Hello
from my little corner of Scotland! It’s been a while since my last newsletter and a lot has happened. I didn’t mean for so much time to pass, but that’s just the way life goes sometimes! There’s lots to share, so let’s dive in with some exciting news…
The Bearded Assistant
The biggest news of 2023 is that I now have an assistant!
Say hello to Shaun, aka “Wolfy,” my husband and now my full-time assistant who is making my professional life a lot easier. You may have seen him in some of my vlogs over the years, and more recently we announced the news in this video.
He has taken over many of the tasks that drain my creative energy but are important to keep the business running smoothly. He is also helping me during filming (tutorials, youtube, social media, etc). I can honestly say after 6 years of filming everything myself, this has been one of the best changes!
I’ve been busy training him and getting him up to speed on lots of ongoing projects. We’ve got some big goals for 2024, which we will share more about in a future newsletter. But for now, it’s so nice to be working together towards our common goal. I couldn’t have hired him without the ongoing generous support of you- my worldwide community.
“Sarah Burns” Brushes
For the first time ever I collaborated with a company to create a physical product! And I’m so glad I did, because now I own a set of custom brushes that I designed to perfectly suit my needs while painting with gouache. I use them for all my paintings now, both inside the studio and outside on location.
We’ve been launching them in limited batches, and so far they’ve sold out within hours each time.
The brushes are going to be available again today, Sunday at 4pm UK time, so if you’ve been waiting to grab a box, make sure to move quickly!
What’s Next?
I will try not to let too much time pass before I send another update. With Shaun helping me, I’m hopeful that I’ll have more time to send these out regularly. In the meantime, here are some quick updates about what’s going on:
I’ve stopped creating Skillshare classes for the foreseeable future. Instead, all of my focus has been on Patreon (twice monthly tutorials + more) and I am still doing weekly YouTube videos when possible.
I’ve put a lot of effort into my art blog, The Fearless Brush. This is where I post all my art-related experiments, supplies, and much more.
I also keep a personal blog on my website which is updated less often yet contains much more heartfelt writing over the years about my experience as an artist. It documents my growth as a human and artist. It also documents my Sketching Scotland journey.
I’m planning on eventually creating my own subscription site for all of my tutorials. I’m going to call it the Fearless Brush Club. Read more about it here.
On a Personal Note…
As spring unfolds, my energy has returned. It’s been amazing to be outside almost every day (even if some days are barely above freezing).
Many of you already know that one of my cats (Vader) has had some health issues lately. After tons of tests and scans, he was finally diagnosed with heart disease despite only being 5 years old. He’s on three medications which seem to be helping, and now he wears a tracking collar outside, in case we need to find him. We’re hoping he’ll outlive the short prognosis they gave him, and that we have a long time left with our baby. I know not everyone can relate to this feeling, but it weighs heavily on me and makes me feel much more introverted, which directly impacts how much I share month to month.
It’s a reminder of how bittersweet life is. The beauty and hardships must exist side by side to make their presence known.
Hug your loved ones!
Thank you for reading and see you next time.
~ Sarah
Miss a previous newsletter? See the archive.
Sign up to my email newsletter to get more frequent updates.