Artist's Resume

Today I signed a contract for a gallery for a February showing I am doing. I also had to supply them with an artist's statement and resume. I've had this assignment for about a month now. I have had the artist statement completed; I used it in my show at Moon Dancer winery. The thing that was tripping me up was the resume. I...uh...don't have much to say. Don't get me wrong, I have done a lot with myself in these last couple of years. But from a gallery perspective, I have done nada. The most I could write was about my BFA in Fine Arts, my work as a fabric designer, a few publications that have included my artwork, and my Moon Dancer show. I also included a line about my novel, but I think it was just to cover some of the white space on the sheet.
I don't belong to any associations. I have not participated in any group shows. I have not studied under other artists or taken any classes. I have conducted workshops on writing and creative journaling, and I have addressed groups about my artwork, but those seemed to say more about me and less about the work I was presenting.
It's no secret. The gallery director knows my background. It was just an odd feeling to understand that while I have a lot on my life resume, my art resume makes for pretty light reading.

Rainy day sunshine

It rained yesterday. The sky opened up and let us have it. I love the rain. For some reason it seems to recharge me. Must be the ions in the water or the fact that I'm a Pisces. Who am I to question such things? I had a great rainy day yesterday. I met with the owner of Radiance in Lancaster. We came up with a schedule for some deep journaling classes that I will facilitate this fall. (As soon as I finish this blog, I'll update the news section of my webpage.) From there, I walked in the rain to an art gallery on gallery row to talk with the manager. She loved my work--particularly my portraits. I've always loved them, too. They are what I enjoy doing because they are so personal to me. I thought that they might be too personal to have universal appeal, so I tried other subjects. Those, too, were well-received, but my portraits were the standout, for this gallery manager and others I have surveyed. I also got some guidelines on pricing, which will help me set up for my show at Moon Dancer Winery in October. I felt very good about my meeting. I guess I needed evidence that, although I think of myself as an artist, others take me seriously as well. I am hoping for a show in 2009 from the gallery I visited. This means I'll have to decide what I should do in the interim. What is my plan for 2008. HMM?

My final stop of the day was to the home of Sally Watkins, my 12th grade English teacher. Sally invited me to join her book club as my book was their featured selection for the month. (Thank you Linda Hilton for choosing the book.) I do have appearances scheduled at other book clubs, but this was my first. More than discussing the book, the women were interested in the writing process. I enjoyed sharing my insights and getting feedback. I've said it before: when you write a book, you are looking to engage others in a conversation. So for me, this was the biggest payoff. I've admired Sally as a teacher (you'll find her name in the acknowledgements), so it was a great privilege to be invited into the realm of her book club.

All in all, it was a great day for the ego. As an artist, you really need to soak these day into your being. Being an artist is a struggle. Being a writer is a struggle. It isn't about the angst like people suspect. At least not for me. I don't have days of torture-- thinking deep thoughts about the origins of creativity. But I do struggle with self-doubt. I struggle with the feeling that I work ten times as hard for one/tenth the payoff. You have to really love what you are doing. So rainy days--days filled with ego gratification--are gifts from the heavens.

Place to hang

Yesterday, my friend Missy and I went to the twin towns of New Hope, PA and Lambertville, NJ for a day of gallery hopping. It was supposed to be more of a scouting mission for me. I wanted to get a feel for what the galleries featured, how the works were hung, in what frames, prices, etc. I hadn't planned on making contacts, but we started a casual conversation with one gallery owner about her style of frames. Before we knew it, she was online looking at my work. It was a helpful discussion filled with practicalities and helpful critique--all in all a positive exchange. She suggested that I bring the work to her for further discussion.

Today, I got an email from another gallery owner, closer to home, who is also interested in talking to me again about my work.

Meanwhile, I am having a show of my work in October at Moondancer Winery in Wrightsville, PA. That will come before I know it. Although I am confident in my ability to produce art that is marketable, I am a little apprehensive about launching myself into yest another field of business with a new set of circumstances. Part of me just wants to paint and turn over my canvases to someone else to deal. I know I don't want to go the art show route. Do I want to sell prints or just originals? I've barely cracked the literary world, trying to understand the intricacies of that business.

My gut is telling me that I need to journal a little (the longhand variety) and figure out my priorities. My other impulse is to paint, paint, paint. With my kids home this summer and all the publicity I have had to do for the book, I have carved out little time to paint and write. That needs to change... and soon!