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Getting Ready for Simply Home

The amount of work to prepare for a solo show is astonishing. I’m so thankful that I was given an entire year to get ready for Simply Home at CACHE, opening October 19, 4:30-6:30 PM.

Here is the list of the most recent show prep activities:

  1. Name the show (Simply Home)
  2. Make a list of all the paintings, their sizes, titles, and prices. (52 oil paintings!)
  3. Verify that the prices were consistent by sizing. (tedious)
  4. Ask the gallery lots of questions about contracts, opening reception, second reception, events to keep people coming back, whether or not to bring pieces that were in private collections (nope, all must be for sale).
  5. Answer questions about labeling (No, I don’t want my name on every label, and why must each one state “oil” when they are all oil, and is the size really necessary for people who are standing in front of the paintings?? I made my wishes known but left the final decisions to the gallerists.)
  6. Decide if I want piano or guitar music at the opening—PIANO, ALWAYS!! (too bad—the pianist is already scheduled)
  7. Make sure the pieces are correctly titled on the backs, with correct inventory numbers. This is always crucial with my paintings when there is so much repetition in subject matter. (i.e., was that Giant Sequoia, Big Tree, Two Big, Redwood Trees, Giant Sequoia XI, Redwood Tree VI. . .?)
  8. Think about how to advertise drawing lessons at the show, and which pencil pieces to use as an enticement to sign up on the waiting list for lessons. (Might use a few of my students’ drawings on the poster)
  9. Begin designing a poster for the lessons after asking the Mineral King Preservation Society where they have such items printed. (Signtime in Visalia)

After all this thinking, I made a list of the next things to do for the show. It is quite boring. I needed something productive to do that didn’t require decisions, so I vacuumed the painting workshop (dust, feathers, cat hair, spiders, spider webs) and reupholstered my painting chair with duct tape. I work in a classy joint.

I also cleaned my studio because a guest of honor was coming for a working visit. Because the studio is feeling neglected, I started a colored pencil drawing just for fun. Weird, drawing for fun.

The color looks a bit weird here because it was smoky out. So, what’s new? It’s late summer in Three Rivers and that’s normal.

3 Comments

  1. So many details to work out! Too bad you can’t just show up with a bunch of paintings, hang them on a pegboard, sit for the show, and collect money. Ahh, if only!

    • In some ways it is easier to do the bazaars and fairs, because I “just” hang it all up and sit and wait for people. Still, everything has to be titled and priced, the event must be publicized, and I have to do ALL the talking and selling and handling the filthy lucre. I may not have to give a percentage to a gallery, but I do have to pay an entry fee and am almost always asked to donate something to a raffle.

      • It sounds like you have everything figured out . . . almost as if you’ve done this before!

What do you think?