Friday 8 July 2011

What a year...

This time last year I had just finished my first exhibition at Penrhyn Castle, Bangor and was about to attend my first day at Art on the Fence in Colwyn Bay.  What a year it has been since then; I built my studio and it was open for visitors by September when I took part in Helfa Gelf Art Trail and had another exhibition in Glynllifon near Caernarfon.   Since then I have made many things in my studio and worked with snow on the roof and temperatures down to -6 outside and more recently boiling hot and having to rig up shade :)  At the beginning of the year everything was looking up with a solo exhibition at Arthaus61 in Bangor and an exclusive deal with an agent and a group exhibition booked for June.  However, things soured :( the exhibition took place but the PR for the event was nill and the agent was up to some very dodgy dealings.  The whole thing cost me dear and wasted my time but at least I got a listing on artnet and an exhibition in Westbourne Grove to stick on my CV.

Now I have been asked by the charity which ran Art on the Fence last year if I would like to be part of their empty shop gallery which they have set up this year.  I am honoured and excited and will be delivering about six masks there in a couple of hours.  The publicity for this will be excellent as it was last year.

Sometimes the best things come from the most unexpected places;  last year I did Art on the Fence after Penrhyn Castle, and one would expect the castle setting to have the best sales and feedback but no.  It was Art on the Fence that produced the best feedback, contacts and follow up sales.  Getting out there and being involved, seeing real people loving art and taking it on face value has been the best experience of the year.

The empty shop gallery has its grand opening at 4pm today in Colwyn Bay, the Mayor will be there as will the media and local dignitaries (thanks to the very hard work of Brenda).  I shall take some photographs and post them here.  I will be volunteering to run the gallery on some days and hopefully will be doing some demonstrations and workshops as well.  If you are in the area please come and join us, it will be open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am.

Thank you for reading :)

No comments:

Post a Comment