It’s been a year since Saanich artist April Caverhill took the plunge and launched full time into freelance work.
The transition has gone well, she says. On Saturday she’s opening her home to a studio tour where she’ll show hundreds of originals for sale, as well as her hand-drawn 2016 calendar featuring original work.
“It’s been amazing, really more than I could have dreamed of,” Caverhill said. “And the calendar is selling well.”
Among her recent work is the poster art for this year’s Feast of Fields, Janet Munsil’s play, I Have Seen Beautiful Jim Key (Intrepid Theatre), and the illustrations for both Vancouver’s Pomme Natural Markets reusable shopping totes and Victoria’s Lifestyle Markets.
Others will know her monthly illustration for Focus’ regular column, Finding Balance, by Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic, and her work in Island Health magazines.
It’s meant the end of part-time deli work for the accomplished illustrator.
“There’s still a lot of time spent finding work, sometimes as much as doing the work, but it’s been a great shift,” Caverhill said. “It’s important for artists to know that if you market yourself creatively and work like hell, you can achieve success right here in Victoria.”
In addition to opening the doors to her Swan Lake neighbourhood home (just off Tattersall) on Nov. 28 for Take Another Piece of My Art, Caverhill is in a number of exhibitions and more to come.
Through December, her work is also part of the collaborative project, Cahoots, at the Vancouver Island School of Art, and in the “Group of Six” art fair at Esquimalt Recreation Centre’s senior lounge with artists Anne Bowen, Kim Newns, Dixie MacQuisdin, Jim Wispinski and Richard Wong.
In February 2017, Caverhill will step it up another level with a solo show at the Martin Batchelor Gallery.
“Every week I plunk away at a new series of [risqué] work, I hope Victoria is shocked to pieces.”
The best part of being self employed, Caverhill added, is the freedom, power, self reliance and pride it brings.
The biggest cons?
“Not many. [Working from home], perhaps being close to the refrigerator all day isn’t ideal.”
For details about April Caverhill’s calendar and her home studio tour, Take Another Piece of My Art, visit aprilcaverhill.wordpress.com.
reporter@saanichnews.com