Notes about an Exhibition

(photo courtesy of Karina Goodman at Studio 61 Gallery)

Hello friends.

You find me writing my first post in my new home!  After a brief spell with Wordpress I have decamped back to Blogger.  It wasn't without it's hiccups though - I'm afraid that during the migration, my Wordpress hosts pulled the plug on my site and I invariably lost all of my subscribers and followers.  It was a huge blow to say the least, I've been writing a blog since 2008 and built up a lovely and loyal bunch of followers.  To have lost them all in one fell swoop was I suppose, on a par with losing something irretrievable in a house fire.  I apologise profusely if you were one of those and have been wondering where I went, and if you've stumbled upon me again by chance then I'm delighted to see you again! 

But back to the matter in hand, this post is about my exhibition, 'Coast to Coast' which you can currently see up til the end of May at the Studio 61 Gallery near Matlock in Derbyshire.

Last year - it seems like such a long time ago now - the owner of the gallery, Karina, got in touch to ask if I should like a solo exhibition in her coastal-inspired gallery.  Would I?  Of course I jolly well would!  I had a year to create a collection of new work, and the ideas fizzed and buzzed until they began to spill out onto paper and canvas.

It has been a wonderful opportunity to create these coastal pieces, and I'm really happy with how they look in the gallery.  If you do get the opportunity to visit, you're in for a treat - once inside you can actually be mistaken for thinking you're at a little seaside gallery, the interior is much like a beach hut with it's white washed wooden walls and is full of some deliciously tempting pieces.

Creating these paintings has been a journey in itself, as from this work something else exciting has occurred - I've had some of my coastal work licensed and it will now be available through the
Whistlefish Galleries in the south west.  To say I was over the moon is the understatement of the century.  I have long dreamt of seeing my work alongside artists whom I admire and for this to now be a reality is one of those dreams come true!

Last year I wrote in my sketch journal that I'd like to have my work licensed and to see it in gorgeous galleries by the sea.  I was on holiday in Cornwall at the time and remember standing in the Whistlefish Gallery in St Ives, gazing out over the harbour in between admiring the colourful art, and wishing dearly that some day my work could be found in a lovely place such as that.

Little did I know what was on the cards.

If I hadn't mentioned in an interview many moons ago that I'd love to have a solo exhibition, perhaps Karina who read that very interview, wouldn't have offered me a guest artist slot for a solo exhibition in her gallery, and I might not have gone on to create a new collection of coastal themed art, which then caught the attention of my agent and her client.

I believe in synchronicity, and I believe dreams are there to be made real.  Don't be afraid to dream big, to follow your heart and believe anything is possible. 

I'm away down the garden now, to sketch some ideas for some new paintings...and as I type, I wonder where the next chapter of this story will lead?

Thanks for coming by to see me, and don't forget, you can connect with me via Feedburner and Bloglovin (both available in the sidebar) to make sure you don't miss any future posts.

See you next time.

Love J x