We have our very own art show, starting tomorrow! This is our family's first solo art show and we are very excited. It has been a lot of fun preparing for it, but it has also been exhausting. I thought I would share some of the behind-the-scenes of getting ready.
Step One: Creating Art
This is by far the best part! Yes, this table looks messy, but remember, there are five artists working at this table in three different mediums.
Our family doesn't limit ourselves, we will work anywhere, with or without a dog for company.
Dickens and Christiana
Step Two: Frames
Once we have the art, we have to find frames. The best place to shop is in our garage and every single thrift store in our valley. I wouldn't recommend looking there for frames at the moment, though, because we did a pretty good job of buying up all the best ones.
Of course, these frames weren't all looking their finest, so we had to give some of them a little help. Black spray paint covers a multitude of sins!
Before...
and After!
Step Three: Mat Boards
Mat boards. They are so necessary but so aggravating! I love it when I can do a simple black or white double mat, and call it good. But there are times when a color is needed and we pull out every mat board we have (no matter the size) and the hunt begins.
This is a small sample of our stash
After finding the perfect combination (or at least something we don't hate), I pull out the mat cutter, (I am SO grateful for that wonderful piece of equipment!), and begin to torture myself. To be fair, it could be much worse, but I HATE numbers and math. I don't measure twice and cut once, I measure at least THREE times, and I still manage to mess up occasionally. There is nothing worse than cutting the last piece of a certain color of mat board only to discover that the opening is too big for the artwork. It is devastating!
Step Four: Assembling the Frames
This is my least favorite step, and yet it is very satisfying. After the art is finished, the frames prepared, and the mats cut, it is time to put it all together. First, we have to sign the art. Yes, technically that should have been done earlier, but no one in our family enjoys signing their art. I don't know if other artists struggle with it the same way we do, but it almost feels like graffiti!
Then comes the worst part of the entire process, cleaning the glass. It doesn't seem to matter how long I work on it, there are always more streaks. Sometimes I wonder if the glass cleaner is actually helping, or if it is only adding to the problem. And to top it all off, I have a special talent for cutting myself even when the glass has perfectly smooth edges. (I also manage to cut myself on mat board, but not with the blade that is actually sharp.) Some of the family prefer cleaning glass in pairs, one on each side. It can be a bit humorous watching two people facing each other with a piece of glass between them, staring intently at the streaks on the glass, but not seeing the person on the other side.
It is also very important to make sure that the art is secure and won't fall off the wall
It is all worth it, though, when you hold up the complete package of a beautifully framed (and matted) piece of art.
Yesterday, we packed up 68 pieces of beautifully framed art and sent them off to the Palmdale Playhouse. Tomorrow evening, we will be there from 6:30-8:30, and we would love to have you join us! The reception is free, the people wonderful, and there will be an excellent string quartet providing music (Daniel is a part of it, so it must be excellent), and of course, there is the art. All very good reasons to show up tomorrow night! Hope to see you there!
~Elisabeth~