It's a funny old thing, you have a really busy week, where lots seems to be happening in terms of moving things along - trying to get interest in my work....then........it all goes quiet, nothing much happening, then....boom! it all explodes again and there's lots to get excited about/look forward to.
I have heard from the studios I applied to for a space, my work went in front of their committee and I have been invited to go and have a look around and take some of my work for them to see. Very exciting, but again not getting carried away in case disappointment strikes! Would love to have a studio space again after nearly 10 years. It would give me the opportunity, not only to become a part of a studio group, part of their community but also to get back to working on the scale I love....BIG!!!
I don't go until next week, so keeping everything crossed.
Have just put in a piece of work for TV series "Show me the Monet", a chance (if I get through) to get my work into a large-scale exhibition and maybe even on tele. 3000 people applying, 150 to be selected. Hmmm, irons in the fire and all that!
I also find out next week if I have got through pre-selection for the Royal Society of British Artists exhibition that I put in for.
So, waiting.........to hear back from a few things that could make all the difference for me at the moment. Whilst making a cup of tea last night I saw a massive shooting star out of the kitchen window, I hope this is a good omen of things to come.
All that glitters must surely be from Essex
Oil and glitter on canvas
Wednesday 14 December 2011
Sunday 27 November 2011
What a week!
So, this turned out to be an eventful week!
Last weekend I was offered my first solo exhibition and this weekend 3 pieces of my work went into a local gallery. Today I joined a number of local artists at the gallery, Thirteen Brushes in Colchester, for a visit from a journalist from the Essex Chronicle, who is putting a piece into Thursday's edition about local artists.
It seems a lot can happen in 7 days.
I'm obviously hoping to sell the pieces or for them to start to generate interest in my work. I met some really interesting other artists, some who are very successful and have had very interesting careers and others who, like myself are just starting out.
The coming week will seem quiet by comparison! I'm still waiting to hear back about the studio space and next week I'll find out if my last submission of the year has got through the pre-selection process.
If I am successful selling my pieces then I may have to look into becoming VAT registered....I never thought that something like that would be such an exciting prospect...or an ambition!
Last weekend I was offered my first solo exhibition and this weekend 3 pieces of my work went into a local gallery. Today I joined a number of local artists at the gallery, Thirteen Brushes in Colchester, for a visit from a journalist from the Essex Chronicle, who is putting a piece into Thursday's edition about local artists.
It seems a lot can happen in 7 days.
I'm obviously hoping to sell the pieces or for them to start to generate interest in my work. I met some really interesting other artists, some who are very successful and have had very interesting careers and others who, like myself are just starting out.
The coming week will seem quiet by comparison! I'm still waiting to hear back about the studio space and next week I'll find out if my last submission of the year has got through the pre-selection process.
If I am successful selling my pieces then I may have to look into becoming VAT registered....I never thought that something like that would be such an exciting prospect...or an ambition!
Sunday 20 November 2011
YAAAAAAAAAYYYY!!!!!!!!
Okay, that's now out of my system, the close of what has been a totally unexpectedly fortuitous weekend!
I was cheeky yesterday and showed up at an art gallery without a prior phone call or anything and asked if they would take a look at some of my work. I have to say at this point that the iPad really came into it's own here, I had downloaded some images onto it that it proved to be an invaluable way to show my work to the gallery owner. Thinking that I would be told a flat "no" or at best a "thanks for coming in, we'll let you know", I was offered a solo exhibition!
I tried to act totally calmly whilst arranging a meeting for later in the week to discuss details, but the surprise and excitement must have been written all over my face. When I left I was beaming. I managed to hold it in till I got back to the car then just cheered!
I still can't quite believe what happened and part of me is worried that when I go for the meeting I'll be told that they made a terrible mistake and I don't really have my first solo exhibition at all.
Let myself enjoy the excitement, the complete icing on the cake would be to get the studio space I've applied for.....but for now, I'm just so happy! It's quite overwhelming, I've never shown on my own before and the knowledge thatI have to fill the space on my own is daunting....but so bloody fantastic. I have a couple of new pieces that I'd like to paint for the exhibition and with Christmas, the New Year and then going away in half term, I'd better hurry up and find what box I packed the paintbrushes in when we moved.
All that is really left to be said is....YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!
I was cheeky yesterday and showed up at an art gallery without a prior phone call or anything and asked if they would take a look at some of my work. I have to say at this point that the iPad really came into it's own here, I had downloaded some images onto it that it proved to be an invaluable way to show my work to the gallery owner. Thinking that I would be told a flat "no" or at best a "thanks for coming in, we'll let you know", I was offered a solo exhibition!
I tried to act totally calmly whilst arranging a meeting for later in the week to discuss details, but the surprise and excitement must have been written all over my face. When I left I was beaming. I managed to hold it in till I got back to the car then just cheered!
I still can't quite believe what happened and part of me is worried that when I go for the meeting I'll be told that they made a terrible mistake and I don't really have my first solo exhibition at all.
Let myself enjoy the excitement, the complete icing on the cake would be to get the studio space I've applied for.....but for now, I'm just so happy! It's quite overwhelming, I've never shown on my own before and the knowledge thatI have to fill the space on my own is daunting....but so bloody fantastic. I have a couple of new pieces that I'd like to paint for the exhibition and with Christmas, the New Year and then going away in half term, I'd better hurry up and find what box I packed the paintbrushes in when we moved.
All that is really left to be said is....YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!
Saturday 19 November 2011
They can only say no!
So today I'm off to do something I'm not very good at, the sell!
A local gallery which looks fantastic has recently opened and they sell the kind of work that mine would take it's place well amongst.
The question is what will they think of my work, what will they think of me?!
So I'm going to take myself in there with some key pieces of work and take it from there. If I can get represented by a gallery....or even just get a few pieces in it could mean nothing.....but it could make a huge difference to getting things underway.
We'll see.....it's time to try and be charming...........
A local gallery which looks fantastic has recently opened and they sell the kind of work that mine would take it's place well amongst.
The question is what will they think of my work, what will they think of me?!
So I'm going to take myself in there with some key pieces of work and take it from there. If I can get represented by a gallery....or even just get a few pieces in it could mean nothing.....but it could make a huge difference to getting things underway.
We'll see.....it's time to try and be charming...........
Sunday 13 November 2011
Oh well.........
No luck with my submissions to the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, we went to collect yesterday. When I picked up my worked I swiped a cheeky look at what others were picking up and there was some fantastic stuff that hadn't got in.
A friend told me that they aren't just looking at individual pieces but how everything fits together as a whole, so if your work doesn't fit, then that's just that! I don't feel down, I did initially, but have submitted for yet another exhibtion (irons in the fire and all that). I have applied for a studio space in Colchester, which I should hopefully be hearing back about in the next couple of weeks.
Quite a lot to keep my fingers crossed for, I've got to get somewhere if I keep buggering on.
A friend told me that they aren't just looking at individual pieces but how everything fits together as a whole, so if your work doesn't fit, then that's just that! I don't feel down, I did initially, but have submitted for yet another exhibtion (irons in the fire and all that). I have applied for a studio space in Colchester, which I should hopefully be hearing back about in the next couple of weeks.
Quite a lot to keep my fingers crossed for, I've got to get somewhere if I keep buggering on.
Sunday 30 October 2011
Handing in.........
So yesterday I submitted 2 paintings for the Royal Institute of Oil Painters Exhibition 2011. Now whilst being exciting, it is also quite a strange thing - if you get it fantastic, if you don't well....you have to tell people that your work wasn't selected, which is...quite a downer!
It's been quite a while, well, 9 years to be precise, since I've put myself up for what is the necessary but quite often painful process of putting your work in front of someone and waiting for the thumbs up or down.
Over the summer I put my work in for my first exhibition and I was successful, I haven't been since. When your work isn't selected you try to stay on the upside by telling people that hey it doesn't matter if you don't get picked.....but on the inside when you get a "no" ,for a split second...sometimes a split few minutes, it's absolutely soul-crushing. Then you dust yourself off, say nevermind there's always the next one and move on. But it's difficult not to let that little chip off your confidence slip away, not to return again until you get back a "we're pleased to tell you your work has been selected", when your confidence is restored again.
I would imagine that it is similar to how actors feel, endlessly rocking up to auditions, acting out pieces that they may have spent weeks working on, just to be told "we didn't feel you were right for the part". To have prepare for the next and the next, until one day someone see's their potential.
I will hear on Thursday if I have been successful by going on to the gallery website to see if either or both of the numbers that my work was given are listed. If they are, then I'm in! If not then I'm out. The presence of 1 or 2 numbers on a list will mean unbounded excitement and joy, or for that few minutes, bitter disappoinment.
For now, here's the picture of me submitting my work yesterday - note the smile....I really hope that on Thursday that smile doesn't fade!!
It's been quite a while, well, 9 years to be precise, since I've put myself up for what is the necessary but quite often painful process of putting your work in front of someone and waiting for the thumbs up or down.
Over the summer I put my work in for my first exhibition and I was successful, I haven't been since. When your work isn't selected you try to stay on the upside by telling people that hey it doesn't matter if you don't get picked.....but on the inside when you get a "no" ,for a split second...sometimes a split few minutes, it's absolutely soul-crushing. Then you dust yourself off, say nevermind there's always the next one and move on. But it's difficult not to let that little chip off your confidence slip away, not to return again until you get back a "we're pleased to tell you your work has been selected", when your confidence is restored again.
I would imagine that it is similar to how actors feel, endlessly rocking up to auditions, acting out pieces that they may have spent weeks working on, just to be told "we didn't feel you were right for the part". To have prepare for the next and the next, until one day someone see's their potential.
I will hear on Thursday if I have been successful by going on to the gallery website to see if either or both of the numbers that my work was given are listed. If they are, then I'm in! If not then I'm out. The presence of 1 or 2 numbers on a list will mean unbounded excitement and joy, or for that few minutes, bitter disappoinment.
Friday 28 October 2011
First post
Anyone who knows me will know that I have never blogged, if that's the right term to use! I have never even really read one before today, so excuse what is probably an appalling design....I'm still getting used to the whole thing!
So here goes......tomorrow we're off into London to submit my work to the Royal Institute of Oil Painters for their Annual Open. I wasn't successful with my submissions a couple of weeks ago, in fact this is the last real opportunity of this year.
I did manage to get my work into the Gallery Q Summer Exhibiton (I was so excited as this was the first time my work had been exhibited since I was doing my painting degree!), but haven't been successful since.
So, I persevere.
So here goes......tomorrow we're off into London to submit my work to the Royal Institute of Oil Painters for their Annual Open. I wasn't successful with my submissions a couple of weeks ago, in fact this is the last real opportunity of this year.
I did manage to get my work into the Gallery Q Summer Exhibiton (I was so excited as this was the first time my work had been exhibited since I was doing my painting degree!), but haven't been successful since.
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