Disappointment 2

I put 3 pieces of work up for an open exhibition in Sheffield. The exhibition opened yesterday. Today I went to look at it.

I nearly cried. My work had been split up, and one of them was no where to be seen.

The exhibits were all higgledy piggledy, and only 2 of the artists had all their work together in one place. One artist has his work simply leaning up against a wall, and another has his on top of various radiators. One set of paintings has the labels masking taped to the actual pictures.

I don't expect everyone to like my work, or to want to see it, but I do expect an Arts Co-ordinator to know how to put an exhibition together so that it all hangs together well and that there is enough room for every one's work that has been accepted.

Now don't get me wrong, I know this isn't the RA Summer Exhibition. But it is an important one for artists in Sheffield, especially ones who are just starting out, dipping their toes in the exhibition waters, and are trying to build their confidence as artists. To treat their work in such a disorganised and amateurish way is abominable.

I do not think that I would be able to trust the Arts Co-ordinator at that gallery again. Not when I worked so hard to prepare my pieces for this exhibition. Not when the work was submitted well in advance of the closing date and no mention was made that only 2 of them would be displayed.

These are the works I submitted. Guess which one didn't make the cut?

Pure Pleasure

I wanted to produce a piece of work just for fun, for no other reason than enjoying the idea and the process.

To this end I have been playing with collage. Here are some of the results.

Today I Smell of Dog

Well actually every day I smell of dog, mainly because I have 2 of my own, but also because almost everyone I know has a dog, and I cannot, repeat, CANNOT, pass a dog without saying hello. Well, it would be rude!

But today has been very special, because today I got to meet Jill, who is my friend Michelle's very good, but very poorly friend. She has Jack the handsomest most beautiful - and doesn't he know it - Shiba Inu in the world, Looby Lou, a giddy girly Shiba and finally the 8 week old mini bull terrier puppy we were collecting to take to her new home in Ireland. I wish I was the one carrying her all the way there, because puppies really do cure depression!

She doesn't have a name of her own yet, so we loaned her one. And, as Michele has an adult mini bull called Willie, I thought the best name for the puppy was - sorry for being so obvious - Fannie!

Here she is. Cute or What? Oh and that's me holding the baby.

Thursday: Blocked In

I had a brilliant day yesterday. Cleaned the studio up so well it sparkles.



Today wasn't so great, starting off as it did in a middle of the night wake up. Spent a good hour and a half trying to get back to sleep. Managed it eventually, but the disturbed night and reduced hours of sleep left me feeling rough all day.

Also I had a couple of errands to run that, to be frank, I had been putting off. Trip to old house for one of them. Never good. Always scary. Forever depressing.

After that I went to the studio, but decided after about half an hour that I wasn't going to accomplish anything, just sitting there staring out of the window at the grey clouds amassing over good old Sheffield. So, I'll go home I thought.

No chance. The guys at demon events were cleaning the quad bikes and various other exciting 2, 3 and 4 wheeled off road adventurous vehicles. Then loading them into about 50 large vans and lorries ready to be transported around the country to be covered in mud again ready for next weeks cleaning. Not a problem if I'd parked on the street, but, silly me, I'd utilised my parking space in the courtyard, and I was blocked in. All day.

I had to do something. So I spent the day working on creating interesting papers to collage with. I have a lot of tissue, mulberry, banana and other interesting papers that have been bleached, and are presently on the floor of my studio covered in brusho, slat and bleach.

Here are some of the bleached papers.

Busy Doing Nothing

I feel like I've not done much today, even though I spent the entire day at the studio.

But what I have done is dyed my hair, prepped and strung 3 pictures for taking to be exhibited next week, finished putting all the stuff in my sketchbook, tidied it up and put all the additional material in a file ready to take in to college next week.

Then I finished 25 hand drawn cards and bagged them up for sale.

Tomorrow I'll be tidying the studio ready to play with collage and try something new. A whole month off from college stuff - except for the essay - and I'm going to enjoy playing.

By the way here's the cards, if you want one they are £3 each or 4 for £10, standard letter postage charges apply! Here endeth the plug!

Sunday: Day Off. Monday: Day Back On

I wanted to blog yesterday, but then tiredness got in the way. Modelled for the life class in the morning, but was so wiped out by it by the time I got home I just went to bed for a nap.

In my defense, I had a late night on Saturday, and was up early on Sunday to model at life class. And modelling is harder than it looks!

So after a 5 hour nap, I got up and went to Michelle's for a while and had a great evening with her mum chatting and laughing about dogs. That was really good for me, to have someone I can talk to who understands what I've been through.

So I had Sunday off.

Today I had a better day. Finished prepping 2 of the pictures for the Open Exhibition and started on the 3rd. Then went to Janet's house for a sketching session with Janet as the model and Helen painting. I managed 3 drawings, only one of which is worth showing.

It's HB pencil in my new brown paper sketchbook.

I had planned on going back to the studio to begin playing with collage, but felt tired and needed to have a cuppa tea and something to eat.

When I got home I ate, had a cuppa, then started to tidy the living room up. It has been annoying me for ages and I finally had a tidy up. My friends would be so proud!

So here I am, its 7pm and I'm tired, ready to chill in front of the tv and the biggest loser. Oh dear, now that is a bit sad!

Saturday: False Start Day

I got up fairly early. In a bit of a panic, because Josh didn't come home last night. I phoned him and he was fine.

So I didn't get to the studio until this afternoon, but I did go to a craft shop and bought some very nice mulberry paper to use in a collage. I have a yen for collage. Partly because of this, this, this and this. Partly because I'm not really very good at it. And considering how well I've done with painting, I thought I'd enjoy a new challenge.

I had a plan for today.

Finish framing the last piece I wanted to frame on this round of work. Finish making the cards for sale. Photograph a load of stuff to get it on eBay to help clear out the studio of some of the excess clutter. Start on a collage. Maybe even get to doing some encaustic.

So my Stanley knife ran out of blades. Trip to DIY shop. Didn't have the right ones. Trip to the next DIY shop.

Then I thought I may as well go and buy some papers for collage. So Meadowhell, in 3 shops, and the retail park, in 2 shops, then town, in 1 shop. Small collection of suitable collage papers.

Finished the framing. Looking very good. Finished the cards, I now have 25 hand made cards for sale. Looking very nice.

Sorted out the books, craft equipment and other things for sale. Took a few photos, but then the batteries ran out.

Then my batteries ran out.

Came home, had a shower and now I'm now in my pj's waiting for Michelle to come and have a movie night.

Tomorrow will be better.

Friday. That is all.

I set myself the challenge of blogging everyday. Not sure if I have enough to say for myself to blog every day.

I could tell you my adventures in depression and Prozac land, but I'm pretty sure that will get boring within minutes.

I went to town today, 2nd day running, which felt good. Although being dragged to Meadowhell by Josh to buy "smart" clothes for his nights out was a bit awful. I started having a panic attack almost as soon as we got in there, but after the ASDA debacle the other day I was determined to get on with it. I clenched my fists and went to 4 shops. Then I got out quickly. Without the promised cup of tea. But I am getting an iPad for Christmas! Yay! It means I won't need to carry 3 different sketchbooks, a Filofax, a mobile phone, pens pencils, a reading book and a note book in my bag anymore. Plus games on the go! Yay! I'm am so excited I can't wait for Christmas!

Went to go and do some work at the studio, but was wiped by the trip to Meadowhell, so home I went, but I have eaten proper food with salad and everything and I'm about to have a cup of tea. So maybe my day wasn't so bad. Apart from the bad bits.

And just for fun, a picture of Josh on the beach with Gaspode the ninja dog.