Summer Exhibition

It's the end of the first week of the Summer Exhibition at the gallery and I'm still trying to catch up with myself. It always is so hectic building up to the exhibition, then the hanging week, followed by a period of catching up. Luckily we've sold 6 pieces from this exhibition so far.

It is getting easier in some ways; there are patterns and templates but they are still time consuming. The mixed shows are also more difficult to hang - several crises of confidence, so about three changes before I settled on the current hanging. It's all going to change as work sells and new works go on the walls. The balance and unity of the whole thing starts to fall apart.

There were a few nightmares; the framers went to a funeral and forgot about my frames. I'd decided to frame the Ukrainian artist's work - Ruslan Korostenskij - and it was the right decision. He is a master in the making there, is no doubt in my mind. Then the window cleaner had an accident and we had to call an ambulance. The labels always take so long, but the beautiful Suchi Chidambaram helped and saved me a couple of hours of sticking them on the walls. This time, there was the added task of chopping up the strawberries, cucumbers and mint for the Pimms - it did go down very well. Kurt didn't swear so much this time - perhaps we're getting the hang of this (apologies for the pun!).

Anne Penman Sweet's fantastic paintings finally arrived. I'd been dreaming of them - particularly the ship paintings - and was sorry not to have them, but the Stephanie Hoppen Gallery sold them all. Whilst they're not quite "on message" in terms of the otherwise bright summer show, they are just wonderful. The largest is up on the high wall where it deserves to be - it does need to be viewed from a distance.

This time there are several very established "collectors' artists" - Anne Sweet, Simon Blackwood, and Ruslan Korostenskij. There are also some really fantastic works from five local artists - the most we've had in one exhibition. Linda Meeney did very well at the Chelsea Flower show and I can see why. Patricia Clements' work is just lovely and I'm delighted to have some 14 pieces in the gallery. Jill Storey is very well known locally and several of her friends have been to see the show. Emma Coleman's photographs are just beautiful - what a lovely way of seeing through a lens that she has. I've managed to avoid the cheesy photos of my kids, but I think Emma's the person to do non-cheesy ones! New to the Gallery is Anthony Hopkins - bold works reminiscent of Matisse. That's not to mention all the other works and I love every single one of them.

So now to updating the website. I usually try to launch it at the same time as the opening but it is a huge amount of work. I've started updating it and I've decided to remove the detail pages to reduce its size and the time it takes to upload. This should also mean less work the next time - this time, there is the work in copying the information for each artwork and deleting the detail pages. As we don't sell work over the Internet and it is there for client and artist reference there seems little point in having a larger more detailed photo. I know that some artwork is bought over the Internet, but until one is very familiar with the artist, I feel the work should be seen. Even then, they can produce very different work in quality, colour, depth of paintwork, medium and that's without the alterations the camera itself can make to the image.

The photos I will upload a bit later show the changes in wall hanging day to day. I'm curious as to some method to my madness. I am starting to believe that I subconsciously collate and hang the exhibition as a whole, as I know which works I actually have in the gallery. The absence of Ruslan's paintings was a real stumbling block and the whole thing came together as soon as they arrived.

During this change of show we had the added complication of having to clear the back space to allow the art classes to run - so by Wednesday night, the back space was hung, rather badly, but nonetheless. Then it took 2.5 hours to clear the room and set it up for the watercolour lesson. It was easier the next night for the life drawing.

The sculpture garden project seems to be on hold as I haven't had time to respond to Cleve's e-mail now that he's finished Chelsea and I didn't forward the brief to Carol Cordrey. I've got an outline design in mind and need to draw it up for inclusion with the brief. I have written a draft brief...... time.

Tomorrow will be my first day off in two weeks - I'd worked until 11.00pm 4 days last week (not to mention the week before), then Saturday and we were open on Sunday as part of Teddington in Flower. This was wonderful and so many new people came. Teddington Society organise this to raise money for local charities with a variety of beautiful gardens opening to let visitors in, selling plants and refreshments. I'd bought too many strawberries and at 5.00pm we started giving them away in unopened boxes! I brought some back for the neighbour's children who were delighted (as well as my own who ate strawberries all week). Must get my quantities right, but waitrose did well out of me!. In terms of cost, the strawberries and Pimms formula is definitely up there as the most expensive way to hold a private view. I loved it though and drank more than my fair share which was dangerous as I was a very jolly curator. We had got our proportions wrong (1 to 1 instead of 1 to 3) and it was very good and strong pimms!! I'd approached marks and spencers to give us a deal on strawberries, but they decided to be a bit mean. Pimms had apparently spent their budget on these sorts of things and I have a great deal of lemonade sitting in the garden! Luckily, the beer never goes to waste. I was surprised and pleased to see the deputy Mayor and his wife on the day and several local councillors.

The great news is - apart from good sales in our first week - is that the Teddington Society want to give us an Award for enhancing Teddington! I was delighted and rather moved. It really is lovely to have a pat on the back when your intentions are good and the effort required is stretching to say the least. The truth is though, I do love it. I'm very pleased to have had the opportunity and feel that its the culmination of a variety of learnings and experiences that seemed directionless at the time. The gallery pulls them together in a way I never imagined. I don't know when the ceremony will be, but Baroness Hilton is to present the plaque! Even better, it lists the gallery and architecture:wk! Twice the accolade!

One niggling thing that has been on my mind; my very nice neighbours brought a friends of theirs who runs what seems to be a college gallery in Kingston. This lady asked if I had a list of my artists, which I did have for the wall to show sold works as they change and I said so. A little later I saw her taking this and putting it in her bag!! I'm not sure why - it was rather irritating, more because I'm not clear on the intentions rather than the taking of the list.

The next change now will be in September - August will be quiet, particularly as I'm also away for half of it. I had been in conversation with a lady who wanted me to show her father's work and was planning a mixed show partly based on "length of service" in art. I'm not sure about this, and neither the lady nor her father have been in touch and I do need to plan ahead. I've also been considering a People and places exhibition. This could be very good following the holiday season and several artists I'm working with now have work from their travels. I will start the search.

I get less chance on the computer these days partly because our home one has died. We're having some IT problems at the moment, but should hopefully be mostly resolved by the end of next week.

In the meantime, catching up with architectural work - some very nice projects and very nice people - so am delighted to get back into Revit and my love/hate relationship with it.

Note to self - must buy comfortable shoes! Standing up all day is so much more tiring in high heels!

20 june - i've uploaded some images during the change of show but can't quite see how to place them where i want them on this page! so apologies for the messy presentation.

Fragile Landscape - our third exhibition

New rule no. 3 - don't speak to anyone, don't answer the phone and don't open the doors to the gallery during change of exhibition week.  It will, simply, drive you mad.  

The number of people who call to offer us IT services, accounting services, alarm systems, insurances and changes to our energy supply is just ridiculous.  Why anyone would bother I don't know - if I wanted any of these services I would simply find them for myself.  That is why God invented Google!.  The man from the accounting company asked to speak to Sam Kamleh, when I said that Sam was not available and we already had an accountant we were happy with, he said "....but I have already spoken to Mr Sam and he said he was interested".  Caught out the little so and so.  Perhaps it isn't fair to pretend to be my own Secretary, but serves the sexist toads right for presuming that if you're a woman you must be the totty and not the top dog! 

I've become quite sharp with them which I don't like to do because of my brother in law who does a similar job.  Hey ho.  Someone has to take the stress and its best that the phone sales people do - why pay for a therapist when you can be cured on their phone bill? 

Now to the Fragile Landscape exhibition.  The private view was great and very busy, I'm delighted to report.  I always see it as a nice social evening and was delighted that we had some sales on the night.  Martin Goold's work sold very well and so did Alistair Tucker's.   

Sue Knight's exquisite Fragile Landscapes paintings are just wonderful and look amazing in the space.  Combined with Miles Bodimeade's Lycanthropy sculptures the gallery looked like it had been lifted from Cork Street (in its hay day).  Teddington IS the new Cork Street!

  

There is such a high standard of work in this exhibition that it really does set the tone for the gallery's future.  Suchi Chidambaram had painted two new paintings especially for this exhibition and they are wonderful.  Others had been on show at The Royal Academy Summer Show 2007.   I'm delighted with all the work and rather honoured that these wonderful emerging and established artists want to exhibit at the architect's gallery.  

Getting everything up on the walls is entertaining.  I hadn't arranged time slots for artists collecting and delivering work, so at times it was like Clapham Junction and it might have been frustrating for artists who'd come a long way.  Richard Watkins and his friend Morgan helped move the steel hoops to the garden, Kate came all the way from Cumbria, Barry from Manchester, Sue's very large canvases needed a truck and Miles had come from Bath.  Alexander from Brighton and that's only some of them. Various works coming in and out, various works still at the gallery to be collected later some are still there but I'm not sure why.  Jon Adams fantastic works arrived on Friday morning requiring a reshuffle of the hanging.  Luckily, not only are they just beautiful they were also beautifully packaged, nicely framed and ready for hanging.  Whilst I like all the artists I'm working with one can't help the moments of irritation with them when we start having to string everything - its incredibly time consuming.  New rule no. 4 - state that we will charge for any works we have to string or prepare for hanging!  

Then there are the large works - I tried to hang Sue's by myself and although they are relatively light for their size, they're not designed for holding up with one arm whilst trying to get the hook in the other.  I also had to wear gloves and keep the bubble wrap on to avoid staining or damaging them.  The largest one could not have been done without Kurt.  Standing at the top of the tall ladder trying to get the hook in whilst I was on tip toe holding the other end up invited a goodly amount of expletives from Kurt - some more X-rated than others.  Nonetheless, the stretching was a good substitute for exercise and helped flatten my stomach for the evening.  

Without Kurt there is no way this exhibition would have come together on time - in fact, there are still labels missing on a few paintings and all of the sculptures.  Miles had to write them by hand at the Private View!   Kurt didn't stop picking up cardboard boxes and packages, clearing up the space, mopping the floor, ordering wine and glasses, clearing the garden, taking irritating phone calls, moving paintings up and down stairs, going to the shops for various missing bits and pieces helping with the hanging, helping Max Jacquard bring down the scarecrows from the window and then serving drinks and clearing at the Private View.  He didn't even swear that much and only lost his temper once or twice.  

Without Glenda though, the labels and biographies - which are incredibly time consuming - were not completed.  My beautiful friend Elizabeth Healey came to help but it's tricky to learn photoshop in 10 minutes.  I was delighted that she and Philip came to the do in the evening.  The actress and the poet - excellent duo.  You must watch her film real on http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2195416183453095626.

As for the Fire Poet http://www.thefirepoet.com/ I'm planning something interesting for him at the gallery.  More as the idea develops!

  

The opening then started with the children arriving with Mirka - my amazing nanny - to help with serving the drinks.  I carried on doing labels until my daughter called up "mummy the posh man who came last time is here"!.   So I decided to abandon the remaining labels and go and greet people as they arrived.  The posh gentleman was Councillor Martin Elenghorn - the design champion in the Borough - who has been very supportive of the gallery and I am delighted that he comes to the Private Views.  But as I am slightly in awe of his intellect I, of course, venture to sound like an ass every time I speak to him.  Of course, it isn't nice or decent to wish that someone would develop Alzheimer's just so that they would forget the idiotic things you said and now that I'm reading The Secret (again) I am making a conscious effort to only thing positive and loving things about myself and other people.

The week was made more special because of Suzanne's visit with her rather improved fiance.  They make a fantastic looking couple and the wedding is quite soon. I don't know who will look after the gallery on the day but am mentally assessing various candidates.  Suzanne is a former employee and a very good friend.  

So, now that Private View no. 3 is done and I only ache in two or three places I need to tidy up the labelling.  I tried to do this and to design a poster for our new external board on Saturday but it was very busy.  I must rearrange the set up so that we don't have the invoicing in one room and the card machine in another.   This would also help any future employees.    More tidying up next week when Kurt is there.  We do need someone else, but I haven't found them yet.  Several people have applied for positions with the architecture practice and with the gallery, but none that possesses all the skills necessary.  Some have been lovely ladies but the technology would probably be quite tricky, others are quite young and would not be appropriate sales people for the gallery. Others are skilled in some areas but don't know how to use design programmes or how to update the website.  As the architecture practice is now picking up we'll definitely need someone there and I would prefer to employ an architect - they tend to be better all rounders with skills in several software packages - than the many who have applied to the gallery because they "love art".  If only Vincent was here.

So, now for the preparation for exhibition no. 4 - the Summer Exhibition.  I already have a list and have contacted several of the artists and one has even delivered her work already!  Our invitation list is improving although its still a bit messy, and using the Post Office on line has helped us collate the postal list in one place.    

Next week also sees the start of the painting and life drawing classes.  At the moment it is largely defeating its objective and we're rather going backwards having underestimated the costs and the fees charged by life models.  So, we need to update the prices which is always a little awkward yet it has to be done for it to be a viable enterprise.  I have no doubt it will be.  All is in place - easels, space, screen, teachers, life models and the coffee is on order!  We have two students per night at the moment and our break-even is 8 per night. But, you can't move forward unless you take the first step, so step we must.  I'm very much looking forward to it - although for a while I'll need to be there late every night to lock up and clean up.  Eventually I'll arrange something else - probably with the teaching artist - to lock up.  It does make more sense. 

Its exciting and rather non stop.  We also have the sculpture competition to launch and I need to chase up Cleve West.   

All good things to come.