Having a goal in mind

If you have a local "OPEN STUDIO" organisation in your area, do find out when the artists will be showing their works, and have a good look around with a view to doing it too in the future.  It matters not if you have never shown your work before.  It is all about enthusiasm and commitment.   It provides enormous incentive to have a goal...you produce whatever you wish, you can share with another if your home is unsuitable, you make it work for you.

I will be doing two Open Studios this year, Harrow Open and Herts Open.  Harrow takes place over two weekends in June, Herts over several weeks in September.  I will publish dates and details nearer the time but you can email me if you want to make a note in your diary.

It is great to have something to work towards. I really enjoy the whole process of working with a goal in mind.

I used to have regular gallery shows of my paintings, but I do not want to do this again, for a variety of reasons.     ( I will not work with a gallery owner who does not appreciate his or her artists properly - galleries are lucky to receive work from artists on a sale or return basis, and I like to feel that this is acknowledged properly - unfortunately this is often not the case.  ) I do provide several nice gallery owners with my bowls.  But I only allow small quantities out of the studio.

So this is why I have yearly Open Studios - it gives me a goal and makes me feel I am in charge of my own destiny.  I can put in as much, or as little, effort as I wish. 

At the moment - there is quite a bit of effort going on.  After seeing the movie of the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, I was reminded strongly of the glorious colours I had seen in Rhajastan some years ago.  My work at the moment reflects this, and Open Studio here in June will be colourful and vivid.  There will be a small selection of paintings, and a lot of more affordable items, in glass and enamel on copper.

Here is some work in progress:

Painting of street sellers in Rhajastan:

 

Glass in gorgeous bright colours:

 

 

 

 

Abstract images in glass to be framed in white box frames...I have made them in blues, reds, turquoises, all sorts of beautiful bright jewel colours.

 

Even my enamelled bowls have begun to take on rich colours:

 

 

Open Studio is an opportunity to meet your audience, show your work to family, friends, and visitors.   If you are worried about the amount of work you may need, then do try to join forces with another artist, or group of artists, in your area, then you do not have to produce a massive amount of work, just enough to dip your toes in the water to discover if it is something you might like to do again.

 

Off I go, back to the studio to get on with some work! Luckily, I enjoy it all enormously and I hope this will show in the pieces I produce.