Small Works Show at Riverside Gallery

Join the artists of the Riverside Studios for a Small Works Show and Sale on December 12 from 10AM to 5PM. We are located at 174 West Haywood Street, Asheville, NC, across the railroad tracks from White Duck Taco in the River Arts District.

We'll have homebrew beer and snacks, with small works on display by eight artists: David Berry, Deanna Chilian, Patricia Cotterill, Nat Dickinson, Kenn Kotara, Julie Miles, Britt Small-Oie, and Lucretia Speas. These smaller paintings are great as gifts or to start your new collection.

On Exhibit

I have two pieces in a show at the Touchstone Gallery, 406 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC. The "Art on the Small Side" show, juried by Rosemary Luckett and Jon Wassom, runs from December 12 to January 5. The opening is Friday, December 14 from 6 - 8:30PM. Shouldn't let pleasure get in the way of business, but the opening conflicts with a friend's Christmas party.

Picking Out The Pieces

I'm busily preparing frames and mats for my application to a local juried show for this Saturday. I have to pick from several of the dog paintings. Sadly, I used two of my favorites in an application for a different show, and I haven't done many I am as excited about in recent weeks. I am picking from PoMD 2, PoMD 3(the left hand half), PoMD 8, PoMD 9, PoMD 10, and would welcome any feedback on your top selections. I am trying to finish two others this week, but with framing I am rapidly running out of time.

Over the past weeks I've been reading several art marketing books, currently Caroll Michel's How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist. As I was reading last night, she takes a fairly dim view of the benefits of juried shows. The idea that they both collect entry fees from all applicants rather than just the selected entrants, and additionally may take a commission of any sales could rub an artist the wrong way. It's a fairly expensive way to get a bullet on your resume, and there will be minimal publicity for the individual artists.

In the case of the show I am applying to, I am a little (just a little) sympathetic with this gallery since they are an artist's coop gallery in downtown DC, and I am sure they have big rent bills and tight margins. Plus I'm at a point where I'm happy enough to apply just to give me some goals for my work.

The Parts of My Dog 7 (2007)

So applications for the 12x12 Show for small works at Todd Gallery, juried by genius and noted critic Dave "Meatgrinder" Hickey, have to be postmarked by November 12. We're away this weekend, but I figured I'd have a little time on Sunday evening to finish up any paintings and put the application together to mail on Monday. Then yesterday morning I figured it out. Isn't Monday Veteran's Day? Don't post offices close? No postmarks!

Thank goodness I figured this out yesterday so that I could scramble to finish this painting, take last photos, and get my packet in the mail today. I wouldn't want to miss the chance to be shot down by a genius.