Imagine Gallery

We have had the opening of an exhibition since I last wrote, a lot of other things also have happened some good some bad, I think its called life.

As more time passed the less inclined I felt to write,

the more that happened the more I appreciated that I should have written about events,

so I took the easy option and "buried my head in the sand" and pretended that I didn't keep a blog, it certainly gave me more time to concentrate on other things.

However, I have carried on as usual, reading and being hooked to other peoples blogs and I really look forward to reading how my 'unknowing' friends are getting on with there lives.

I find it so easy [because they write so well] to get caught up in their daily events, it all seems so much more fascinating and interesting than what I do.

Let's face it, I am a shopkeeper and we all know that 'must' be boring, it's just that the things in my shop are interesting that gives me anything to write about at all.

I would love to be out and about having adventures or creating like so many other people, but my life is here in the gallery and most of my venturing out happens between my ears, and as visitors know I am deaf in one so where does that leave me?

But a few days ago a friend [artist] called to ask if I was OK?

"You don't write anymore and I was worried about you".

The sort of comment that makes you appreciate that the person is a friend and not

just a working partner.

I explained that I had "been hiding" and felt that I had nothing of interest to tell.

"Don't be daft, of course you have".

She then explained that when she felt down or negative she would just 'post' pictures until

she felt like writing about life again.

"So do that, just put pictures on your blog when you don't want to write".

I tried but I couldn't so here I am writing.

The exhibition that opened and is still running is a group show, which although that may not be as important to the artists involved as a solo show it certainly adds for more interest from the public.

Lets face it if we had a Picasso exhibition [we are not I might add] the only people who would attend would be lovers of his work [and investors], but with a mixed show more people will visit in the anticipation of discovering the unknown. They did.

'Hare of the Dog'

is the title of the exhibition, and before you ask,

Yes, we are showing Hare's and Dogs.

All of them sculptural, by twelve different artists, some very well known and one totally unknown, in fact it was the first show she has done.

So there was a lot of exciting and very varied work to see, and perhaps the most exciting was by the "unknown" sculptor.

Well, she may have been unknown a few weeks ago but I think that she is now definitely on the 'map' as far as collectors are concerned.

There is a new charity in England called 'Adopt a Potter'.

It was set up to fund and find work placements for aspiring ceramists, as of course in these

hard economic times less artists are able to find the time or finance to employ and train the

future generation of craftsmen

[sorry, that should be 'craftspeople', but "what the heck", I'm an old fashioned guy],

so the charity funds the training of people who have the determination and enthusiasm to

enter the crazy world that uses 'mud' to create a living.

Michelle Cox

was our "unknown" sculptor, and she is an apprentice within the scheme.

We were only looking for about 2 to 4 pieces of work per artist.

Michelle must have created about fourteen, not that she expected them all to be included,

she was just that excited and thrilled to be showing alongside

"so many important people".

She travelled from Liverpool to be here at the opening, which was a great success as well as being a helluva lot of fun.

Having someone that enthusiastic and excited here became contagious and I honestly can't remember when we had such a nice warm atmosphere at an opening, everyone enjoyed it.

Her work sold, and importantly has continued to do so even without her personality to promote it. That has been important to us and it will be nice to look back one day and reflect

with pride that her first show was with us.

I know that she is going to make a name for herself and she will certainly be back here with us

in the future.

She has got to because she promised to buy me a 'pint' at my favourite pub.

To talk of Michelle is almost unfair because we had some beautiful work by some some

fantastic sculptors, some we have shown before and some who are new to us.

The result was an exciting exhibition that has been shown in a lot of the local press and has

people coming in daily, some "just to look" but many to purchase, and with everyone asking

"when will you do it again"?

I will show some pictures here, I still have many more to take but here is a sample for now.

As you can see they go from wild to domestic, fun to serious.

All of them beautiful, and there are still a few more to come from my best mate Sharon

who had to run a "little" late so she could give birth to a little boy.

On this occasion I will overlook the "late arrival".