Did I Tell You About...

2010 - TUXEDO - 40 x 30 - mixed media

So there I was, beginning to send out folders and disks and printed whoopee stuff to galleries around the region, trying to get someone's attention. Needed to off-load some of these paintings that were starting to talk back to me since a few of my galleries had closed or cut back. It's not a pretty pass time as most of you know and my lack of enthusiasm for this cold calling process was not helping.  It's very humiliating to not even get a return email most of the time and hurts almost as much to get the note that indicates they thought long and hard about your work but it just wasn't what they were looking for at that time. Sure, I have several good galleries but seems I'm painting more than they can handle, for reasons which we are all too familiar.

So... somewhere along the networking line, my name and website are mentioned by a friend at the right time and place... and voila! wheels begin to turn. A few email discussions later, I load the Prius and we make tracks for Asheville, NC. I take a dozen paintings, they decide on eight keepers... and I'm delighted to be represented in this lovely city once again. Gallery Minerva is right in the middle of town on Biltmore Ave, near the museum and other major galleries.

Here's to a long and profitable relationship! And another toast to networking!

 >>CLINK<<

Playing Around...

 2010 - RUBE - 20x30 - mixed media

They say an artist never retires... that's supposed to be an upbeat statement, I suppose... we work for our own enjoyment/passion and are beholden to no one. Many's the story of the famous artist continuing to create well into later years, and in the case of deKooning, befuddled with dementia.

Okay... I'll give you that and, rest assured, I've no plan to retire or even slack off! But the business of creating is a far cry from the business of, um... business. The wheeling and dealing with those who wheel and deal for you has nothing to do with the process of painting other than to interfere with it.

Now, I really like my reps... some have become good friends while others show promise. But they are all on different pages as far as what they expect from me. This has me going in circles in the studio... too much focus on consistency (as defined by others) and not enough time to just explore and enjoy!

Yet, at this point in time, I don't know how devoted I would be to studio painting if it were not for my assorted reps. Easy to say I just want to play, but you don't just quit what you've spent years building up... at least not yet. Anyway, I wouldn't know where to begin...

The View From Here...

Unfinished oil - 36x36 - 2009

"My View From The Crest Of The Hill"... that's what it says up in the corner... and I guess that's how I've laid out this blog, lots of looking back over the career as well as looking forward. I'll admit that it's often easier to talk about the past than to plan for the future. What I've done says way more about who I am than what I've yet to do. I'll also admit that the temptation to begin the descent lurks from time to time.

Oh, no! Can't do that! Not allowed, doncha know! An artist doesn't retire... never! So okay, okay... I'll just take a break from time to time and focus on other things that are meaningful but have nothing to do with art as a career, passion, fixation. I just figured that since the economy tanked, it might be a good time to exit gracefully and it wouldn't really be my choice or my fault, right?

But it didn't work that way... several commissions kept me producing and the ledger says I documented nearly 50 paintings in '09 and sold the same number as last year... 25, mostly big ones. Doesn't look like the slip-sliding side of the hill, though both numbers are lower than when in my prime. Oops, who sez I'm not still in my prime? It's the economy, stu... well, you know.

So that's the kind of year it's been... plenty of studio time but braking for g-kids, lakehouse chores and wandering and wondering time. I've wandered over to oils again... trying to figure out how cold wax can fit in my (so-called) technique. Enjoyed the encaustic sidestep ten or so years ago and have wondered how this might build on that experience... it's play time at this point... no momentum for oils building as yet. If I was serious about retiring, I'd be focusing on watercolors, which would be like going home. But not just yet...

Strangely, this year I voluntarily left two different galleries (and joined one.) I had my reasons, but I still shake my head at how I can shut the door on perfectly good opportunities... well, in better times they would be but I didn't feel a good fit in either case so... there ya go. Crazy old lady doesn't know when she's got it good! In 2007, I left another gallery, and that one I rather regret... I think I misjudged. So I'm left with the old faithfuls in Atlanta and New Orleans, a new one locally which has yet to prove itself but at least it looks good, and several agents who come through for me on occasion.

Apparently, I'm still perched on the crest, no down-hill slide detected. After all these years, painting is still hard work... sure I love it, but sometimes the mojo is slow to perk... but it does, eventually...

So here's a toast to us all... those with lots still to do and those who've done most of it... may your hill have a terrific view from all perspectives!

Fine Tuning...

Nordys Gallery, now closed

A year and a few months ago my local gallery closed it's doors after 7-8 years on the scene. They opened just as we moved to this area and had contacted me even before they knew I'd be a 'local'. It was a terrific space, large and lofty, perfect for exhibiting contemporary art. We honed a great relationship, I had several shows and sales were good. Personal reasons more than the economy necessitated the closing... I understood.

I contacted another prominent gallery in town and was invited to join. Sales started popping and things were looking good... and then the bottom fell out of the economy and you know the rest of the story. I've no doubt that on recovery, this gallery will be as strong as ever... but I've chosen to move on... I hope, with no hard feelings.

The first gallery so spoiled me with their contemporary setting... this second gallery had plenty of space but it was very traditional in feel... and I didn't think my work felt at home. There were other considerations but mainly... the arrangement just wasn't a good fit for them or for me.

Matt Jones Gallery

So... I approached another and will soon be represented by the Matt Jones Gallery. The visual arts in our city suffer from lack luster support and there is little cooperation between the galleries to promote themselves as a group. MJG is new in town and probably without the ties that most depend on... but they seem to be innovative and I love what they've done with their old warehouse space which replaced another gallery in this location. They gave it a completely new, contemporary look... the ambiance I feel best suits my work and challenges me to fit even better.

So... there are other options, other regional cities that might be better prospects but I can't imagine not having local representation. And here's to making that work...

. . .

Painting Just For Me...

Archives - 1988 - Magnolia 5 - W/C - 22 x 30

Prepping for another surge of family at the lake house... will be out of pocket for the next week... but that's another story...

As most who follow these wanderings know, I'm not one to stay too long on a chosen path. At some point I must (briefly or not) shift directions and either explore something new or revisit something from the past. The latter is the current infatuation, a journey back into realism combined with a medium I've never really mastered but will give one more try... oils.

An FB friend mentioned this Josef Albers quote: "Knowledge does not destroy spontaneous work; rather, it ceates a solid base for it."

I consider this research for knowledge... painting directly from an old photograph, similar to the w/c above, but in oil. First I'll work as realistically as possible on a small canvas, sharpening eye/hand coordination, reaching back to a time when this was my primary way of working. I knew exactly what the finished work would look like: nearly identical to the photograph. Second purpose is to get the feel for oils again... not as a big-brush-palette-knife abstract process but an exploration in color mixing and detail application. If things work out, I'll move to larger supports.

Why? First, to make sure I can still make the calls... that I'm not controlled by habit and routine. Where's the creativity in that? Things have become so predictable in the studio the challenge has left the room. I've a large inventory spread across several states and I don't really need to keep growing it at this point. So now is the time to play... to see what I can still do, to entertain new thoughts that may lead to just time out to paint for me... or a new direction all together.

I'll take sketch and w/c materials with me this next week... since I won't really be in charge, maybe I'll find time to work on that eye/hand coordination thing...

Starbucks for painting supplies...

Archives - 1995 - Re-Measure - 40 x 30
(sure wish I had a better photo of this old favorite)

The Facebook profile page features a dialog box that begs you to enter some statement about what you are doing... just a few words spoken in the third person, sounding not a little bit hoity-toity. This morning I entered: "Karen will go to Starbucks for painting supplies today... it's a long story." So here's the rest of that story...

When I headed home from the Point Gibson paint-out last month, I neglected to load my two small canvas bags of watercolor paints and papers. My friend/host was planning a trip and would be passing through my fair city, so we could meet for coffee and she would bring my paint bags... and that's how Starbucks entered into it.

But what makes this noteworthy is my realization of how starved I am for good, real-time art conversation! My friend brought along a Sean Scully book she'd picked up at a museum exhibition in Ft Worth and wanted to talk about his paintings... man, it was like the dam broke! I rattled on, pro and con, about his work for a full five minutes before letting her get a word in edgewise! Like I'd crawled out of the desert and found water!

So... gotta do something about that! And my first new year's resolution... leave paint supplies everywhere I go and hope they'll be delivered along with a few minutes of good artsy conversation! Um... I'll keep working on other options...

The Numbers Game...

2007 - The Optimist - 60x36

Tiz the time of year when we self employed types ask ourselves "How's it goin'?" There were times during the year I suspected I was beginning the slide down the slippery slope since checks seemed scarce. I don't regularly check the running balance my database keeps unless I'm really concerned that something's terribly wrong one way or the other. Larger works don't sell as frequently but they can make a surprisingly tidy impact... so perhaps less is, indeed, more.

My numbers made a 33% increase over last year. They are now as good as when Santa Fe was in the mix and with a lot less stress and extra expense involved. Three of my four primary galleries are roughly neck and neck but the fourth more than doubles the others in sales and figures... interesting... that gallery was way out front last year as well. Don't know what the magic is, not spectacular in looks or size, but apparently they know how to move the merchandise. I've been around long enough to know that different markets ebb and flow... and not all at the same time (thank goodness!) If I had any competitive gumption left in me I'd search out some new territory. But not. Unless something delightful falls into my lap, I'm riding the current crop of reps to the finish line.

Other numbers:
2006: 46 paintings inventoried
2007: 42 paintings inventoried

I've had a good year, the best way to show appreciation is to dedicate myself to having another good year... take nothing for granted and remain optimistic...

Art Show Nostalgia...

2001 Exhibition - Waxlander Gallery, Santa Fe

Reading Rebecca Cromwell's recent blog entries have me tripping down memory lane once again. She has been visiting her gallery in Santa Fe where they presented an introductory show of her work and promised a full fledged show next October... signs that she is gathering no moss since signing on. That market is like no other... if you've got the product and a good gallery, you are in business!

Interesting to note is that Darnell Gallery is owned by the former director of Waxlander Gallery where I had a three year stint. My show was October, 2001... a great weather month. Sales, all during my association, were constant and the requests for more work came like a drum beat... long story short, I couldn't keep up. I was rushing my work and not liking what was happening to it or to me. I began slowing down with shipments to the gallery and wasn't surprised when a conversation ended with... it's been nice, but...

I'm sad about that... I think it says something about my inability to be as proficient as is expected of a professional artist. The competition is very keen in Santa Fe... so many galleries along one long street, plus many other really good ones all around the city. To keep their name up front there's a lot of expense involved which is shared by the artist... not unusual except that the numbers are much higher in this market than most. The process and expense of building and shipping crates is mind boggling and it didn't help when we moved to another state and gave up my freight guy who would come by the house to pick up when I called. Was never able to find the same fit in our new location which meant considerably more effort on our part.

Meanwhile, I was still trying to keep new inventory in my other galleries and finally had to make a choice... cut out all the SE gallery relationships I worked so hard to establish or quit Santa Fe. Looking to the future, I could see myself within driving distance of all my major galleries... no shipping necessary. I began letting the Santa Fe inventory slide and like I said, wasn't surprised when the call came.

All that said... I miss the drum beat, the excitement, the high rolling ride! Sales from all five of my SE galleries don't equal the one in Santa Fe. But the pace suits me... I can take my time... I can have a life outside the studio. The experience was like no other and am so glad I was part of the scene for at least a while. Good luck Rebecca... enjoy!

Lack of Deadlines

Archives - 1991 - Watercolor Sketch - small

"A goal without a deadline is a wish." (Cindy Rold)

I don't usually follow the self-improvement gurus with their pump-it-up speeches and books but every once in awhile I come across one of their bullet quotes that hits me in a vulnerable spot. The above statement holds true. I doubt that I would have ever brought my painting career to a respectable point had it not been for deadlines. I joined the race early by entering watercolor competitions on increasingly difficult levels... nothing like it to sharpen your abilities as well as your work ethnic. Towards the end of that ten year period I had complicated wall calendar that directed me as to the current status of slides or paintings to be shipped or received and dates of future competitions down the road. I think watercolor has the most organizations involved in established competitions, local, regional, national and International. I gave it a good run. Later, gallery shows, group or solo, took their place... fewer but more demanding deadlines.

Fast forward to today's world and other than the occasional solo show (of which you've heard my gripes, complaints and swearing off) I only have 'soft' deadlines. Vague promises to deliver more paintings along this line or that. Even commissions aren't really commissions anymore, more like possibilities that don't usually pan out but I've inventoried another painting, whoopee! Maybe someone else will like it.

So... looks like I've got lots of wishes that may or may not come true. Did I just see a shooting star? Or was that a falling star... make a wish just in case...

I Love My Job...

2007 - The Heights 1 - 60x20

My job is pretty equally divided three ways: Art - Family - Retreat. The Art part is just demanding enough to keep me on my toes, painting regularly and leaving no time to contemplate retirement. The Family part ranks equally high on the priority list... 9 g-kids to love and wonder/worry about, and occasionally entertain.

The Retreat part is the renovation of our old/new lake house, which is coming along pretty fabulously, BTW. We step into a totally different world when we arrive... become different personalities, working side by side like a team of oxen, sweating and straining... as if we were twenty five years younger... just like we did twenty five years ago. I suspect this ole house might have rescued our 48 year marriage from the doldrums... two old buddies who might have said about all there was to say. Now there are projects to do and plans to make... it's been a very good year and promises many more.

These three entities will be coming together next week as family comes and goes. We'll be back and forth to the lake, meshing with the schedule of the two local g-kids who start school in the middle of everyone else being here. I won't go into the details... just know I'll be runnin' to keep up!

So where does the Art part come in? Well... I've recently heard from nearly every gallery that represents me (five out of six) describing their wish lists for the upcoming season... which seems to have already begun. So mixed in with vacationing family and retreating to the lake... I'll be stretching and prepping a number of canvases... and nearly all will be landscapes. Well... I said I was going to do more landscapes... guess I will.... when the rest of life settles back into place and studio time takes priority.

Returning Work

Works In Progress

Two white vans pulled up in my cul de sac yesterday... one from an out of state gallery, one from an out of state artist. They met at my place to exchange work for the artist's upcoming show, and for the gallery to return work to me and to the other artist. Nice that more galleries are taking on some of this trafficking business. I served iced tea and stuff but we stood in the kitchen for our brief chit-chat... then I gave a quick tour of the studio, not that it's such a great studio, but it's good for gallerists to know their artists spaces.

"Landscapes? I didn't know you did landscapes!"

"You want landscapes? I can do landscapes for you."

"And I saw some of your long box construction pieces at another gallery... any chance we can get some of those?"

"Not a problem." (mental note to self for J to start building boxes... a studio side step that hadn't really found an audience.)

Later: "You know the best thing about your studio? There aren't big stacks of paintings sitting around!" That made me smile... I worked a long hard road to get to that point, to have enough galleries to store and occasionally sell the stuff. 'Course she didn't see my storage room with lots of rejects from along that road.

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Well, there are a bunch stacked around now! Fourteen paintings were returned, mostly little guys, some old, some very new. Color, everybody wants color. Bokusho's are notoriously short on color... I now have a body of work to push on down the road... Atlanta, are you ready?

So what have I learned from this exchange? I've had two recent shows that featured mostly black and white (some red, a little ocher) and although both sold respectably, the older work is obviously preferred. I can dig that (volleyball expression recently acquired where a player reaches low and far for control of the ball.) These paintings from the Bokusho series are fine. They just have to find an audience that will appreciate them. In the meantime, I will focus on work that I know already has an audience... I aim to please... I can dig it!

PS... big grin... they kept a bunch of BIG stuff... I've long felt that so many little paintings proliferating most galleries meant I needed to focus on big!

Inventory...

Was updating a few entries this morning and decided to look at some totals... I have 120 paintings circulating in six galleries. Two of those galleries are not major reps and only have nine works between them. So the other four average about 25 or so in inventory.

This year, so far, 27 have sold, which is about the total of last year and it's only July. But I've had two major shows this year and none last year (Smell the coffee, kj?) Coincidentally, I've also documented 27 finished paintings for '07. I doubt that I'll do more than last years 46 paintings. Sketches and small w/c's I don't expect to sell are not documented. Some '07 sales were vintage 2001-03 works. Only seven were as recent as 2006 and 07. Sometimes they have to 'hang' around awhile before the right buyer comes along.

My database totals 1,565 and includes every finished painting I ever made note of since '65 with my first bowl of copied daisies. (I could have gone back much further and included a couple of paint-by-numbers but I'm trying to be professional here!) Not a lot by some standards. (I can hear R exclaim from three states away, "Is THAT ALL?") Yikes... maybe I should have counted all the works that didn't make the cut and got painted over before documenting. That would triple the number right there! I'm working on a canvas right now that has seen at least four near finished versions, only to become something way different in another incarnation. This is why I often kick myself for trying too hard when I see stuff out there that looks like it was completed in one quick sitting... and looks fine... sometimes.

But having said all that, a gallery mentioned that they had way more of my stuff than I probably meant for them to have (and they do) and in their travels through my fair city, they would be dropping off some of the extra. I was asked if there was anything in particular that I needed back and I left it to them to make the cut... which should give me a critique on what they like... or feel they can sell... or not. I'm looking forward to seeing what and how many return home. If I see flaws, they'll likely get repainted (which is why I don't varnish my work.) Otherwise, they'll be moving on down the road to new audiences and hopefully, new homes.

Some numbers are more fun to play with than others...

Decade of Change... Or Not?

1995 - Square Parts - 36x36

A comment from an earlier post made me pause to ponder that show from 1997... you might have also wondered where my work was among all those realistic still lifes. Have I only been painting abstracts less than ten years? No, but thanks for noticing. I could say I was in a state of transition but more accurately, it would be a state of trying to please everyone including myself.

I've been painting abstracts from the get-go ('70's) but early work that could be genetically traced to current abstracts show up in my inventory folders from about '92... 15 years. Prior to that I played with a variety of abstract ideas presented as realistic studies. My archives are a work in progress that will require a lot of slide conversion to digital... (clues to the best source appreciated) but look around if you like.

1995 - Arrangement 1 - 40x30

But back to the still lifes of '97... why? Two reasons...
1) Because I was in transition and not really sure where I was destined... and
2) Realism requires a different set of polished skills. Without a formal degree, I've always felt a need to prove myself. Satisfaction comes when you meet an MFA who can't paint... and you know you can, on several levels ;-) Nothing like envy to motivate!

At the time I had two strong galleries that handled my wobbly, uncertain abstracts, and was invited to join two start up galleries (different states) that needed more in the way of realism. I really had nothing nailed as a branded style after leaving w/c for canvas work and was still under the influence of anything that flew by. I admit that sales were the prime motivator and I was trying to determine which way was up, realism or abstraction.

You know the end of the story... or is it the end? The stronger galleries could sell my abstracts better than the smaller galleries could sell my still lifes. That's just the way the cards fell for me... the slightest twist in marketing or style change could have resulted in a different outcome. So much for artistic idealism! I still have a determination to make my abstracts read more as landscapes in a style not yet struck... but I'm open to whatever the fates have in store. Maybe that's the real artistic idealism... just let it happen.

Memphis Flyer Review

Carol Knowles of the Memphis Flyer recently reviewed my show as follows:

Karen Jacobs' exhibition at Perry Nicole Fine Art is another ingenious mix of culture and genre. For "Bokusho" (Japanese for abstract brushwork), this St. Louis artist painted thousands of calligraphic strokes onto hundreds of scraps of canvas collaged into complex grids.

At the center of a particularly evocative painting, Construct II, ragged rectangles float in a pattern reminiscent of a kimono with arms stretched-out. Rather than honoring biological ancestors, Construct II's nuanced background, irregular geometric shapes, and expressive gestures pay homage to abstract calligraphers and other artists who have influenced Jacobs' style, including Hans Hofmann, Mark Rothko, and Richard Diebenkorn.

Enso is the Zen symbol for circle of enlightenment. In one of Jacobs' most powerful works, Enso Red, the dark-red background looks like the page of a book that has been written on, scraped off, and used again and again. The large calligraphic gesture at the center of the painting is frayed and scumbled. Pieces break off near its nadir. Instead of suggesting Platonic or Zen perfection, Jacobs' circle brings to mind the Japanese aesthetic of "wabi-sabi," the beauty of the natural cycles of growth, decay, and death. Here is the passion and pathos of existence, of life devouring life to sustain itself.

Karen Jacobs: "Bokusho" at Perry Nicole Fine Art through May 29th

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Only a couple of small mistakes... I'm not a St. Louis artist and my marks are made on rice paper not canvas scraps. No biggie, I'm pleased. Carol called me prior to submitting the review to double check a few things and was very complimentary of my work, has been following it, promised a single page review when I have my next solo at the gallery. (May have to rethink the 'no more solo shows' declaration???) Just take it as it comes, KJ!

Going Solo

Another opening, another time... 1993

Been receiving interesting comments regarding pros and cons of openings and thought I'd elaborate a bit more on my take, based on my own experiences. I think it's been well established that during this last decade I've become much less the social butterfly and much more the recluse. I don't think this is a bad thing, it's part of our personal evolution... we change with time and that's a fact. But I digress... that's not what the subject line is about.

I believe there is nothing like a good solid deadline to really challenge an artist. The promise of a solo or featured show means responsibility to be the best you can be... no shortcuts, no mistakes. Not only does each piece need to be special... you must compose the whole show so it is cohesive and makes a strong statement. You will not be taken seriously as an artist until you can create a body of work that fills this criteria... on command.

Until the web entered our lives, it was important that artists establish themselves in regional art centers so that their work could become known and judged. If successful (and lucky) enough, they could move on to larger art centers and eventually, the Big Art Apple. Naturally, I'm not talking about the super stars who are hand picked from the throngs, I'm talking about the throngs... you and me and all the rest.

Today, the center of the art world is everywhere. Thanks to our websites, our blogs and our links... Google can sort us out and serve us up with a quick click. We can show our faces... or not. We can hold our own solo shows with just the basic knowledge of HTML... or less. We can converse with each other... and maybe even a few potential buyers (who aren't even from Nigeria.) But... we can't create the same impression that a well established gallery can offer. It's a validation that is hard to find elsewhere. Maybe that's changing... everything else is. Maybe, like some are saying, big art fairs will take the place of brick and mortar galleries. It should be interesting to watch, and with the web at our fingertips, we can.

"We all want to be wanted." A variation on a recent comment, stating that I was sure to sign up for the next offering of a solo show. But I don't think so. I won't swear to it, I just don't want to work that hard preparing, nor do I want to carry the whole shebang on my shoulders. The thrill has been thoroughly enjoyed, many times over. More and more galleries are offering two and three person shows as a regular venue... that seems to make more sense to me anyway.

Openings are very often 'party time' where friends meet and greet. If it's a crowd scene, even a small crowd, viewing the art itself is secondary. I nearly always see gallery shows after the opening, only showing up for the party if it's a close friend.

***Note from gallery, they're rockin' ! Had a big crowd, much interest, several sold and more going out on approval on Monday! WooHoo!

***Poison Ivy not getting better, even spreading. If no improvement by Monday, will seek outside help. Coffee rubs still soothe as well as anything.

Medical Excuse...

As mentioned, a couple of days ago my husband took a flying leap from a ladder as a freshly sawn tree branch took aim at him on it's way down. It involved 911, ambulances, doctors, etc... thought it was the usual sprain which would simply involve a slower pace but life would go on as planned. However, the situation went from bad to worse which meant another doctor visit this morning before heading for Memphis. The final medical word, although no bones were broken, was to keep it elevated higher than his heart... so that pretty much scotched our trip plans. I called the gallery and let them know that we wouldn't be able to make the opening. His foot is blown up twice it's normal size and he's a high maintenance type patient. I swear I didn't pray for this kind of interference! We really were packed and ready to go.

I wonder if someday I'll look back at this moment in time and think that it was the turning point. I've wondered if such a point would be recognizable. Momentum has been working in my favor for quite some time but after awhile it simply becomes coasting. And we all know coasting is only good for downhill runs. Well, we'll see. I'll keep on painting, keep on supplying my four galleries in four states with fresh work... it's what I do. And I love what I do. And I have lots more ideas I want to paint... and I will. But I need a little break. Stay tuned...

A Lifetime of Openings...

I should be sleeping but here is what's going on:

I had a legitimate excuse to skip out on the opening tonight in Memphis, J had a 911 incident at the lake involving a tree, a ladder, a falling branch and a badly sprained ankle. Fortunately he had his cell phone with him. He doesn't make a fun patient, especially on crutches. I thought I'd been sent a good excuse to skip the Memphis trip, but my sense of responsibility got the best of me. It's getting worse... not the responsibility thing, the dread of openings.

It wasn't always this way, but it sure has become this way. I've been trying to reason through it, wondering what changed over the years, why do I love to make the work, but hate to have to stand in front of it saying 'this is the best I can do, please say something nice about it.' The three hour grin-a-thon.

Early on, there were the festivals in parks... I'd be up and on the road, sometimes as early as 3am, be set up and grinning by 8 or 9am. Be there a day or two, socially adept at talking about my work, then head home. I did this regularly for about ten years when galleries finally took over the selling end of things for me. And they do it very well. The only catch is the occasional opening thing. Even though there were the usual jitters I always had a good time... what's different now?

Okay, let's analyze this. The openings I enjoyed most were in New Orleans. That's where I built my career, where I had the most friends, art support groups, most of them showing up for each other's openings. A great party event, a crowd I knew... and I was of an age where I could remember names of the newly introduced.

So six years ago we make a move to a similar sized town with a thriving art community. An old friend introduces me around, the door is opened for me to build a new community, but it's different now. I already have a career that requires only time to produce, not support from organizations or social groups. The beginnings of an anti-social hermit are born. Openings here have all the same ingredients as before, my gallery couldn't be friendlier or more gracious, but I'm beginning to freeze up... and now I can't remember names and small talk is painful.

So what about out of town gallery openings? Well, the Atlanta gallery has been in business long enough to be able to set a few of their own rules, so they just go with featured artists shows involving invites, but no formal opening so I missed that bullet. A number of out of state shows over the years accepted the fact that I would be unable to attend without question. A really terrific opening was in Santa Fe in which a bunch of e-friends (pre-blog days, but known via email only) chose to make a road trip out of the event and we had a great time!

So here I am, sleepless when I should be snoring away in anticipation. But my work is done. The paintings are delivered, hung and tagged... what is my purpose for being there? I'm an old lady artist, struggling to remember to grin (the only face lift I'll ever have, so I try to make it a habit) and hoping to sound intelligent even though I probably didn't hear half of what was said. Anyway... and I'll put this in writing... this will be my last solo opening. Group shows of at least three, maybe, but never solo again. I give thanks for the many opportunities I've had over the years, but all I want now is a little decent wall space and to be excused from the party.

PS - And the poison ivy is still in full rampage... great!

Retail Therapy

Bokusho - Kae (change) 42x60

Had a slight melt down yesterday, a pity party for no real reason. Guess it's possible that being pulled in multiple directions does take it's toll, no matter the positive thinking and repeated mantras of "I can do this!" A nap helped, then a bit of retail therapy sweetened the day. I find great satisfaction in '75% off bottom price' sales, especially when found at one of my fav stores such as Pier 1. Bags full of pillows, rugs and other accessories accompanied me out the door for a pittance. Now, don't think for a minute that I have a passion for shopping, I only indulge when there's no other choice. But the re-do of the lake house demands a certain amount of hunting and gathering so might as well make it interesting with a 'below cost' scavenger hunt. So far, we're getting mostly new stuff at garage sale prices. Now THATS FUN!

Another mood altering perk is that I've finished the last painting for the Memphis show... the biggie above which was quite a wrestling match for way too long. The photo isn't picking up the 'drama' going on in lower right corner... in person it works better, I think. I gave up on the deconstruction piece mentioned a few posts ago... just didn't have the time to mess with it intelligently. One day I will, but with renewed enthusiasm and not because I need it on some inventory list. There are enough paintings for this show, and in fact, probably more than really necessary. I'll tell them to pick and choose so it hangs cohesively... they don't have to use them all. I'd rather see a bit of wall space around them anyway. I'll deliver on Tuesday and go back on Friday for the opening. This time next week, my motivation will be free to roam. At least for awhile. Still have obligations for new work in several places... but I can do that...

Six Days Later...

2000 - Shadowscape - 48x36

Miss me? Think I'd tossed the blog habit? Nah... just busy elsewhere and not sure that "elsewhere" was worth a discussion. Actually, things have been happening, a couple of landscapes appeared on some of the newly stretched and primed canvases... how'd that happen, she asked, innocently. Well, had to answer the call, could be more coming down the pike before long. Photos with next post.

The May show has been resolved. I will be using some of the work from the last show, adding a few more to make up for the missing and be able to stretch the exhibition into a new realm. This is good on several levels... the work gets to be new a bit longer and I get to play with some new ideas in the same mode. I was concerned that I'd be pushing myself into stress city with the two shows coming so close together. This is going to make life a whole lot more pleasant... and productive.

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The pollen here is thick as an Okie dust storm. Everything is sulfur coated, the drive into town includes views from several high vantage points, all showing layers of thick powder in the air. I feel for those who are allergic, and sing praises of thanks for my own resistance to such irritants. But it's still a blamed nuisance. Our spring has been beyond belief with floral abundance we can't recall seeing in years. It's been dry for months, maybe the trees, shrubs and bulbs think the end is near and are trying to produce extra seeds in order to procreate. If so, same would hold true for the oaks and pines, resulting in even more pollen than usual. A good gully-washer would at least clear the air so we could enjoy the mild temps and gorgeous color.

There's a new pup in our house. Long story short, we're temporary caretakers until she is old enough (and self contained enough) to understand that when left alone, there's a proper way to behave and that her people will return. Daisy is a Miniature Schnauzer and is a real cutie! But she does require a change of routine around here... for sure!

Tools...

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Construct 1 & 2, each 48x24, 2007

Completed before Santa Fe trip, an attempt to break out of the grid but retain the motivation.

She said: Hey, Hon, did you happen to use my rubber mallet while I was gone?

He said: Yep. And by the way, it's MY rubber mallet.

She said (with a grin:) Well, I was hoping you'd let that part slide... do you know where it is?

He said: Yep, in the back of my van.

And there it was, neatly tucked in with all the movable tools that go back and forth to the lake house. We share well... he often has need of my big plastic right angle, which is as necessary to stretching canvases as 'his' rubber mallet. The trick is keeping track of them. His toy box or mine?

Trying to get a good supply of canvases stretched, gessoed and ready to fill with pure inspiration. I need to have the bulk of the show lined up before Easter. I've had a couple of good work days, but tomorrow... it's off to the lake we go!