Su France Designs

What is the Business?

Su France is a botanical artist who specialises in solid silver, eco-friendly jewellery, and beautiful nature prints. Inspired by all things botanical, from the first bud to the beauty in decay, she creates designs ‘rooted in place'.

History

Su sells her own unique nature inspired work. She welcomes people to her Open Studios, sells at fairs and in galleries, and has a website. The events are a fun and welcoming space to develop new skills. Su says she ‘captures the essence of plants, creating items which when held, worn or viewed, help others connect to the incredibly special nature of plants.’ She gained Arts Council England funding to develop her creative practice in 2022 and is a member of the Guild of Jewellery Designers and the Visual Arts Association.

How did LORIC help?

As a new creative business owner, Su felt she needed to gather as much information as possible to help her artist’s business grow. She had previously had minimal business support but wanted to start raising her visibility in the region and beyond, promoting her offers more successfully and generating more revenue from her business. Feedback on her website improved its flow and communication, a list of Lincolnshire Galleries and Craft places where Su may exhibit was useful in helping her determine where she should position herself in the marketplace.
Stakeholder Mapping and a Value Proposition workshop helped her plan in a more business minded manner, whereas focusing on UN Sustainable Goals and improving the business score on the Carbon Footprint Calculator enabled new areas of development. Su also had support with her social media presence, across a variety of platforms.

Plans for the future

Su is to have her first solo exhibition in Ironbridge in spring 2023, and is part of a group art show in Stamford, entitled ‘Kindred.’ Su is going to develop a range of small group courses from her home studios, sell at a wider range of artisan fairs, have a greater online presence and be successful with gallery representation. Su also plans to link with other creatives to deliver unique art experiences, as well as taking on more commission work creating prints or jewellery linked to significant places, botanicals and events.