Pelican Gallery held an opening reception for my new exhibit, Masters of Today, Saturday, October 9th. For several weeks prior, I painted and framed furiously in an effort to produce a sufficient number of new works. I went out every day and painted. My energy was charged and it was difficult to settle down to sleep at night. An exciting and productive time for sure. The morning of the delivery deadline, I was still framing! This may seem incredibly stressful to some—and it wasn't without its moments—but it was fun. Throughout the preparations I reminded myself how blessed I am to be moving forward doing what I love. Even though it's often full time knockdown WORK, I wouldn't trade it for the moon. I remember all too well what it feels like to sit in front of an animation disc from 9 to 5, drawing little characters under serious deadline pressure. This is a piece of cake compared to that!
And there's more to it than just producing paintings and delivering them to the gallery. Your responsibility doesn't stop there. If you hope for a successful opening, you need to reach out to your friends, collectors, students and potential friends, collectors and students. Postcards, email blasts, flyers, phone calls—whatever it takes to create interest. Don't rely on your gallery to do all of the advertising and promotion. You want your people to come and see! This is a big birthday party for your new creations, and a celebration for all the people in your life who have, in one way or another, encouraged, participated, contributed and supported you on your journey. This is a time to share the joy.
