Hi there! I am all caught up on life (which is why I was gone for a day or so), and about to get ready to have some fun this evening, but not before I take you to my humble little gallery, which is a free standing petite metal building that sits about 20 steps from my office door...
Again, yet another space that was used many years ago (30+) by the previous owners for supplies for canning and gardening. It is a fair size, and fits a handful of people who can browse around comfortably...
I have not done a show since 2007 (I have done so many in my lifetime, I am not sure I am up for them for a while), but I still use my gallery, especially for fun stuff like the Halloween party. You can see oodles of photos of the gallery turned into a Botanical Apothecary Shoppe, of the Witches Variety, right here...
In 2005 I was still deeply into my highly colorful art, and had been doing lots of enormous scale custom pieces for homes for a few years by then. So, that colorfulness (which I am being drawn to again) was a huge part of my first shows here in the gallery. I have been doing work as an artist for 15+ years (even while having real world stinky day jobs), although I only started my blog 3 years ago. Many tales to tell one day on that front...
Anywho, I opened my doors to the public via the gallery in 2005. And since then, the gallery has changed and evolved. Here are a few older shots...
My last show held some of the pieces that are more familiar to some of you. That was Spring of 2007 I believe. Or maybe it was Fall 2008. I can't remember, my mind fails me these days ;)
People ask why I have not been a part of the local art tour and other shows as of late. And the answer is, I found it very challenging to try to make art to sell in my on-line shoppe and have the entire gallery stocked for shows. I also found a certain amount of trauma to my soul letting people come over and wander through my property. Mostly you get lovely visitors, but sometimes you get a couple people snickering negative comments about your work or how they could do it themselves, right in front of you. It's okay if they don't like it and/or could do it themselves, but to snicker about it while being invited into your own property feels pretty yucka-yucky.
I found doing shows in my own home, much more emotionally draining than doing the oodles of trunk and craft shows I have done over the years, away from home. Has anyone ever experienced anything like that?
Nevertheless, it won't deter me from doing them in the future, I have learned so much about what to expect, and what not to let bother me. It's all about creating an invisible soul shield, you know what I mean?
Then everything else is smooth sailing. Of course, there were endless positive things about the shows. So many lovely wonderful faces who stopped in year after year. Love them!
People stop and munch on treats and drink coffee, and dance to the music, and tell you they are taking your work back home, some near and some far away, and you feel your heart fill with delightment. That's the good stuff I hold on to.
You learn things about yourself through shows and such, if you open your eyes and ears, and listen to yourself. You learn what your limitations are. You learn what you are willing to do and not do. And for me, I gained something I wish I had had my whole life. I took on this persona who just simply refuses to do anything she doesn't want to do.
I can't be coaxed into doing anything that the 5 year old girl in me doesn't want to do. And that is huge for me, because my whole life I was the "yes" girl. But for me, through shows I got to a point where I was so exhausted, that I learned much about myself, and learned how to say no. That truly is a huge step for me, and what I find to be a good thing.
I find that sometimes we are so afraid to say no and be honest about it, that instead we suffer ourselves. So, I think it is good to find a comfortable space inside of ourselves where we can say no, and tell the truth about why the answer is no. Many times my answer is,"No, I can't do this or that because my house and bed are too cozy, and I am in my pj's and I don't feel like leaving, sorry ;) "
But wait, I see I have veered to a completely different place, as usual ;) -
In the future, I am going to try to pull out some video of the art shows. I spent all evening and morning searching for those videos on discs, and couldn't find them, but I will one day, and I will share them with you..
You can see lots more Gallery photos by going to my right hand side bar, and looking under the "categories Section" for A Strange Little Gallery, or click here for now ;) . All the Gallery posts ever written live there.
This coming weekend will be the last post of the home tour week, and I have some new shots of the Gypsy Love spaces to share Saturday or Sunday.
Thanks for a super fun week! You guys are a blast, I giggled and swooned so much reading comments. I especially giggled madly with the handful of concerns about the dust (and act of dusting) my houses and outdoor living spaces might hold ;) I never thought about dust until now, I mean I love to use windex and bleach sinks and toilets (tma), so I probably dust without thinking about it. But more truthfully, I guess the answer is, I don't care about dust ;) Or combing my hair, or wearing mismatched socks. I know, aren't I rotten? I guess the Pipilara in me is alive and well. Dust, what dust? Tee heee... ;) ;)
You are so much fun!! What on earth did I do with myself before blogging existed and I didn't have my fanciful friends???
♥ ,V
Now, wrap your silk scarves around your head and put on your layers of billowing skirts and blouses, and if time permits, meet me here later this weekend for some Gypsylandia fun! ♥
