Art for Arts' Sake

Let’s just say I am excited/elated/fullo’joy/floored/dumbfounded/excited/elated…… you get where this is going?

Let me start this out by letting you in on something. I don’t go out a lot. I don’t show my work a lot. Most of my items are bought on line. I figure that is pretty good because the stuff is selling even though people aren’t able to touch/feel or really see my work close up. I’ve lived here almost 9 years and I don’t have any new friends that live in my town. I am a solitary person. I spend most of my time with B. We spend most of our time together. We work together, play together and create together. This seems to be enough for both of us.

I’ve done a few shows (artsy/crafty type o’ shows). I fret before I do them, but I do them and have been reasonably successful. My work has been sold in a high end yarn shop in a touristy expensive town. I did very well… for both myself and the owner of the shop.

Well… I ventured out into the ‘art world’ and decided, when I received the last “Art Center News” brochure, that I would submit some pieces into an exhibit they were holding with the theme, “Wild about Color”. We’ve been members of the Art Center for several years. B. has had work shown (and sold) through the gallery there. I figured I would give it a shot.

I chose 2 pieces that I particularly liked and that I thought fit the ‘theme’. Entry was today, January 30th between the hours of 9am-12pm. We packed it up this morning and hit the road. 35 miles later we arrived with me fretting about whether or not an art gallery would consider my work ‘art’ (this is a whole nother topic of conversation!)… luckily B. was with me, because I probably would have turned around and gone home if I had been there alone.

We walked in, I was told where the paperwork was and went there to complete it. When I came out to pay my entry fees, I was greeted with “OMG, these are beautiful…. Are you a member???”…. “are you available for a showcase?”…… “how’s October?”. This went on for quite awhile….. I was giggling like a school kid… I was embarrassed… I was floored…………..

I couldn’t believe the reception my work got… I am still in limbo somewhere flying on a real high of accomplishment. They offered me a 6ft x 4ft (approx.) showcase, with lighting, shelves etc., for the month of October 2007 during a very high-end (money-wise) exhibit they will be presenting. All items placed in the gallery are also for sale.

I was told I could ‘go home’ and not have to wait around until between 2-5pm today to find out whether my pieces were accepted into this current exhibit…. They were…. Enthusiastically…………….

The reception and awards are to take place on February 2 and the entire show will run through the end of February. I feel so lucky… so incredibly lucky…. And oh what a joy it will be to create things without a thought of whether they will sell or not…. just to create for creatings sake…. Art for arts’ sake.