Behind the Scenes 1

So the show is only a week away. Most things are ready, I have got some prints in the shop getting framed, they should be ready on Monday. I have helped fortyfive downstairs with the mailout, sticking address labels on envelopes and stuffing mine and another invitation into them. The gallery has also sent out a media release, so with any luck I will get a little bit of media attention, hopefully good! I have mostly finished all the paintings, some I am still not sure about, so there may be some work to do there. Then of course they all have to be signed and have hanging wire put on the back. I have organised a friend of mine, who runs a gallery and regularly hangs shows, to help hang the show on Monday the 26th. I have got my secret team (mum) on the case to help me with food for the opening night. I am investigating the possibility of getting some nice organic red wine for the opening... it is all rolling along. Oh yeah, I still have to type up the price list and artist statement.

So that is the nuts and bolts of getting this thing happening. I am feeling reasonably confident, but have had my moments of blind panic this month, don't worry about that! I think it has been really wonderful to work with a gallery like fortyfive downstairs. Their expertise and the fact that they put on so many shows means that they have a time frame and system for getting things done. For example the invitations would have been pushed aside and put off till the opening night itself if it had been left to me. But because they needed them done I had to get it together! So I had to make the hard decisions, like which image to use, what words to put with it, what to call it... all that stuff that I resist, procrastinate about and try really hard to avoid. They were also really supportive and offered some good advice in the midst of all of those decisions. Alix, who works there, said a couple of time 'I think that's good' and that was all I needed to settle that raging bull of insecurity, thus allowing a decision to be made. They really are a great team; Mary Lou, Philippa and Alix.