At least, I hope so.
I’ve reminded readers from time to time that my intention in writing this blog is to give folk some idea of what it is like to be an artist, by relating the art bits of life to the other bits of it. Well: there is a truly surprising amount of writing involved. I have actually spent the best part of two days putting together an application for an exhibition. I contacted the gallery about a month ago, and they replied indicating the kind of thing they might like to see from me. So ….. get stuck in!
This has involved writing a short statement of the idea behind the show, selecting some suitable illustrations, and updating a brief CV. Two aspects of this are really time-consuming. Writing a first draft is not a problem, but I know that the time and attention of gallery staff are limited, and they need to see something distinctive and very precise. Editing down my rather long-winded first attempt always takes time. Even more exacting than this is the selection of illustrations. A half-a-dozen of these is quite enough, and yet invariably my first selection is three times as large. It is necessary to try and hit the nail right on the head, first time, really looking carefully at each, trying to imagine how it will appear to a stranger, and asking to what extent it contributed directly to the aim of the project.
Fortunately, the time I spent recently labelling and indexing the collection of CDs on which copies of my pictures are stored has paid off. On this occasion I was able to go straight to the image I needed on most occasions. Even so, the preparation of this one application has occupied much of my time and energy for two days. This is the first occasion on which I’ve tried to secure an opportunity to show this particular collection, so it will be easier next time.