Well, I’m back here, sitting in my studio after returning from Alexandria where I attended the opening of my show at the Principle Gallery. I’ll try to sum up how I felt everything went there and some general impressions.
We had a wonderful turnout for the show and luckily, the weather was as cooperative as could be, especially for Northern Virginia in June. Past shows have had stifling heat and humidity along with violent thunderstorms so this year’s relatively mild weather was greatly appreciated.
As always, I immediately feel some regrets over not being able to spend the amount of time with each person there that I feel they deserve. It’s hard to get into too deep a conversation when I can see folks out of the side of my eye who have been waiting patiently to ask their questions or simply comment. But while I try to answer every question as best I can and get to every person who wants to talk, I know some are missed or are conversations are cut short and that always nags at me. So, if you were there and didn’t get a chance to say hello or our conversation was interrupted, please accept my apologies. The nice thing about doing this blog is that it gives a forum for questions and comments that might get lost in the hubbub of the show, so feel free to forward any questions or comments I might have missed.
It’s always good to see familiar faces that have been coming to the show for years as well as the many new faces. It’s an unusual relationship that develops between me and those who collect my work. Though we only meet for moments at a time, they often feel as though they know me well through my work and through things I’ve written such as my show statements and this blog. So there’s a familiarity and warmth that one doesn’t often experience from folks about who I often know so little. I’m honored that they feel this way. It makes me feel as though the work is communicating in the way I hoped. That is, touching on universal themes in a personal manner.
I want to thank everyone who came out to make this a successful show, with special thanks to Noah and Erin Ristau (and family) and my favorite blogger, David Terrenoire, for making the journey from points south. I also want to extend my extreme gratitude for those who wished me well and related what the work meant to them during a toast that took me completely by surprise, leaving me standing there sort of shellshocked. I’ve never been the subject of such a thing nor did I ever expect to be but I was very moved by the whole thing and wish I could’ve said something more eloquent at the moment. I wanted to yell “Timeout!” so I could gather my thoughts to properly express my sincere thanks for such a warm outpouring from everyone there. I will remember it always.
Of course, I owe a special measure of gratitude to Michele, Sue, Amy and Ali at the Principle. We have been together for about thirteen years now and we both grown over the years yet still mesh very well together. Without their encouragement and efforts over the years, my life and work might be very much different than it is at this point. That alone is worthy of all the thanks I can muster. I mean, how do you thank someone for giving you the means to live the life you dreamt of as a child?
To everyone there, many, many thanks…
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