On a Different Note

The last post wasn't meant to be the "final note", although it almost became it.

Like everyone I have much going on in my life, plus I have the added pressure of running a gallery.

Which of course means having to deal with many sensitive souls both artist's and buyers.

As a result, now very little of my time seems to be my own anymore, I seem to be caught up between the 'Devil and the Deep Blue Sea' and spend most of my time trying to arrange a marriage between the two.

Of course this is the same for any gallery and is indeed part of the fun of living this kind of life,

but sometimes, just sometimes, it all gets a bit too much to put up with.

It is on these occasions that I remind myself to

"just focus on the art"

The rest all seems to be politics and office work, just the same as any 'real' job.

So, as a result I now spend a few minutes each evening wandering around the gallery just taking to time to enjoy and appreciate the various work we have on display.

I often find myself thinking

"Wow! how did I manage to persuade this person to take a chance with us?"

I am often amazed and slightly humbled to understand and appreciate the achievement of being able to show such beautiful works.

But of course often that is only my opinion, and what does that really count for?

It seems and is obvious that everyone has there own perspective on what is "Real Art".

For example I had a woman ask me last week

"This painting, what medium is it painted in"?

It is an oil painting. I told her

"Oh! I like it but I think that with a real oil painting you should be able to see the paint raised from the surface, so you can touch it."

I was 'gobsmacked', it was a case of never mind the quality, feel the thickness of the paint.

What does it matter, that is what art is about, it is different for everyone.

So as a result, as you may have noticed in the past I go against the flow and just show the art that moves me, if I didn't do this then it would make the whole purpose of running a gallery pointless.

Although it does surprise me at times that I have an artist ask me "why do you show that"?

It would seem that even some artist's can not see beyond their own style of work.

But that is what having a gallery is all about, you try to show the best of everything,

some people like it some don't.

Myself I only have one criteria, it has to move me, if not then why show it?

In that respect I have been really lucky over the past two months, I have been really fortunate to come across the work of many different artists whose work I have found to be really well crafted plus also really moving.

Two examples being the artist's that I am showing to you.

Both very different, as people and in the mediums that they are creating from, but both really gifted,

plus both without a trace of an ego, of any kind.

They are just creating objects of unusual beauty because they have to, or what I suppose I mean is because they can't help themselves.

Both of them can give fantastic descriptions of their art and the stories behind them, but neither can explain why they need to create them

For me there never needs to be a reason other than the creation of beauty.

But, it would seem that to others there should be a very sound explanation.

Both the featured artists have attracted more comments, praise and complaints than any others we have shown.

For us as gallery owners this is as good as it can get.

Anything that can provoke people to take an interest in a work to the point that they feel that they must talk to us about it is really good, it means that people have been moved in some way.

There have been negative remarks made about their work but in honesty most of the comments have been really positive, and both the artist have received deserved sales which has really pleased me.

They were both artists that I yearned to exhibit, so on the occasion of their visits to the gallery I was tempted to run out into the storeroom and do a little dance of joy.

Of course I didn't, because as I know you understand I am a very serious person and as such would never give way to such emotions.

Yeah Right!

I was thrilled to bits to be exhibiting work by Lynne De Sade and James Evans.

Two incredible artists, plus being two lovely grounded people, both taking their work seriously yet both with great modesty.

It is a genuine pleasure to work with such people and the fact that their work arouses so many emotions in different people is an added bonus I had never anticipated.

Looking in a shop window how often are we moved?

Not often.