August 18, 2008

Sitting at my long cherry kitchen table today, as usual was my neighbor friend, Ben, me and our two dogs (Sophie and Bela). We have a sort of morning tea cloche almost daily where we talk about the previous night's occurrences and hopes for the upcoming day. Today Ben was noticing all the paintings of mine that have been shuffled into the living room/common area in preparation of an upcoming show. (Pein Art Gallery, Pittsburgh) Since he is part of my daily life he knows all the inside stories of many of the paintings, his dad, a common character. He thought he would like to come to my opening and tell people the back stories of the paintings he was familiar with. As kind as it is I declined the offer and explained that I was planning a separate viewing of this show for friends and family after the first public one.

I have attended a fair amount of openings with and with out family and friends. No mater how well briefed the kids are they get hungry and bored, the male adults are anxious to go and grab a bite to eat and the adult female wants to get back to lounging at the hotel and ordering room service. So this opening it will be all business for me with a glass of wine and yummy vegan dinner afterwards alone.

August 4, 2008

Steph and Sharon
2001
acrylic on plexiglass
48" x 30"

Several hours were spent today running errands for the upcoming show. I needed to drop a slide for printing at the photography house. The print will be an 8" x 10" image of a painting "Things Are Better With Soup" which I painted a few years ago, had photographed and then decided I did not like, turned the painting 180 degrees and painted "Summer '07". I left as many remnants of the earlier painting as possible. For this show I thought I would include this photo, framed to match the painting it goes with.

Also a trip to Old Main Frame Shop was needed to frame one more piece that I uncovered this weekend. It is amazing how different a painting looks with each frame you try. I was down to five frames ultimately choosing a frame that compliments most of the other pieces of art as they would be shown together.

The last errand was to Home Depot to buy a piece of chain to make a hanger for Steph and Sharon which is acrylic on plexiglass. The chain is to be wrapped around two large bolts that I inserted through the plexiglass and tightened with nuts.

July 1, 2008

Carnivale Cruise on the Cuyahoga by Sharon Lee
2003
acrylic on linen
34" x 26"

Today as I turned the calendar from June to July I glanced over the month's notes to see if I have any art shows I wish to enter this month. Whenever I get an application in the mail for an upcoming show that I am interested in I immediately enter a date two weeks before the submission deadline with the name of the show. I then put the paperwork in a file which I will go to when it's time (according to the calendar) to submit an application for a show. The two weeks gives me enough time to choose artwork to submit, fill out the application, procure a money order and get to the post office to send everything off to the show's committee. Sometimes these shows are months away and if it weren't for the pre-marked dates on my calendar I would forget about them.

This is not always a 100% fail proof system as I recently missed the deadline by one day when I carried an application around in my car for three days and never got to the Post Office. Some artists have a more sophisticated system of show entering including information on which pieces are being entered in which show. I would love to organize myself to this next level as I have on more than one occasion entered the same piece in two shows at the same time and got the same piece in both shows. When this happens the art goes to: first a show that has awarded me a prize and second the most prestigious show of the two.

When you fill out a show application you have every hope of getting in that show and on occasion will even imagine yourself winning a prize. Both sometimes happen, sometimes not. It's easiest to keep a tough skin around you and remember that most shows are being judged by a single person and the show is a reflection of what interests them not necessarily a reflection on the quality of your work.

May 15, 2008

Today was a day that lacked any type of opportunity for creativity yet it was filled with art all of it being a result of one person or another (including myself)’s creativity. There was a reception for a local show that I am in at the Penn State Altoona campus. Local shows are often pooh poohed for their lack of good art but I find that statement to be a false one. There is a diverse group of artists living in central Pennsylvania who create artwork ranging from the expected landscapes to collages, sculptures, abstract digital art, photography, and fabric art. Receptions are hardly the time to look at a show, there’s the distraction of socializing with a mix of art patrons and artists and the artwork although the draw of such events is actually the secondary focus. Because one of my pieces won an award there is extra attention on me, as with all other award winners by congratulatory greetings. I rarely go to openings for mainly because most of my art is shown out-of-town. Generally my contact with the physical part of an art show in non-existent. I fill out an application, send slides or digital materials, print out some paper work (resume, cv), send check or money order to cover application fees along with a self stamped addressed envelope and wait for the return acceptance/rejection letter. I always mark the SASE with the show’s name on the bottom left so I know what show I’m about to open the results of when I get the returned envelope. Sometimes there will be a mass printed letter or note, sometimes a stamped “in” or “out” on my application and return of your slides if you fail to get any of your pieces in. If a piece is accepted into a show I will either ship the artwork in a crate that I make from plywood and 1” x 2”s or drive if under 4 hours away. Every once in a while it’s fun to meet and greet others who appreciate the emotion and beauty of art and respond to your work in either a positive or negative way.