Early Returns

The good news is that the show is all hung, after working on the installation for two days, and it looks really terrific. Our work is very complementary because Lynette's is quite abstract and airy with worked, weathered-looking surfaces; mine is dense, more geometric, mostly solid-appearing colors with raised surfaces.

We decided that rather than splitting our work up by walls, we would hang groups of works together so that we each had work hanging all around the gallery. I think it was a good decision because the contrast works to the benefit of each of us and there is no question as to which work belongs to which artist - our two styles are very distinctive.

The bad news is that the photos I took are disappointing because the lights aren't adjusted in place yet so the work isn't really lit properly and there are glaring hot spots. The gallery director will put the lights in place tomorrow. So these are the early returns and I'll take more pix on Saturday before the opening reception. Or - you'll just have to come to the show.

How installation felt.

Part of the 40-foot long back wall showing our sign, our first attempt at putting up one of these vinyl letter signs. We actually managed to have my work on the left and Lynette's on the right as the sign indicates - with absolutely no forethought. Just shows where intuition will take you.

There are 39 pieces in the show and there is a 16-foot, glass-fronted case where we installed a display about encaustic - containing tools, paint cakes, an electric grill with paint pots and brushes, a Joanne Mattera bible, and samples of a lot of other stuff that I use in my paintings such as plant parts, crocheted cord, beads, etc. We also posted an information sheet about encaustic that I had written up as an attachment to our press release.

So all in all, I think we did a good job of presenting ourselves and the medium of encaustic. We'll be giving a demo (2/14 - noon to 2 pm) and a talk with closing reception (2/21 - 1 to 3 pm). The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 to 3 pm, and the show runs from January 28th through February 27th. The opening reception is next Saturday, 1/31, from noon to 3 pm. If I were a southerner, I'd say "Y'all come to the reception!" But being from the Berry in Boston, I'll just say, "Getcha ass ta thuh openin'. Theah's plenty a pahkin'."