Redtree Times

I’m on the road today, heading down to the DC area for tonight’s opening of my show at the Principle Gallery.  The opening begins at 6:30 and, unlike many gallery shows that take a while for the crowds to filter in, usually hits it stride pretty quickly.  I normally am fully engagedin conversation  within moments of coming into the gallery which is kind of nice.  Takes away that awkward time that you have at some shows when you’re standing there waiting for crowd to come in, twiddling your thumbs and hoping that indeed they will come.

 Luckily, the crowds at the Principle are always robust and many of the faces are now familiar even with a mere once a year meeting.  Most of the night is spent circulating through the gallery, explaining what I see in a particular piece or how it came to be.  I talk a little about technique but only if whoever I’m speaking with expresses an interest.  I’ve been to openings where the artist only talks in terms of the type of brush and paint he used and it can be pretty dry.  So I steer clear of technical gibberish when possible.  I try to fill in some of the areas that may appear vague to the viewer, explaining why I feel strongly about the piece in which they’ve taken an interest.  And make no mistake, if I feel confident enough to show the work in such a public venue then I have strong feelings for it.  To show work without the confidence or belief that there is something of value in or something to be said by the work is a big mistake.  I learned that from experience long ago and will only show that which strikes a chord in me. 

I enjoy this conversation and especially enjoy learning more about those who like my work.  It’s always interesting to see the diversity among those who attend and to hear a bit about their lives, which are often far more interesting to me than I could imagine my own being to them.

Anyway, I’m on the road by now and if you’re in the DC/ Alexandria area, please stop in tonight and say hello.

The show is at the Principle Gallery at 208 King Street in Alexandria, VA, beginning at 6:30.  The gallery phone number is 703-739-9326.

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       Well, the work for my show that opens this Friday has been delivered, which is a great relief.  While I like having a deadline or a destination to shoot for with my work, there is an immediate sense of relaxation when the task is completed.  Unfortunately, this is often replaced by the stress of fretting over how the show will be accepted at the gallery.  Will people connect with the work?  Will my established collectors see work that will fit in with the paintings  they already own?  Will people even show up?

In the past these questions would have made me a nervous wreck in the week between delivery and the actual show.  This year however, I don’t have nearly the anxiety of past shows.  I’m not absolutely sure why there appears to be more calm this year but maybe it has to do with this being my tenth show at the Principle Gallery and something like my twenty-fifth solo exhibition in galleries overall.  After so many shows I’ve come to realize that I can’t control anything beyond the creation of my work.  Provided I am satisfied and excited by the work, once it is out of my hands the level of success, good or bad,  of the show is dependent on factors on which I have little impact.  The economy.  The weather.  The gallery’s promotion of the show.  These things and many more can have an effect on how well a show does.

And, as I said, all are out of my control.  So, why worry?  

There’s also, finally, after so many shows, a sense of acceptance, at least in my own mind.  For years, I  harbored the fear that my work was not worthy, that it had little validity and may never be accepted by what I imagined the art world to be.  But time has shown me that there has been a validation through the years that comes in the form of the response to the work that finds its way to me.  Many comments, notes and e-mails over the years have convinced me that there is an authenticity to this work, that is has truly had an impact on the lives of others.  For a simple person such as I, can there be a greater validation for the efforts and long hours spent?

So, time has finally afforded me some relief from my normal state of anxiety as I wait for the opening of the show.  Light has appeared and I am out of the darkness.  And that is a good thing…

The painting above is fittingly  titled Out of Darkness and is part of the show about which I’ve been talking, which opens Friday, June 12 at the Principle Gallery on King Street in Alexandria, VA.  The opening starts at 6:30 and I will be there to answer any questions.  Hope to see you there…

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I’ve mentioned in the past several days that I’ve been busily preparing work for a show, getting all the little detail work in place so that I can deliver the show next week.  This is always a hectic time and  always leaves me kind of frazzled.  This year is no different.

During this process I am not painting and in its absence there are feelings of doubt that arise.  For me, the act of painting is a sort of balm that soothes my insecurities and anxieties, giving me a sense of refuge in the work.  When I’m not able to get to  my painting, these anxieties are allowed to once again come to the surface.  

I begin to question the validity of my work.  I question my ability to continue on in such a sometimes egocentric endeavor.  I begin to doubt that my work has any tangible value in anyone’s life.  I am filled with doubt.

Then on a day like today I come into the studio and check my email and there is a message from a young lady telling me how she and her now husband came across my work in the window of the Principle Gallery on their first date years ago.  She shared with me how they bonded over the work and they saw the same symbolism in the work that related to their feelings.  They now have two children and she wanted to let me know how the paintings have played a part in their lives.

My doubts vanish.  My spirits are lifted and I feel once again a sense of usefulness in my small place in the universe.  She may never know how much her note has done for my day or even the next few days.  It’s a reward that far transcends any other that comes with my work.  I wish everyone can find such a lift, to find such a purpose in their own lives, their own work.  

My day has gotten much brighter…

The piece above is titled after such a feeling.  I call it The Uplifting.  It is part of the show at the Principle Gallery that opens on June 12.  I love the unity of the two trees against the dramatic texture and color of the sky, as though they, the trees,  are braced together to endure whatever comes their way.  One lifting and holding the other…

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