Post exhibition photos & thoughts
What a time it's been planning, preparing for and hosting my recent major solo exhibition - INITIATION: into the unknown. It's been about 10 months in the making!
...
[setup time - hanging my exhibition sign]
...
The journey has been tremendous and as I sit here 'the day after' I feel deeply content, appreciative and have a healthy boost of artistic confidence. I am pretty confident about my work, however aside from sharing some of it online (pictures aren't quite the same as 'in person'), I have lacked good practical feedback and observation from the public. We had 360+ visitors pass through the exhibition doors and the experience was invaluable.
...
[opening night with guest speaker Nanna Bayer and a gallery full of friends, family, fellow artists and new people to meet]
When creating the exhibition, and in general with other projects I work on, I like to create a potential experience for visitors. I understand and know that not everyone will be drawn to such a thing, however some may and some were. There were tears, people looking me in the eye on the way out with immense gratitude, there were words exchanged, and experiences shared.
Everyone of the fifty-ish artworks in my exhibition was meaningful to me, and was accompanied by a poem, thoughts or a write up of sorts.
...
[my grandmother collection - in honour of all grandmother's out there (and in spirit)]
I was asked several times which artwork was my favourite, and even though I did eventually say the 'Light Within' Lamp sculpture (pictured below), it didn't stand out to me much higher than pretty much everything else.
...
[my 'Beyond the Veil' artwork, featuring hundred of porcelain beads, welcomed you into the back area where the 'Light Within' lamp was situated]
Every piece had a bit of me in it, and I loved it at the time of creation. So every piece was 'my favourite' really. Every artwork was imagined, thought through, executed, created and finished. Each one special and I opened in an honest and vulnerable way as I shared these 'pieces of me'.
...
['dragon jars' welcomed visitors, and I was also making them throughout the exhibition]
...
It was so exciting for me to reconnect with making these cute little character jars - inspired by the dragon. I had only made two previously in 2021, and one them was featured in a full page unsolicited article in our local newspaper HERE. All but one of these found their new homes during the exhibition - which is just amazing!
...
[making character jars throughout the exhibition was fun for me and many visitors seemed to like it too]
It was a huge week for me bringing everything together and it was all of what I envisioned and more.
Now this door in my life is closed and I am enriched because of it. I took a risk, I gave it a go and believed that I could do it.
So many artists visited throughout the week admiring my courage to pull this off, and my message to them all, and to you too if you want to do something like this is to - go for it!!
Create your best works. Focus on a theme. Set yourself deadlines. Learn from others. Start small at first so it is more manageable. Lift your standards. Create things you've never created before. Be courageous. Take your interests further. Release your limitations and expectations. Have fun. And, keep going!!
I have specific exhibition tips for you HERE.
...
...
So here it is... I am done with this project now.
I close the door and confidently stride forward into the next mysterious doors that move into my vision and life.
I THANK YOU all for your; support, encouragement, purchasing my work, giving me opportunities, sharing your experiences, hugs, tears and enthusiasm...
'Art is the pursuit of Truth' - Stefan Molyneux
Art is culture. Art is expression. Art calls me deeper. Art is my life. Art is who I am.
Next events are unknown right now... watch this website for new doors that I swing open soon...
Unsold exhibition works will be uploaded to my webstore here over the coming week or so.... please come back and view if you're inspired to. :)
...
Thank you very much for reading,