Well, I attended the opening for my show at the Kada Gallery on Saturday evening and came away with a great sense of satisfaction in my judgement of the work there. It was a great opening that that was similar in many ways to a lot of my openings- a nice sized crowd with most of the attention diirected at the work on the wall.
I’ve been to many openings where there are big crowds and a lot of hubbub but when you look around, there are very few people spending much time examining the work. These are primarily social events and the attendees are primarily faced inward, speaking to one another. I’ve noticed that my shows often have more people facing out toward the walls, spending less time gabbing and giving most of their attention to the paintings.
This gives the show a quiet atmosphere which used to unnerve me a bit because I was mistaking noise and conversation for excitement with the work. Over the years I have found this to be often the reverse. A quiet crowd ususally means they are really looking and interacting with the walls which was the case Saturday. The number of sales which was considerable, was also a great indicator of the interest of the attendees.
While the sales are great, they are secondary to the conversations I get to have with my collectors. I’ve said it here before that I believe I have the best collectors anywhere. They are really interested in the motivations behind the paintings, intent on finding as much info as they can about the pieces that draw their attention. They let me know how the work affects them and what they see in it. It is very gratifying and a validation of all the time and effort spent in the studio. This validation is very energizing, making me want to be immediately back in the studio and setting my mind spinning with new ideas.
Many thanks to Kathy and Joe D’Angelo, owners of the gallery, for their immense efforts in making this a successful show and for their constant encouragement. I have shown with them for over 14 years now and hold them in my highest esteem. And many, many thanks to everyone who showed up on a busy Saturday night to view the show. I enjoyed speaking with each and every one of you and carry many our conversations with me.
So today I am back in the studio, very pleased with this show and eager to have paint on my hands again. Time to get back to work.
Redtree Times 
What a positive report on the show, and what an interesting observation about “inward/outward” as a way to describe a show’s dynamics.
I’m glad it went well, and understand perfectly that urge to “get back to work”. Enjoy the day.
Thanks so much. It’s always nice to see the reaction to your work, something an artist (or writer) seldom experiences.
>>While the sales are great, they are secondary to the conversations I get to have with my collectors. I’ve said it here before that I believe I have the best collectors anywhere.<<
Perhaps, in the quiet, dark days of winter, you could talk more about the concept of "collectors" of art. It seems, to me, like such a strange word. You can buy a book without being a collector. You can go to a concert, or buy an album, without being a collector. You can go to a movie, or buy a DVD, without being a collector. You can see a play without being a collector. You can even buy a print of a famous painting without being a collector.
How many original works of art must one buy in order to be thought of as a "collector"? Is it any different than being a stamp or coin collector?
I'm not sure what other word could be used. You might, for example, refer to "fans" or "admirers" of your paintings but I suspect that's not the same as being a collector.
I've enjoyed reading your thoughts about your art for several years and I hope you'll talk a little bit more about the business of the art business.
Perhaps “collector” is a loosely used word but, as you point out, there aren’t a lot of suitable substitutes. At least ones that better fill the need. I think collector is a self-defining term, one that the individual applies to themselves rather than a rigid set of criteria to be met.
I tend to call the folks who buy my work as collectors. Some may buy one small painting and that will be the extent of their experience in buying art which would make it a stretch to call them collectors. But I have many folks who over the years have bought several pieces, coming back to shows again and again to see the work and discuss it. These people I consider collectors, if only to have a term to describe them in a succinct manner.
Hopefully, I will talk a bit more in the future about the business part of the artworld, at least in the thin slice of it that I know.