Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
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new to reach out of that was needed. So we created this range and every message is pandemic-specific, such as “We Can Do Hard Things” which has become a bit of a mantra for me as mumming, working from home and not getting a break is so hard yet we are somehow managing to do it.
“And we have the Courage print as we did lots of rainbow art with our son in our windows and I just wanted to make that more permanent.
“So even when the Claps For Carers stopped, to remember the rainbow which had become such a powerful symbol for all of us and represented courage and better days ahead, was so important.
“And a favourite quote of mine is by Frederick Buechner: “Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid.” I just think that is so perfect for what is happening right now.
“This is the first range we have done lots of colour as I felt people needed to see colour that was soothing
but also energising.”
Dan and And at a time when we need words of Gemma wisdom and positivity more than ever, the Brown new range of prints have been flying out.
Gemma said: “We launched the range just a couple of weeks ago and the pieces I predicted people were going to buy have gone first.
“Our experience of the pandemic is very individual, we are all going through slightly different versions of it but it is a collective thing too and we have found we are all more connected than we thought we were.
“And we are all connecting through the need to see the same messages which is why we have a lot of people sending prints to their friends – loads of orders with requests for us to include little notes saying, ‘Thinking of you’ etc.
“People are going out of their way to be extra kind to each other which is lovely so we get to be a tiny wee part of that too.”
And the fact that gallery walls have become a huge interiors trend may have helped too.
Gemma said: “There has been a major shift in people buying expensive investment pieces to buying pieces which are more specific to what they like and more niche, but yet available to them, which is great.
“There is such power in having art and art is what you make it, like a scribble by your child – that is art as much as a Picasso – but to be able to have pieces on your wall is a lovely way to give yourself a boost.”
There is no doubt that since lockdown began, our homes have become our sanctuary – our safe place. And we have been keeping ourselves busy – and sane – by doing all those jobs that have been bothering us for ages, but just haven’t had the time to get round to.
We have also been getting creative by making our home a positive, happy and comfortable place to be as it is looking like we’ll be spending a lot more time there.
An easy way to do this is by surrounding ourselves with items which make us smile and boost our mood.
And one Northern Ireland-based husband and wife design team have been busy in their own home creating works of art to make us feel happy in ours.
Dan and Gemma Brown started Brown Paper Packages NI in 2015 as a temporary project to raise funds to travel to India to help a small charity.
They created contemporary art commissions and prints which inspire, comfort and unite with some incorporating quotes to support this ethos.
They loved what they were doing so much they decided to keep the business going – and have built up a strong customer base, particularly recently.
Gemma, who works in Global Aid and Development, said: “We’ve been married for six years and five years ago I was invited to go to India to do filming for a charity there. I was still in the honeymoon phase with Dan and wanted him to go too so to raise money we took on custom hand-lettering orders.
“We just loved it and really enjoyed working with people to create things they were proud to have on their walls and inspire and empower them.
“We then kept it going even after we raised the money we needed because we loved it so much and a few years ago we started to create set prints that we sell now along with custom orders.
“It is a sideline for us as we both have other jobs – I work in communications and marketing and Dan works as an historian for the Library Service – so it is like therapy because it gives us a creative outlet.
“We had to take a break at the start of lockdown because working our other jobs and looking after our two-year-old son was enough for us. But I started to feel like creativity and creating things was the opposite of what was happening in the world.
“Every morning seeing the new death tolls and worrying about people I know and love dying, I felt like we were surrounded by so much grief – collectively and personally – and I just felt that creating something
ICE TO SEE YOU ELSA & ANNA BOWLED OVER
Bloo has launched toilet cleaners which have a scent inspired by Prada and Dolce & Gabbana perfumes. So if you’re feeling a bit flush next time you’re doing your weekly shop, you know what to pop in your shopping trolley.
WORDS ON THE STREET
The Oxford English Dictionary has added 20 coronavirus references including “elbow bump”, “WFH” and “self-isolation”. So the world will always be reminded of this very strange phrase in our lives.