Friday, March 20, 2015

Introspection



“Promise me you will not spend so much time treading water and trying to keep your head above the waves that you forget, truly forget, how much you have always loved to swim.” 
― Tyler Knott Gregson

This was the quote read to us prior to practice.
it resonated with me

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Hunger

So a few things have been happening, but ever so slowly.
I am currently in a two person show, the opening seemed quiet, and funky...
but my work is out there and ideally will catch someones eye.

I never want to bring home the same number of works that I took to the gallery.
Openings are usually the best chance in a show to sell work.

I got dressed up for the opening, it was hot for this time of the year...in the 80's and the atelier has no windows so that added to the heat index (lights, nerves and people in a small space)
I took a bus to the event as The Barren was meeting me there and we were gonna make a date of it afterwards. I was a little nervous and although there is no LOGICAL reason to be nervous,
 I still am every time.
I had a glass of wine beforehand, on an empty-ish tummy...and talked it out with The Barren.
While I walked to the studio, as The Barren was settling the tab, I noticed my name on a phone pole!
My image was on every pole within three blocks of the studio, I had never experienced this before:
it was like cool billboards- in mini form.
The gallery owner had done this.

How did I get this two person show?
There was an email sent out to an art group I am part of asking for artists to submit framed work for consideration if it fell into a particular theme.
I submitted and through some painfully awkward exchanges my work was selected.
When I asked the gallery owner why she chose my work she said:
" well it was you and this other artist and she made mushy colored stuff...so I picked yours"

Family and some friends attended and I am thankful for that as the evening rolled along slowly, and I was thankful for the lighthearted conversations and hugs.
My tummy was gurgling the whole time, the gallery had provided wine and a box of crackers....
I don't know about you, but I have learned that when you are eating at a public place, fingers and hands are dirty...and I was not going to eat from a bowl of booger fingered crackers.
grossss
I answered a lot of questions about process and materials and met a lot of people...all in all it was mellow and there was no reason to be concerned.
The Barren was patient and someone even asked him if he was Mr. Barreness...it was funny to hear my name used as his. He graciously answered yes.

I was quite hungry when the show time was over and
we decided to go to a public market and get some grub and grog there:
brew and Asian food
I was ravenous and we ended up getting noodles and it was perfect,
but really, I could have eaten a bathtub full of them by the time we sat down to eat....

It has been a slow start to the year for me.
I have been reflecting on it and quite frankly funds are a major part of not putting so much out there. Framing, shipping, return shipping, entry costs all add up sooooooooo fast.
I have become QUITE picky with what and who I send work to.

I am working slowly on new stuff and I am trying to figure out why I feel like
 wind has been taken out of my sails?!

What is making me so HUNGRY (figuratively) and
why am not feeling full when I find something I enjoy?