Or Good things do come to those who hope - with a little elbow grease. . .
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| Open Studios - 2013 |
When I
last wrote, I was wondering if all the effort expended in participating in Pro
Arts Open Studios would be worth it. Actually, I barely managed to make it
happen as I was down for the count just 4 days before with what the emergency
docs pronounced as a case of “mild pneumonia”. They sent me home with
antibiotics and told me to stay in bed until the 103 degree fever broke and I
got my energy back. I want to state right here and now that I could have never
made Open Studios happen if it weren’t for my very good studio mates, Tyrell
Collins and Suzanne Lacke, who not only helped me get my studio in “showtime”
order at the last minute, but also afforded me a place to go and have a nap
when I needed to during those long 11-6 days of “being on”. And then the
extraordinary help I received from my dear husband and friends who took time to
be with me from start to finish, and even took on the role of sales person when
I was having a nap.
Who said
“it takes a village”? Well, it took a village to get my studio open this year
and I am forever grateful.
But when
I wrote my only hope was that it would all be worth the effort, I never
imagined what would come to pass. First of all, I’m delighted to say the work
was well received. Even though we didn’t have very large crowds those two Open
Studio days, many who came by, bought. After I tallied up the receipts and
looked at my less bulging shelves at the end of the two days, I was very
satisfied. Even though it was a monumental endeavor, how could I be anything
but happy with the outcome?
That was
in June.
Sometime
in August, I got this email:
Bobbie:
I was browsing through the Pro Arts Open Studio catalog, and came across your artwork. I have reviewed your website and would love to have some pieces for future exhibitions. I am in the process of opening a new fine art gallery in Alameda. I am interested in meeting you and discussing your work. Please email or telephone me at your earliest convenience.
Kind Regards, Gary Comoglio
This email from Gary Comoglio, started the wheels in motion, and stirred up the most amazing, affirming, exciting series of events I’ve had in a long time. After an hour studio visit, Gary picked 7 pieces to exhibit in his new gallery, the Gary Francis Fine Art Gallery in Alameda for a November/December exhibition called “The Art of Giving Art”. The reception is November 8 from 6-9 PM.
Check out his website:
www.garyfrancisfineart.com
Last Friday evening, I attended the Grand Opening of this beautiful space located in a very classy renovation of an old furniture store in Alameda. We happened to meet the owner of the building who is and should be quite proud of what he has done. Once you walk into what seems like a blend of the kind of alleyway you might find in New Orleans and/or Italy, you find yourself looking into the windows of one interesting storefront after another – a lovely women’s apparel shop, a cigar and European spirits store, an artists’ come-in-and-create-your-own art studio, to mention just a few, and then, of course, the Gary Francis Fine Art Gallery. It fits perfectly in this setting.
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| That's Gary on the right, looking mighty pleased. |
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| The alleyway to the Gary Francis Fine Art Gallery |
Now, feeling rather buoyed by having this new venue to show my work, I was encouraged to start thinking about other galleries where my work might be a good fit.
So I took the leap and wrote to a gallery I’ve admired for years because of its specialization in Asian art, especially Japanese prints and pottery. Here’s how I put it:
I spent a remarkable month in 1976 with other potters on an intensive tour of ceramic artists in Japan, including Hamada, whom we met, and Shimaoka, whose work I collected and then a month touring on my own. Since then, I find my own artistic sensibilities have been influenced by the Japanese aesthetic.
My latest series of clay vessels have come out of my continued search for the beauty in imperfection, or Wabi Sabi.
And I included this particular piece to make my point:
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| China Dream - pinched/coiled/torn with Smokey Gray glaze & cobalt oxide |
Sending this has resulted in a series of back and forth emails with the gallery owner, all of which have been, to my utter amazement and delight, quite positive. I’m looking forward to the possibility that my work will find its way into his marvelous gallery. When and if that happens, the loud scream you hear out over the Oakland hills will be mine! And, of course, I’ll then be able to tell you where else you might find my newest work.
