life on the water for a regular job. I felt like my dream life was within reach if I was brave enough to try and take it.

It wasn’t easy. I soon realized that being an artist wasn’t just about making art- I needed to learn how to run a business too. We spent summers sailing, whilst in the winter I’d paint. I ran the business by its bootstraps and invested some of my painting income in courses to help me learn business planning, marketing, photography and web design. It was stressful at times, especially when we had unexpected expenses. But each year things grew. And the crazy risk paid off. I now make a steady income from my art. My business can travel with me as we sail. It’s a simple, wonderful life, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve always been drawn to water, especially the sea. There’s something soothing, exhilarating and intriguing about being by the ocean, with its constantly shifting moods and colours. As a child, I loved day trips to the coast, and as an adult I’ve always turned to the water when I’m stressed and need to recenter. Maybe it isn’t so surprising that I’ve ended up living aboard a sail boat with a full-time career as a watercolour artist. My source of inspiration and my antidote to burn-out are always right there!

Watercolour paints have a magic of their own. It’s mesmerizing to let the colours flow and mingle on my paper as my brush dances over the surface. The paint can be as capricious as the sea, sometimes having a mind of its own. I’ve needed to learn to work with the medium, influencing it as much as controlling it. I leave rippling lines of white paper to create a feeling of light and to enhance the movement in my work. By building up layers of translucent colour, I can capture the depths and emotions of the waters I paint. I want to transport my viewer to the coast, giving them the same sense of wonder and release that time by the sea creates.

Through my paintings, I can share the joy and adventure of being around the sea. I also teach online classes to help people to bring their own artist dreams to life. ‘Painting Vibrant Watercolour Coastlines’ covers essential watercolour skills through painting coasts and seascapes, whilst ‘Travel Sketching in the Wild’ was filmed on location and teaches techniques for keeping sketchbooks.

All of my art is created aboard Island Prism, a 36′ sailboat that is home to myself and my husband. Running a creative business from a tiny space can be a challenge, but living aboard also offers us incredible freedom. I’m delighted to be able to share some of that adventure through the work I create.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Social media- particularly Instagram- has been an important part of building my business. When we’re sailing, it gives me a great way to share the adventure with my audience and lets them watch new collections of paintings unfold. My growth has been organic- I don’t boost posts or use ads.

For a long time my growth on Instagram was gentle but steady. A year ago I saw a big jump, and since then I’ve had a few big growth periods. The biggest keys for me have been staying on brand, creating interesting content that fits my audience and making connections with other artists and businesses.

My brand values are adventure, joy and peace so I tend to ignore trending video and audio in favour of films that fit my brand identity. My audience finds these instantly recognizable and because they fit me, I find them fun to make! I carry my branding through into my photos too, and usually take portrait-format pictures that I can use on Instagram and Pinterest.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The greatest reward about being an artist is when I can uplift people and bring them joy. This can happen when people make an emotional connection with my paintings, or when they take a class with me and they feel proud of their progress, overcoming a hurdle or creating a painting they love.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://AndreaEnglandArt.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/andreaenglandart
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/andreaenglandart
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@AndreaEnglandArt/