There are so many things to prepare for an exhibition that are not painting related.
It has been a real eye opener for me.
I have had to access parts of my brain I have not had to use often in the last 5 years of being ‘stay at home’ mum!
It has been a period of great growth, not only educationally but creatively as well.
I have had to learn to use the computer…practicing with the likes of Facebook to get a feel for ‘sharing’ and networks. No mean feat for the technological phobe I have been!
I have had to think in terms of design, for the buisness cards and Invitations. Work out what information is relevant and neccessary and what is personal and for another medium. Thankfully, my husband is a designer and has been most helpful, especially with producing the final artwork to go to the printers!
The Gallery requested that I create an artist statement for the show. (I shall post that as a seperate item.) That is an interesting process, that makes you stop and evalute what you do and why. I found it to be cathartic and empowering.
Sometimes, in the Studio, it all feels like play and is so much fun in itself, that you can lose sight of the longer journey you have had with it and why you do it, even what you are doing as an artist.
There are mailing lists to compile and emailing lists for the tech friendly and environmentally conscious.
Compiling these lists has been fun. I have walked down memory lane and recalled so many people along the way to whom I promised I would invite to my first Solo Show!
Some are friends from Art school whom I have lost touch with, some old neighbours or people in the community from when the subject came up”what do you do?”
It is exciting to see how many people you can remember having shown interest and support, over the years leading up to this point. It has been a bit like reading a diary from the past!
Luckily, I have been organised in as much as keeping a little envelope which has held buisness cards or addresses given to me over the past few years, with the view to begin a mailing list! Interesting that it can often take a requirement to get one motivated to actually make the effort to do such a thing!
How rewarding it is to see how many people are now on that list by request! Validating!
I am sure many invites will go unanswered and some of the people may have forgotten me, but I bet there will be a few smiles from those who remembered asking when they finally receive an invite. Regardless of whether they come, I hope they are pleased that I remembered them!
It will make for a very interesting opening!