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news and ARTWORK FROM NIKI MCQUEEN
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I hope this finds you in a moment of peace, and that you had a wonderful break over the long weekend — and a blessed Easter if you celebrate :)
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This newsletter is a little more personal (and a bit longer) than the usual roundups. It’s less new art, and more a view from above — a look backward, and forward.
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LOOKING BACK…
I’ve made some tectonic shifts in the past two months. Much of this time has been taken up by a significant, time-sensitive commission for The Dresden Dolls, which I’m just wrapping up — hence this being a few days late and March being newsletter-absent.
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It has also involved four moves and two Airbnb’s, culminating in finally finding a small home by the sea, for which I am more grateful than I can possibly explain.
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In many ways, this is the first place that has truly felt like home since 2020. The past few years have been a period of upheaval — beginning with leaving my home during Covid, followed by escaping an abusive situation in 2022, navigating major health challenges, and receiving a late autism diagnosis which has been a key part of truly finding myself, and slowly rebuilding a sense of stability, identity, and self.
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Recently, I’ve started going through the dusty treasure chests of my old life — boxes stored in my parents’ garage — rediscovering precious objects and memories I’ve been without. It’s been liberating, exhausting, and emotional.
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I’m quietly hopeful that having a home again will mean more moments of peace, fewer moments of distress, and a continued movement toward grounding and self.
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AND NOW…
There has been very little time to create anything outside of commission work over the past two months. For the first time since starting this newsletter, I don’t have new work to share — so instead, I’m including a few older pieces that feel like important milestones from the past five years.
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The Dresden Dolls work will be released in May — keep your eyes peeled…
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Here are a couple of favourites from the past four years working with the band: the first was the first, and signature work, made for their reunion tour, entitled Reunited. The second was the last tour work for the band, Stars in St Poelten, created in collaboration with Amanda Palmer. There is exciting news on the horizon, and next month I’ll be sharing a small retrospective of our journey together.
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Encouragingly, as things have begun to settle, new ideas have started flowing again. I’m currently working on two new pieces that I hope to share with you next month.
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LOOKING AHEAD…
There are three changes coming this year.
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1. REST AND PACE
I have an annual brain scan, and this year’s check-in came with a clear directive: I need to slow things down.
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While everything is structurally fine, the cumulative effects of the past few years have taken a toll cognitively. The only real way forward is consistent rest and careful pacing — for quite some time.
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This means simplifying life, being more intentional about what I take on, and — perhaps most challengingly — doing less.
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So, there may be less art this year, but it comes from a necessary and conscious place.
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2. STREAMLINING ONLINE SALES
I’ve mentioned before that I was considering closing my Etsy store. Sales have declined, and rising costs — especially taxes, tarrifs and shipping — make it difficult to compete globally in the market with unsigned print sales.
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The store is now being refined and will, from May, focus exclusively on a curated collection of works created with and for Amanda Palmer and The Dresden Dolls, available for a limited time. If you visit, don't panic when you glimpse the bare shelves, I will be adding products slowly over the course of this month :)
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This collection will include:
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- Standard fine art prints
- Giclée prints on watercolour paper (strictly limited edition)
- Framed and matted archival prints
- Ready-to-hang canvas prints
- The Keeper of Light collection
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The giclée editions are produced on archival 280gsm lightly textured watercolour paper in strictly limited quantities, offering a collectible, gallery-quality reproduction.
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All other work will remain available via direct order through my website.
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You’re very welcome to get in touch via:
Email: info@nikimcqueen.com
WhatsApp / Phone: +27 72 141 7007
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For overseas clients, there are still a few limited-edition signed giclée prints available in the USA that won’t incur international shipping or duties.
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3. LOCAL IS LEKKER…
With ongoing shifts in global shipping costs and trade conditions, not to mention a rumoured trade embargo with the USA (hard to know if Trump's threats will materialise), it’s becoming increasingly challenging to sustain international sales in the way I have previously.
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As a result, I’ll be placing more focus on local (South African) sales — something I’ve been meaning to develop more intentionally for a long time.
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My work is currently available in several local galleries, and my website is being rebuilt (thank you to my web wizard), with a relaunch expected in May/June. The new site will offer clearer navigation and improved sales information. If there's anything you woud specifically like to see on the site, I am open for any and all feedback :). Just reply to this email and it will reach me.
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As before, there won’t be a traditional “shop” interface — I still prefer direct contact for original works and signed prints. The relationships and connections formed through those conversations remain one of the most meaningful parts of what I do.
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I’ll send out an announcement when the new site is ready to launch.
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That’s all for this month. Below is a small retrospective of my work with The Dresden Dolls as this month’s theme.
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Thank you, always, for your support.
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THEME FOR THE MONTH: THE DRESDEN DOLLS
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THE BIT AT THE END
ABOUT THE ART
All the work you see here is created using mixed media with an underprint on Fabriano, Artistico 300gsm or 640gsm paper. These are available for purchase as original artworks or as archival, museum-quality fine art prints. You can view my full portfolio at https://nikimcqueen.com
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ETSY
A limited selection of my work is also available for international buyers in my Etsy store, in various print formats at nikimcqueenart.etsy.com. (South African buyers please contact me directly for prints.)
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PATREON
For more intimate content, access to behind-the-scenes videos and musings, and bonus free gifts and discounts, you can follow my Patreon page. It's TOTALLY FREE to join, and the bulk of the content I post is not paywalled if you are not in a position to join a paid tier. The income generated is 100% used to create art and cover medical costs.
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CONTACTING ME
If you have any queries or would like a quote, please feel free to respond to this email (nikimcqueen@gmail.com), or WhatsApp me on +27721417007.
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WHY DID I GET THIS EMAIL?
You’re receiving this email either from signing up on my website or because we’ve connected through art.
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This is a monthly digest of my latest pieces. If you don’t want to be on this mailing list, please click on the Unsubscribe button at the bottom of the email, and I offer my apologies for the inconvenience.
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ON THE SOCIALS
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