Caitlin Sheedy, retail coordinator.
Caitlin Sheedy is artisan’s retail coordinator. She graduated from the Queensland College of Art (QCA) in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours, and has received awards including the 2002 Win Schubert Graduate Prize for Fine Art, the Karl and Gertrude Langer Memorial Prize and the Emerging Artist category for the 2006 Libris Artist Book Awards.
She has exhibited widely around Queensland and in Sydney, Canada and Germany. Most recently, Caitlin’s work was featured in the ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ exhibition at Lust for Life. Her works are featured in the collections of Griffith University, the Royal Brisbane Hospital, Downlands College, and the State Library of Queensland.
How did you get here?
I first started at artisan when I was a first year visual art student at QCA back in early 2000. It was my casual Saturday morning job along with Oxlades! Back then it was ‘Craft QLD’ and the store was a very orange ‘CQ Store’.
I then went to work for the Museum of Brisbane store until it ended when the city hall was renovated and the museum had to move to Ann St.
I love working with like-minded creative people and ideas. I am an artist myself, so artisan is a dream job really.
For some time there seemed to be a move towards the idea that ‘hand-made craft’ was lesser, and people who knitted or sewed or made jewellery or ceramics weren’t as highly regarded as they should have been. It was a shame because we have so much amazing talent here in Brisbane! It’s gone unrecognised for too long, so I love it most when the general public come into the store and discover, appreciate and purchase the unique and handmade.
Three words to describe yourself
Passionate, left-handed, creative.
What sparked your love for the arts?
I loved art from a very early age…probably starting with the stories and wonderful picture books my parents read and gave to me. I was very much a little kid that just wanted to see the picture page if mum was reading the story, and I got very upset if the page was turned too quickly.
Can you tell us a little bit about your own work?
I tend to document my daily life. Recently my work has been recording my daily journeys to work and back. I guess like people might write in a daily diary, I draw my observations from the bus to work. I love drawing the most the regular boring things that no-one usually would take the time to look at…the homeless lady playing the triangle, the bad kids skipping school and smoking ciggies, the old man guarding the car parks in Paddington.
I have some artworks currently in an exhibition called Smoke and Mirrors at Lust for Life in Fortitude Valley. It is a show by me and fellow local artist Belinda Sinclair. The show features a set of painted beehives created by Belinda for Brisbane based urban Bee keepers and it’s on until the 29th September.
How do you go about selecting products for artisan’s retail store?
Usually by word of mouth. Artists are also encouraged to send images of their works and a little bit of information about themselves to us by email at mart@artisan.org.au.
We tend to have a strong focus on local and Queensland makers. We are establishing a connection between these local artisans and the community through events taking place in the store, like our ‘Meet the Makers’ events that we hold each month. Information about these events is always available via our website and Facebook page.
What are three pieces of advice you would give to makers hoping to sell their work through artisan’s retail store?
LOVE what you do! It is so difficult to really make great money from your craft, so it’s not something you do for the fame or fortune.
Don’t get ready to sell your product or idea until it’s fully realised. This includes plans for display and packaging.
Research your target market and focus on that, with consistent price points etc.
Favourite Brisbane haunts?
Lust For Life…tattoo parlour, cafe/bar and gallery
QLD art Gallery (the old water-mall part)
Prince of Wales Hotel
Beetle Bar Roma Street (great live music venue).
When you’re not at artisan, we would most likely find you…
At home most likely…drawing watercolours on the kitchen table listening to Bargain Hunt on the tellie!