Tuesday 26 April 2016

 Post Mash-Up Exhibition 





With: Katharine Meeding, Hennie Meyer, Mark Chapman, Sarah Pratt, JP MeyerAndre du Toit, Samuel Allerton, Ilse Nieman,  Grace Kotze, Theo Paul Forster Michele Davidson, and probably more people whose names I didn't spot in the 20-ish fb posts I just scanned through :)


























This was such a fun show, and really such an interesting (eclectic?) bunch of artists thrown together! I don't much like group shows, I never know how to look approachable, or mingle with strangers, or whether I'm allowed to glower at anyone who walks past my work without a second glance. BUT if the recent shows I've been in are any indication, they can be sort of great. Also, Alex's shows have Margaritas. So there's that.

Creating work, trying new things, taking time to learn and things like shows are radically different experiences depending on recent sales. If you're broke, you can't afford to take time to learn and experiment, and you can't be relaxed at a show if there aren't red stickers next to your work. It's so sad that it's like that, we're apparently supposed to create freely and never think about disgusting money. But blind faith in terms of financial success probably comes easier to the naive and the unintelligent. I would know, I was very young when I decided to be an artist! :P 

Luckily I can be very stubborn, and that's gotten me this far, and I have spent too many late nights, broken dates, lost friends, unwanted arguments about my irresponsibility, utter joy at creating a lovely thing, satisfaction to have struggled and overcome, detours to paint shops, not listening to conversations because the light on someones face is beautiful and I wonder how I would capture that, frustration upon frustration, and meeting goals I never even knew I had.. if I give up all that was for nothing. A timely paycheck brings only so much peace.




Tuesday 5 April 2016

 The Mash-up Exhibition 




So as you know I follow a bunch of Artists on facebook, and it's a great way to learn from them, everything from technical application to how to run business. And having a timeline that's chock-and-block with new paintings, drawings, ideas, philosophies, WIP's and even just encouragement is very inspiring.

So I became fb friends with Alex Hamilton a while ago, can't remember where I saw his work or name, and he ended up managing 16 art exhibitions at the Woordfees - and how incredible to view the whole experience through his facebook page! 
And then I saw him sharing info about the up-coming Mash-up exhibition, and I always wonder how people get in on these things. You don't know the right people, you don't get invited to participate.. but how do you meet the right people? (especially if you're something of a recluse!) 
But I let that go by. And I saw Alex sharing that Ilse Nieman brought in some beautiful works for the show - she runs the Framed Feather, where I buy my canvasses and have done the little framing I've done - and seeing someone I kind of know taking part just pushed me to try! So I mailed him! 
And he was open to seeing my work (thankfully us artists are curious above all), and I dropped off my paintings yesterday at his studio for the show! Which just goes to show how easy these things can be if you just make a move towards your goal. And not only is the show very exciting, but meeting Alex and the other artists there, seeing his studio space - which is a collectors dream, full of not just art, but sculptures, figurines, every little vintage/kitch collectable you can think of.. The kind of space you can spend days and not see everything, and every second object would make a wonderful painting. 
That's gonna keep me inspired for days.

I'll be showing the Foiled duo - one of which is featured in that top image, and the 'Toffee apples in various stages of undress' duo as well. 
Which are four paintings that I'm so proud of, I've literally kept them at home, waiting for an opportunity as cool as them. I realise that makes me sound like I think my work is pretty friggin special, but you know what, some of them are. If you work as hard as you can, and push your abilities for a couple of weeks to produce a precious thing, I think it's okay to be proud of that. 

Anyways, thought I'd share :) 

The Alex Hamilton studio - https://www.facebook.com/Alex-Hamilton-Art-Studio-166885483363072/?fref=nf