A game of many hats

Sometimes, the days just slip by, however this week it has felt like they have been roaring by, leaving me spinning and disoriented in their wake. It seems only a day since I started what will be the last painting in my current series, yet when I look at the calendar, I see it has been five days. Five days! How can that even be possible? I've not touched it in all that time, although I have been busy preparing all my other paintings for the show, as well as ordering the last of the supplies that I will need.

In the middle of the week, in order to calm myself, to try to smooth the eddies, I made a list of Things To Do. One part of it dealt with my life, which has largely been on hold while I have been immersed in this work, the other part listed what I still need to do for the upcoming exhibition (Worlds Apart with Kevin Low, Union Gallery, April):

1. finish the last painting
2. pick up five new cradles
3. varnish the last three paintings
4. put hanging on the last five large paintings
5. photograph all of the paintings (some of them for the third time!)
6. create titles for the last three paintings
7. write a statement
8. sign and title all of the paintings
9. make a list of people to invite to the opening
10. create and send out invites (do you want to come?)
11. add a new series page to my website
12. add a résumé page to my website
13. add the new series to my Facebook page
14. put out a press release (and find addressees for it – are you one or do you know one?)
15. work out prices for my paintings
16. send statement and painting list to Union Gallery
17. make opening night Facebook event and send invites
18. deliver paintings to Union Gallery
19. make a book of the series
20. update accounts to cover expenses incurred in making the series
21. tidy up the studio

The above list has fifteen more items on it than the one I wrote midweek and these are just what I need to do before this exhibition. Admittedly, it is the biggest exhibition of my career to date, however it is not the only one (see below). As you can see, being an artist means more than just making art. A lot more. I am also a picture framer, photographer, writer, designer, accountant and cleaner at the very least. I also need to be an entrepreneur, to do my own press releases and to provide my business with motivation.

Doing all of this and doing it well is an enormous challenge. Happily, these days it is a challenge that I relish and as with most things, I expect that the more I do it, the better I will get at it (even if the stress levels don't diminish)! I had better get on with it!




I thought I would find you here

We took the quiet roads
© 2011 Megan Chapman and Stewart Bremner
Mixed media on canvas, 30x40"
$1,350

In all of the rush and excitement in making my new series of paintings, I have been somewhat remiss in mentioning another exciting event that is taking place right now. Megan Chapman and I are having a joint show through March and April in Arkansas! This is the first time that we have shown both joint work and solo pieces together and I just wish that I could transport myself to Bentonville for a few hours to have a look at it. If you are in the area, please do check it out (and take some photos if you can, I'm dying to see it!).