Open Studio invite is ready!

Thanks Francesco!

Countdown to Open Studios 2010

My to do list to get ready for our open studios five weeks from today!
update 10/08/10: only 23 days away!
update 16/08/10: only 17 days left!
update 19/08/10: two weeks left!
Update: It's TOMORROW!
I will be ticking things off as fast as I can. Lots to do!
(I have a feeling I will be adding a few more tasks as well.)
Is there anything I have forgotten?

For the art:
-Finish making work. Leave time for oil to dry. Pick a day to stop painting so I can start on the rest of the stuff.
update 09/08/10: Still painting!
update 15/08/10: Still painting!
update 19/08/10: last day of painting will be Sunday.
-Varnish
-Sign
-Paint sides if needed
-Buy timber and brace wooden painting panels
-Attach hanging hardware if not framing and if needed
-Photograph
-Name the work and add to records
-Frame some works on paper (6 big A1) have ordered frames and measured for mounts
-Make reproduction prints? No.

For the studio:
-Take down winter draperies
-Put unfinished work in the loft to store it
-Remove old screws from walls and patch and paint
-Repair canvas storage rack
-Decide on work to hang and placement, install. Put rest in loft.
-Make labels and price list
-Package unframed works on paper and put in the print rack? -No.
-Make copies of CV, etc.
-Write statements about 2 series of work: Place and Elusive Memory
-Tidy and pack away
-Scrub floor
-Ladder and light bulbs
-Make book table display
-Prepare refreshments
-Take photos
-Chose outfits

For Art in the Corridor Sale:
-Choose 2 paintings, and replacements if those sell
-Take photos of my work
-Send photos and label info for website and labels
-Deliver for hanging

For open studio committee:
-Schedule
-Rota
-Post hard copies of all info on bulletin board
-Reminders
-Write door and sales procedure signs
-Final decisions on invite and press release
-Organise prizes for Kid's Quiz

For publicity:
-Invite everyone!
-Send out press release.
-Announce/post show everywhere
-Tweet/post regularly
-Post invites to galleries
-Create Facebook event page

Other:
-No new phone to Tweet from til after Sep. :(
-Get contents insurance sorted
-Install dust filter in corner

Open Studios is just over 5 weeks away!

Who: 30 international artists

What: Blackhorse Lane Studios Open Studios - part of E17 Art Trail

Where: Blackhorse Lane Studios
114 Blackhorse Lane, London E17 6AA

When: Sep 2-5

Website: http://www.artworksproject.com

It's in the mail

Starting today I will be writing more letters.
I have dusted off my lovely collection of stationary.
I plan to write a letter a week to family, friends and perhaps the occasional minister.
Doing my part to support the postal service. Since many of my letters will be going to the States I will be supporting the fantastic postal service there as well, which is also threatened.
Plus, everyone loves to receive a letter! They will really know I love them.

Freya Douglas-Morris

Freya Douglas-Morris makes gorgeous paintings. Dreamy landscapes created from combining partial memories of places.
She has a wonderful understanding of colour as evidenced in her painting Water Lillies.

I met her yesterday at an arts event. We hit it off right away and started talking about painters we like. We simultaneously said that Peter Doig's early work and Chris Ofili's recent work are both gorgeous and somehow related. Although our paintings are different Freya and I are on the same wavelength!

Speaking of which: does anyone know where I can see images (or the real thing) of Ofili's 2009/2010 paintings?

Eleonora Schinella

Eleonora and I worked at an after school arts programme together for Rowan Arts a few years ago. Happily I just reconnected with her at an arts event today! And found her lovely website.

Artisanal Pencil Sharpening Service

David Reese offers Artisanal Pencil Sharpening Service (pencil included, and print).

My paintings at the Abbey Summer Show

Last weekend was the always amazing Abbey Summer Show in Barnet, North London. If you were there you know what I am talking about!

Work was on display in a few different places including the clock tower, open studios and workshops, and Lisa Freeman made a gallery out of the glass cases along the wall of the arcade.

My new paintings were in the 12th century barn/church.
I took these pictures without a tripod so they are a bit blurry.
You can see better pictures of the paintings on my website. The series is called Elusive Memories. As always, the main concern is the investigation of colour. The wood panels are heavy with lots of layers of paint and some are really shiny.

London is London, England is England exhibition

Solo exhibition of new work by Jonathan O'Dea at the Vestry House Museum.

Two different jobs with the same name

I like this:

"It’s more that there are two different kinds of people involved in a job that has the same name. There are people who work in the arts because they want to make a lot of money, and there are people who are genuinely interested in art. They happen to be selling it, but they could have done something completely different in that field, like writing or curating."
-gallerists Monika Sprüth and Philomene Magers

From an interview in The Art Newspaper.