Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Getting back into the studio is proving to be a challenge post-exhibit. I had foot surgery (no big deal) right after the closing day, recovery for about 2 weeks, and am just now feeling that it's time to begin with all of those already-started paintings that I have lost momentum on since August. Although I know where I am intending to go with them, it's all about getting serious and saying NO to the distractions that will always show up and side track you.
The weather here in Norway has taken a turn for the BETTER (not good, just BETTER) in the last week. The sun is now setting at about 19:30 (7 p.m.), which is WAY to early, but the sunsets that we have been able to witness lately are fabulous. We're on our way into the fall/winter darkness, and that definitely takes some psyching up to get through. I have dragged out my light therapy lights, and have already used one of them.  As long as the sun shows itself often, I don't care about the outside temperature.


Painting....it saves me this time of year. When the trees drop their leaves, and the mountains get even more grey, the flowers disappear and the sea fog rolls in, color, from tubes and containers of paint, keeps me enthusiastic about getting up in the morning. I have my direction staked out in paintings already begun.  No more Mrs. Niceguy......it YES only to the work.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Post-Exhibit Update

It's now September, finally. The exhibit in August was a great success. It was visited by a great many enthusiastic, art-loving people.  The response was so uplifting, that I would encourage exhibitors to stick around if you have an exhibit in a conventional gallery, so that you can talk to the visitors and get some honest, straightforward feedback. If you turn over your work, and don't get the chance to talk to the visitors, you will never see reactions or hear the words that people will share with you about what exactly your work does to them. Your only judgement of whether or not the exhibit was a success would be sales. Now, sales are nice, but the reactions of visitors are, in my opinion, so valuable for the energy that you will be taking back to the studio after the show, that you shouldn't deny yourself that gift. I am, actually, so fed up with people asking me the only question that seems to spell success in their eyes....sales. I know that a whole line of coincidences need to line up if my work is to be taken home by people who obviously would love to have it, but can't spare the cash for it at that particular time.  I will exhibit it later, and perhaps the stars will line up better. Hundreds of brochures and business cards left with these people, and I hope to make contact with them at a later date.
Which brings me to our Open Studio weekend which is happening THIS WEEKEND (14-16 September) at Sandviksboden 73A. We (about 11 of the painters in the house) will be open Friday night from 18:00 - 22:00 ( 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.) and Saturday and Sunday from noon until 16:00 (4 p.m.)
Doors will be open to most of the studios for checking out what exactly is going on in there....big mystery! Artists generally work in solitude and not many are comfortable with letting outsiders in on the work process, but this weekend, it's happening. Come in for a chat.