The bonnie land of Scot

On the 3rd I attended the opening of the Trees for Life exhibition to raise money to save the Scottish Caledonian forest. I submitted a piece of work to the exhibition some months ago and when the date was confirmed it seemed like a great opportunity to visit Edinburgh.

The exhibition was completely successful as several pieces already had the tell tale red dots of a sale and many more acquired them throughout the evening. The proceeds are going straight to Trees for Life and will be used to plant new trees and provide a lush wild land for future generations. My submission is still available for purchase.

 The rest of the weekend was spent taking in the weird and wonderful city-scape. Edinburgh is not terribly large and therefore easily explored by foot. From Edinburgh Castle in the Old Town to the fabulous Georgian Dome in the New Town, the entire city is full of an indescribable character. The stones are stained with soot, as though a permanent shadow is cast across the corners of the buildings. Everything is subtly larger than London - the ceilings higher, the roads wider, the windows taller. The grey colouring does not make the city feel dull. Instead it intensifies everything in an incredibly magical and captivating way.

 Around the streets of the Old Town there are a multitude of closes, winding narrow staircases and dark doorways through to residential spots or hidden churches. The number of churches seems astounding given the rather small size of the city. Many do not perform their original function, having been turned into art galleries, theatre spaces and in one case an ironically named night club - 'Sin'.

 Just like London though, Edinburgh is full of art. Around corners, at the ends of bridges, in busy squares - there are sculpted wonders, incredible monuments and some things that can't be described and have not even been labelled.

Three days was not long enough to see all I wanted and yet I felt I'd seen more than I had expected as the weekend drew to a close and I was once more on a plane to London. Fortunately it's a short flight away, only an hour or so, and I know I will go back for it's the sort of city one is drawn to out of curiosity and a sense of wonder.

Task List

I'm so glad I decided not to stick to my 12 entries a month for a little bit. Clever planning on my part, really. Good advice for life, too: Whether you work for yourself or you work for someone else, be aware of your abilities and the restriction of time.

It's one thing to be capable of something, another thing entirely to be able to manage accomplishing multiple tasks in a certain time frame. If you can focus on one thing at a time you'll do a better job over-all and you won't run yourself ragged by having unreasonable expectations of what you can achieve.

As it happens, my gallery show fell at the end of a lull, as a kick-start to a lot of busyness throughout the next two months. I've got a lot of stuff happening in my personal life and a lot of change in my professional life. This means I'm learning to make more reasonable deadlines and getting used to the idea that sometimes, things have to wait. They'll get done, definitely, but one cannot be expected to complete multiple tasks all at once, especially if the plan is to do a good job of which you can be proud.

It's nice though, in a lot of ways, because I'm learning to relax into things. I'm taking my time and enjoying the free moments I have. Like today I was able to make a small task list whilst taking the train home from a day spent at the Hampton Court Palace with my parents. When I got home I jumped on it and as a result I've now purchased the perfect pair of shoes for the lucky winner of the draw I did in conjunction with my gallery show.

I've also managed to do this blog entry! Which is a little bonus and one I'm quite happy about.

On top of that, I'm feeling quite inspired after a day spent learning about the Tudors and where they lived. I'm using this inspired energy to get these things done and formulate some plans for the future, which I have time for because I made that task list which I've now completed.

So nice when you stop trying to control things and just let them fall into place.

The Day After

Blank Canvas - The Apricot Gallery awaits

Sorting the layout

Prints of pieces in Canada hung in traditional Celtic Cross Layout

Buddhist themed work

Excited artist

Guest viewing the work

Celtic Cross layout of the original canvases

I thought this blog entry would write itself. I figured the entire experience of hosting a gallery show of my Tarot Card series would be content enough, but looking back I really have no idea where to start. This show felt like a very nice full-stop to what was originally just an intriguing idea for an art project.

From the High Priestess to the Wheel of Fortune, each card has been an exploration of my beliefs, the beliefs of the world around us and the energy which flows throughout. The sense of utter exhaustion I felt by the end of the two days was partly due to the physical effort involved and partly due to the emotional intensity of it. My blood, sweat and tears went into these paintings and as each guest came in I greeted and discussed with them the finer points of my work.

It was extremely interesting to find out which card drew an individual in and why they felt so captivated by it. For some it was the imagery, for others it was the description. For a few it was a combination of both, but no one seemed to leave without having chosen a card or two for which they felt an affinity.

I'd like to thank each guest I had for taking time to come look and have a chat. I feel like I have gained an even greater understanding of my own work by viewing it through the eyes of so many others.

I am extremely grateful for all the support I've had on this journey. I know I thanked many people upon completing the set, but I'd like to thank a few people in particular for this final step of showing my work.

I would like to thank my psychologist - my most expensive friend and a force to be reckoned with. Her persistence helped me stop making excuses. One of the guests of my show remarked that to put something like this one must take a lot of guts. I want to thank my psychologist for teaching me that fear can't actually hurt you. Without this encouragement I'd not have taken the plunge to move to London and I'd certainly not have believed in myself to think I could and should pull off what I have this past weekend.

I would like to thank my parents - they have always encouraged me to be the best of myself and without their unconditional love I know I wouldn't be the person I am today.

I'd like to thank those who were able to purchase my work. I did these paintings for myself but I shared them for people like you. I am so grateful for your appreciation of what I do and feel honoured that my work spoke to you in such a way that you would love to have it hung on your own wall to admire every day.

And in the tradition of saving the best for last, I would like to thank my partner. Not only did she do some smashing photography of the event, but she has given me huge amounts of support and encouragement throughout the planning and preparation. From all the little thing - like picking up cups for the wine and greeting people as they came in, to the really incredibly big things - like booking taxis and putting up with my fits of worry and anxiety, she has shown great patience and care. I am more grateful to her than words can possibly express.

In the aftermath of the showing I've become quite reflective. During the show many people asked what I intended to do next. I didn't have a straight forward answer for them but I can say that I came to the conclusion that, for now, my paint brushes will be set aside. I have mentioned before that I tend to want to do quite a lot all at once and feel almost paralysed by the abundance of ideas for creative projects which crop up on a daily basis. I feel though, having focused so entirely on this body of work for the past two and a half years, that there is time enough for all my work to be done - one piece at a time.

How To

How to Put on a Gallery Show

1. Complete something really incredible that you want to share with the world. You don’t even have to have a finished body of work. It can be a piece in progress if you like, just make sure there’s enough to share.
2. Find a space. Any space. It can be a gallery, it can be your living room, it can be a pop-up gazebo in a park somewhere. As long as it’s suitable to what you are showing and you’re happy with it.
3. Promote like crazy. Let everyone know repeatedly when, where, and what. Let them know who you are, most importantly, and make sure they know why they should come: e.g. original work, meeting the artist, a fun evening out, interesting conversation, something entirely different.
4. Sweeten the deal. Throw in something extra. Add value to the evening. Food is a great thing to offer. People love something to nibble on when they’re admiring your work. Something to drink is good too but keep it classy and make sure any restrictions are considered when doing so.
5. Sell yourself a little more. Make a special offer for people who attend. Like a slight reduction on the price of originals or the chance to win something you’ve made. Nothing that will be detrimental to your own pocketbook. You’re a professional, remember. Giving away your work for free doesn’t just keep you from making money, it means people will think you don’t value your own work. Make your prices reasonable but throw in a slight perk for those who attend.
6. Give yourself ample time. Make a backwards timeline from the day of the showing. Figure out what you need to get done and by when. There is always going to be a certain amount of stress when it comes to putting on a gallery show but there’s such a thing as ‘unmanageable stress’. Remember, you’re your own boss. You make your own hours and you know how much time you need to complete any given task. Be kind to yourself by having an effective plan in place.
7. Let go. At a certain point you’ll have done everything you can do. The trick is not to have any expectations, good, bad, positive, negative. The single objective is to share your work. If you sell something, fantastic. If you sell a lot of things, all the better. But if you don’t, that’s O.K. too. If a dozen people show up, that’s fine. If you end up with more people than the gallery can hold and it violates fire regulations, oh well. The important thing is that you are sharing your work to anyone who happens by.

8. Enjoy yourself. You are an artist. This is your moment. Relax, and just be.

A London Gallery Show

Photos from my November 29th, 2009 Gallery show in Calgary, Alberta

In just one week my Tarot Card paintings will be on display at the Apricot Gallery just off of Brick Lane. It seems like it's been absolute ages since finishing what ended up being a two year art project and booking the space to exhibit the completed work. I suppose it has been, having finished my final three cards back in February, but the time between my last Gallery showing and this upcoming on has been much longer.

In 2009 I truly began to take stock of my life, how I wanted to live it and where I could see myself in the coming years. I embraced my creativity, seeing my abilities as a writer and artist not as something to fill hobby time, but as something which could make me a living.

I also made the decision to move to London, one which has changed my life in unimaginable ways. Living in this city has been and continues to be an incredible education. Where else can you encounter a Henry Moore sculpture on a street corner, watch Kevin Spacey depict Richard III and gaze upon countless original pieces by the great masters of art?

I feel honoured and elated that my own work will soon be available for viewing by the London public. It seems so long ago that I took those first tentative steps into sharing my work and offering it for sale - a time when only eight of the twenty-two Tarot Paintings were complete.

Now I'm taking a new focus, still giving special consideration to my creative works, but with an aim to have a career which not only funds my art and writing, but also fulfills my passion and love of helping others. There's a lot to consider and as I do, I am becoming more and more excited about this gallery showing and what will come afterwards. There is nothing more liberating than the moment when we realise we are in control of our lives and in doing so we are loving the life we're leading instead of looking for a life we can love.

Faunawolf Creations Gallery Show: 5 - 9pm 19th of August and 11am - 9 pm 20th of August at the Apricot Gallery in the Rag Factory on Heneage Street just off of Brick Lane, 5 minutes from Aldgate East Tube.

One month!!!

Today is July 19th, which means my gallery show is in exactly one month! And guess what? You're invited!

It's where the green arrow on this map is pointing, on Heneage Street, just off of Brick Lane and only a short walk from Aldgate East Underground station.

It's located in the Rag Factory at there Apricot Gallery, which looks very barren in the photo below but won't be on the 19th and 20th of August.

It won't be barren because it will have lovely Tarot Card Paintings on the walls, like this one.

And this one.

And as if the convenient location and fantastic art wasn't enough, there will also be free wine courtesy of these guys.

Plus everyone who comes will automatically be entered into a draw and given the chance to win a pair of custom painted Faunawolf Creations sneakers, like the ones you can see here.

http://www.faunawolfcreations.com/art-gallery/canvas-shoe-creations/

So if you like good company, fantastic art, delicious wine and a chance to win unique custom kicks, you should really come by from

5PM - 9PM on Friday, August 19th and from 11AM - 8PM on Saturday, August 20th.

General goings-on

The year continues at its lickety split pace.

Everything seems to be falling into place so I’m not feeling terribly overwhelmed. As my gallery show approaches I feel like everything is coming together nicely, especially with the development of Barefoot providing the wine.

There are other little things cropping up and they too seem to be making themselves happen. A fellow artist here in London twigged me onto the Crazy Sexy Cool Show, a general showcase of various artists which will feature a pair of my custom sneakers.

At the end of April my animation, ‘Affinity’ screened at the Paris Lesbian and Feminist Film Festival. Apparently it was watched by one of the organising members of the Some Prefer Cake Film Festival in Bologna and now they too wish to have me send a copy for screening.

Then there’s the exhibition for Trees for Life up in Edinburgh, which both my partner and I have pieces in and it looks like we’ll be going up to attend.

I have to admit that it feels a bit surreal. I’ve not really done much beyond my usual blog updates and tweeting regularly. It’s incredible how, the less you cling to making something happen, the more likely it is to naturally occur.

Exciting Developments!

This is me looking very excited! Why am I so excited? Well, last night I attended the CityPink drinks night at the Adams Street Private Members Club (Very swish) and whilst there I met some very interesting and cool people, as well as bumping into a friend. The result was that a lot of my cards were given out to a lot of people and my gallery show was well promoted for the entire evening.

But even more fantastic than that - and that was pretty fantastic - I got to chatting with Gemma, a representative of the Barefoot Wine company. Established in 1965 and relaunched in 1986, Barefoot likes to partner with not-for-profits and small businesses. They don't pay for any advertising so they get out there by offering their wine at events like the CityPink drinks night, or even at a starving artist's gallery show on August 19th and 20th.

So yes! For those who enjoy a nice robust red or a crisp white, there will also be wine courtesy of Barefoot at my Apricot Gallery showing. Hussah!

Back into the Groove

Holidays are fantastic. Spending time in a different country, learning about a different culture, exploring whole new landscapes - all definite things to look forward to. But I think what I liked best about a holiday is how it makes me spend time with myself. I can't distract myself with To Do lists. There's nothing to do. It's all about being.

Going to Thailand was a phenomenal experience and one which made me really think about how good I am at getting myself worked up into a froth. I've got a lot going on at the moment, what with my gallery show in August, things picking up at the day job, and the general busyness that seems to happen with warmer weather. It was all getting to be a bit much but going off on holiday is like pressing a giant 'pause' button.

I was discussing it with a friend and she had a good point. She said it's like you're in a rushing stream of water. When you're in it it feel overwhelming, too fast and to full of twigs and leaves and little stones that poke and knock into you. You have to be able to climb out of the stream and take a look. Going on holiday does that for me.

I climbed out of my stream and rested on a calm river bank... in the sun. I lay there for a bit, my eyes closed, ignoring the stream completely at first. Then I took a look at it and little bits panicked me. At first just the thought of jumping back in really caused me stress. But then I remembered I didn't have to jump right back in just yet and when I did I could always take some supplies with me.

I know that I tend to get overwhelmed quite easily but I also know I'm capable and self-reliant. I know the importance of taking breaks and that when I meditate I feel even more capable and able to cope with what might crop up.

August is approaching, sometimes quicker than I'd like, but I'm good at prioritising and I also have some incredible supports in my life to help me get there. It's all about the baby steps.

So now I'm back in the stream and it's picking up speed again, but I'm a strong swimmer.

You're Invited!

To Do Lists

I really like making lists. I get a great sense of satisfaction from writing a list of everything that is bouncing around in my head, putting little squares next to each item and then ticking and crossing everything off as I finish it all.

Here's a new To Do List. It's one which is very organic. It seems like, as quickly as I tick stuff of of it, I have to add something new. It's my To Do List in preparation of my gallery show, which isn't until August. This may seem like it's a long way off but I can hardly believe it's already April, this year seems to be whizzing past so fast.

• Pay balance of rental cost for rental of gallery space
• Do more dance performances
• Get footage of dance performances which can be put together as a presentation at the show
• Write statement for dance performances
• Pick up paintings from being imaged
• Drop-off two more paintings (Forgot some...oops!)
• Get remaining un-imaged Tarot Paintings in Canada imaged
• Research cheap option for getting postcard sets of Tarot cards printed
• Get postcards of tarot cards printed
• Promote gallery showing on twitter, FB and through Blog to increase attendance
• Develop a solution to website (Ability to sell prints)
• Make a form to take orders for prints at gallery show
• Develop raffle of cool prize everyone who attends the gallery will be entered into
• Finish art description cards for all of the pieces I'll be displaying at the gallery show
• Come up with a playlist for background music during show
• Print art description cards
• Figure out how to get 17 canvases to Brick Lane

Four and a half months to get this all sorted. Time to prioritise.

Making a Delivery

With a venue for my Gallery Show booked I must now begin the preparations to ensure I can have prints available of all my work. I loaded up seven canvases onto the frame of a shopping trolley and braved the underground with them. I left at 6:30 in the morning, to ensure that the commuters (Of which I am one so I understand their potential for a grievance) were fewer.

I lugged them all to the office where I conduct the business of my day job, the day job which will be paying for the hefty fee of getting seven canvases imaged in one go, until 3:00pm when I could then take them by cab to Bethnal Green. Myself and the canvases arrived in one piece, managing the journey I'd been plotting and preparing for for about two weeks now. Oh to have a car and be in a city with an eighth of the population!

With my precious cargo safely in the hands of the skilled art photographer I was free to go. I return next week to gather then up and drop off the single one I managed to miss and then I will be able to offer prints, posters and all sort of other reproductions of my 22 Tarot Cards.

How very exciting!

November 29th, 2009 - First Ever Gallery Showing

I want to thank everyone who showed their support by coming out, by assisting with the set-up, by purchasing or commissioning stuff and just by giving me encouragement every day. I especially want to thank my parents for their unwavering love and belief in everything I do. A huge thank you goes to my roommates, who kept the howse clean and the guests fed whilst I took orders and arranged future get-together's.

Many more thanks go to everyone who has ever said they love my art and would buy it if I chose to sell.

Thank you to my psychologist, who helped me realize so much about myself.

Thank you to my very best friends who have shown their support in uncountable ways.

I once posted about when one can tell if they are successful. Today I feel truly, wholly successful but there is no way I could have done it on my own.

*Blows Kisses*

Definitions

Tomorrow is my gallery showing!

Someone said to me that they don't put the effort into making their dreams come true because they are so afraid of failure. Actually, a lot of someones have said this to me. In fact, I used to say it.

Inaction is, in itself, failure.

We are all capable of so very much when we accept that it is our responsibility to realize our own happiness.

I'm really excited about my showing and excited about my Facebook ad. I'm excited that I have business cards and that, when I go out into the world my job, what I do and who I am is an artist and a writer.