Good start to 2013
Been a bit busy since the Christmas/New Year break. Hung my exhibition at Low Sizergh Barn, attended the preview last Friday. Good write up in the local paper which created some aditional interest.
Preview went well. I am more confident in talking about my work, part of it is just practice but the other part is that I am comfortable with my style and feel that it can help identify my work.
Getting ambitious now – applied for acceptance in an American photography exhibition for later in the year. Just posted 2 holding pictures for now to get me fired up and thinking about the real candidates before the May deadline.
Just heard this evening that the exhibition I was selected for in Fife is going to be extended in another custom made Arts venue.
So a good start to the year.
Next steps
The Art group to which I belong is having an exhibition in The Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal. The theme is Transition.
So the aim this week is to get 3/4 pieces together for the submission in early February. I have already decided that it will not be a straight photograph but more a digital print based on a photograph. It will be an opportunity to have a play in Photoshop and mess about with the images far more than I normally do. Feels quite liberating and different.
Last post for 2012
I have been in my studio for 6 months now so as we approach the end of the year it seems like a good point to review where I am and what I have achieved. I’ll start with the negatives first.
I haven’t sold much work – just a couple of mounted prints, one small framed print and a bunch of cards and doing some prints for people on some fine art paper. But I think that is the only negative. I was hoping that I could at least sell enough to cover my studio rent eg one picture a month.
On the positive side
Established myself in Kendal and become part of the Green Door Artists. I was kind of worried about being accepted as a photographer but they have made me very welcome. Having a studio is so much easier than working at home and there is somebody that you can have a natter with over a coffee. I was just drifting at home and not getting down to work. But with the studio I am down twice on most days when I am not out taking photos. It’s been great to discuss ideas with artists who are not photographers and to discuss how we work and it has kindled an interest for me of doing a printmaking course.
Displayed in 2 exhibitions one open, the other jury selected. It’s been a good opportunity to meet other photographers and it definitely gets the word round about your work. Looking at the statistics on my web page you see the additional hits from places close to the exhibitions so it’s all good stuff.
Got my first solo exhibition coming up in January. I have chosen 17 of my best pictures under three themes. The gallery has got 3 distinct display walls so that was lucky.
Had three pieces selected for an Art show in Penrith that has been going for 12 years. These were 3 of my land pieces that I had taken in September and November whereas my other exhibitions submissions had been seascape and coast based pictures. So it’s good that all three themes of my work have been selected for display.
So overall I am happy with where I am at. I have been accepted as part of the artistic community in Kendal and South Lakes. I am getting my name known and out there via exhibitions. So a good first 6 months and I am looking forward to 2013 and hopefully selling some stuff.
Update
It’s been a couple of weeks since my last post but I have been busy attending exhibitions and finalising my own exhibition that starts on January 4th.
Saturday Dec 8th – I drove up to Fife for the opening of their juried exhibition. Five of my photos had been selected on my seashore/seascape theme. It was good to go up and meet one of the judges plus various local photographers. I really enjoyed talking about my work which is progress as I am normally quite defensive when discussing something personal. So I must be learning to relax and enjoy myself as a photographer/artist. I did have to disappoint a couple of people who seemed to think that because my images were B & W and square format I was an old fashioned analog type using a medium format camera. So I had to confess that it was all digital and cropped in Photoshop. Also four of the other photographers were present so we had a good chat about styles, approach and photography in general. I have to confess it felt good to be included and the selection was some justification that my work has some worth.
Thursday Dec 13th – I drove down to Sheffield to pick up my three pictures from the Hutton show. The building looked really neglected now that the photos were down. Apparently they had some good attendances and hopefully it will have got me some recognition.
Friday Dec 14th – collect 10 photos from the framers, this will complete the submission for my solo exhibition in Jan – Mar. Since this is 60% of the photos I am nervous as to how they will look and whether they will work when put together with my existing photos. Get back to the studio and start laying them out. I’ve got some on the floor, others on the wall and the final few spilling over into the neighbouring studio. Move a few around to try different combinations but overall I am happy. I have a theme in the photos and the beginnings in the later ones of a style that I want to adopt going forward. I have spent a bunch of money on paper, mounting and framing but I have a look and feel that I am happy with.
Monday Dec 17th – done – just stuck the last 2 x 2 photo on my exhibition layout. It has been through about 10 iterations, including one when I accidently kicked it around the studio floor while moving my printer. I am happy with what I have got, I know it will probably change when I get to the venue for the hanging but at least I will have a starting point. Thats it, done for 2012, now I can concentrate on Christmas.
A Very Happy Photographer
On Friday I received an email from Fotospace Gallery in Fife saying that I was one of 12 photographers selected to exhibit in their gallery in December. I had entered my pictures on the off chance and when we got to mid November had assumed that nothing was going to happen and then bang. Had to work this weekend to get the pictures ready to be mounted this week as they have specific requirements and use their own frames but it was worth it.
Exhibition Planning
There are 6 weeks to go until my first exhibition. If you take out 2 weeks for Christmas and two weeks for mounting and framing then I effectively have about 2 weeks left to do some additional work. As I said in an earlier blog having visited the space I can divide the exhibition into 3 themes. I have decided to have the same themes as my website Land, Sea and Abstracts. I have selected 15 pieces so far from historical and current year work but I still need about 5 images so I need to get my backside off the chair and get out in some early light.
Been out to the exhibition space, again, and drawn a plan. Now back in the studio and with small 4 x 6 versions of the photos started laying them out in possible combinations and sequences. Managed so far to plan the areas for each theme now its just a question of what order the photos fit the themed plan. Very exciting trying to visualise the finished article and I just need to get some photos to fill in the gaps.
Just got my hands on the latest book by Bruce Percy – Iceland http://www.brucepercy.co.uk/index.html
It is colour, unusual for me. but it is long exposure. Often taken at night these are wonderful understated images. The colours are muted and not over saturated. Many of the pictures have washed up pieces of ice in the foreground which provide a light glacial blue counterpoint to the darker, gloomier background.
A wonderful book, go and buy it.
