Last Friday night BayArts in Bay Village, Ohio hosted the opening to their Faculty Exhibit. My sister and daughters (shown here) along with other friends came to see the show. The exhibit featured works in a variety of media from faculty who've taught there over the years. Although I haven't taught a class yet, I will be this summer; it was great to be included with this wonderful bunch of artists. We had a great time!
Continuing the story of the commission painting, the buyer wasn't interested in the painting for all the reasons that I knew in the back of my mind. She felt that something was lost in the transtlation from small to large. She loves my work, but this wasn't it for her.
About halfway through painting it, I had considered starting over. But I pushed through, kinda started getting "it", but never to my satisfaction. When I brought it to the gallery and I was looking at it, I could see plain as day that I wasn't happy with it. For the sake of integrity, I'm glad it went this way. I love the diptych, which I'll try to sell. The other.....GESSO and a new life!
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Bay Village! How great that you'll be making the trek(!) to be involved in Bay Arts tradition. I was involved with there in the 80's and had a great time...though I imagine that the facilities are much evolved since those early days:-)
ReplyDeleteWell isn't it something how our gut tells us what we need to know and then the world comfirms it? I know that the commission world is a sticky wicket...the buyer tends to already see what they want and then our job becomes either duplicating ourselves or mind reading...both are super-human achievements...and then even though the work is lovely and successful in many ways the only recourse becomes...YAY!! gesso!! and a fresh start.
Good for you for going the distance.
Hi. I thought I left a comment Monday--guess it's out in the clouds.
ReplyDeleteI think commission work would be really difficult, but it sounds like you still have an interested buyer.
I tried once to make a larger painting from a small oil pastel I did of my mother when she suffered from Alzheimer's (a neighbor had said it was powerful). I couldn't capture that feeling in the second one; I turned the attempt against the wall and moved to something else.
Nice photo.
Hello d and Hallie
ReplyDeleteits been a crazy busy week with the start of a new semester, I've read your comments and had no time for responding. So here I am now :)
Yes, BayArts has evolved and its a wonderful place. I've entered work in their competitions on and off over the years, I think back into the 80's..we may have crossed paths.
Yes the gut does know doesn't it? We don't always listen do we?
Its a funny thing about making large works from a smaller work. Especially tough when we're trying to capture a feeling. Creating art is a wonderful mystery when something powerful emerges.