Getting Ready for A Show, Part 2

"Taking Fllight" 16x20"

It's "crunch time", as the saying goes, in getting ready to take my work to Sautee Nacoochee for my show. The paintings have been created, and now it is time to gather them together, pack the car, and deliver them to the gallery. It takes organization and planning to successfully deliver a bunch of paintings to a show without forgetting anything. Or Breaking/Tearing/Losing anything. (Yes, I've done all those things, especially forgetting stuff.)

After a final varnish on a couple new pieces, I have to select which paintings to take. I had the new work but needed more, so chose several from my inventory...

From the cabinets under the counter

A couple big ones from the closet

New ones all ready to go

Now time to put together an inventory list.

I identify each painting with a number on tape that matches numbers on the inventory sheet. This makes it easier for whoever hangs the work to put the right labels with the right paintings. Artists put titles and other info on the back of the painting, so it's hard to know the title without having to unhang the painting and look at the back, in order to be sure the label on the wall is correct. That may sound silly, but you can't imagine how frustrating it is to have a label in your hand and not know which painting it goes to.

On to packing the car.

I'm taking 20 pieces of art to this show. I can pack as many as 40 in my car, so this "pack" takes some thought, but isn't too big a deal. The main thing is to be sure everything is secure and won't slide around. I use carpet padding between paintings to keep them from slipping...works like a charm. The big ones, shown at an angle, are 48"x48", so they go in first, and everything else gets packed around them.

Okay, so now it's time to hit the road. The gallery is a couple hours from my house, so I picked up my sister and made it a road trip. The weather was gorgeous and the leaves were at peak color in most places. What was essentially a work day ended up being a fun day with my sis!

Heading toward the North Georgia mountains

And we arrive at the school house at Sautee Nacoochee.

Bring the paintings in.

Sister Susie and another artist bringing work in.

Someone else will do the actual hanging, so all we had to do was bring the work in and put it in the hallway where it will be hung.

Placed along the walls where they will be hung.

And that is it for this phase of the show.

Done. Going back home.

Next, I come back for the opening reception, when I can see how it all looks hung on the walls!

Getting Ready For A Show, Part One

I've been invited to show my work at the Sautee Nacoochee Center in north Georgia. It occurred to me that most people don't know what is involved in getting ready to show paintings. So, I decided to explain the process as I get ready.

The first thing I needed to do is see the location. I've not been to Sautee Nacoochee (between Helen and Clarksville), so I asked my friend, Gail Vail, to go for a road trip to see it.

When we got there I got a photo of the sign, but forgot to take a picture of the outside of the building. So this is a drawing I found of it...

The art gallery is actually a restored schoolhouse. I believe it was built in the early 1900's.

I will hang my work, as visiting artist, in the hallway.

I get both sides. I could see immediately I need to bring a lot of work!

I also met the gallery director, Jim Thomas.

He showed us around, explained what the shows are like, and gave me needed paperwork for the show.

By the end of the show I will have traveled to this little schoolhouse four times and packed and unpacked my car twice. This is in addition to creating the work, photographing the work, logging information about each painting into the computer, creating an inventory sheet for the show and filling out labels for each painting.

There is a lot to do that has nothing to do with painting. It's all a part of the process.

It's all good.

An Invitation

I recently received an email from Jim Thomas, Gallery Director at Sautee Nacoochee Center in North Georgia. In it he said he stumbled upon my website and liked my work. Well, my first reaction was to "Delete" the email as a scamer wanting money, or whatever.

I kept reading, though, and am glad I did. It turns out he's for real, and he offered me an invitation to show my work at Sautee Nacoochee as one of their invited artists for 2012. We emailed back and forth several times to get dates and details straight, and we ended with us both marking November and December on our respective calendars as my show date.

Artists spend a lot of time researching shows and locations for their work, then even more time contacting, begging negotiating an opportunity to show, participate, sell, or otherwise get their work out there. It's so nice, every once in a while, to get asked.

I got asked.