Whatās a studio visit all about? And how do you prep for it while prepping to go on the road?
Outrunning the Storm, 30X48, is finished and awaiting delivery to Camden Falls Gallery. |
Bobbi Heath is co-hosting Leslie Saetaās Artists Helping Artists this month. They discussed this blog yesterday in the segment called What We Can Learn From the Top Rated Artistās Blogs.
Thank you! Artists Helping Artists is the top-rated art show on blogtalk radio.
Bobbi will be recording the next one during the middle of Castine Plein Air. That will be a tough balancing act, since sheās also a participating artist.
My host for Castine texted me yesterday. Sheās in New Jersey and wanted me to know that it was 95Ā° F. there and 59Ā° in Castine. Thatās perfect painting weather.
We donāt have or need air conditioning here in coastal Maine. The air off the North Atlantic keeps us comfortable. The average high temperature here is 76Ā° in July and 75Ā° in August. Bear that in mind if youāre thinking about my workshop in August.
Iām packing for next weekās events. Yesterday, I got a text from another painter. āIām bringing 14 frames to Castine,ā she told me. āI have four that are a different molding than the others. I want to try them out. And most of them are already wired so they aren’t extra work. And I have seven sizes, mostly in pairs. Am I nuts?ā
This is what’s on my easel. It’s based on a pre-dawn sail out of Camden last summer. |
Thatās a lot of frame for the six paintings sheās limited to, but her car is big enough. I always carry a variety of frames, so I can choose finishes and sizes depending on what I end up finishing.
Iām expecting a studio visit when I get home next weekend. Before I leave, my studio needs to be prepped. I keep regular open hours so itās always presentable, but there are special considerations for a galleristās visit.
Although my studio isnāt vast, it is first and foremost a workshop. What Iām working on right now is part of my story. I donāt clear it away unless itās unusually fragile.
There are many reasons for a gallerist or collector to visit us: to select work for a show, to see new work, or just to get to know us better. The same rules of hospitality that you apply in your house are appropriate in your studio. Turn off the stereo, ignore your phone and offer your guests refreshment.
Spring at the Boatyard will be going soon as well, en route to the Rye Art Center in Rye, NY. |
Some experts recommend preparing a presentation on your work and its evolution. I have a strong internet presence, so I think thatās overkill. If I didnāt, a binder with earlier work, postcards and clippings would be appropriate.
If a person is interested in earlier work, I can pull out representative samples from storage. But most people are not interested in my past, but what Iām painting now.
Ready for visitors: neat, clean but not stripped of my work. |
My studio functions as a gallery during the summer months, so thereās already a small selection of work hanging. However, the studio visit isnāt primarily to āsellā art; itās really to get to know the artist better. Think of it as a professional visit between two peers.
What do we talk about? The work, mostly: where it was done, what it means to me, and where Iām going with the ideas. Artists tend to be shy about this kind of interaction, especially when nervous. It helps me to remember that I donāt need to āsellā myself; the visit itself indicates a genuine interest in my work.
However, you donāt need to fill dead air space either. Give your visitor a chance to really look at your art.