The space is medium-sized. I would guess it is about 40' x 40' with some cool industrial architectural elements-- exposed duct-work and polished cement floors with gallery-typical white walls. The most incredible asset of the gallery is the fact that there is a parking lot out front. That is a pretty hot commodity in the city!
When I walked in the door I was happy to see that there was probably a dozen or so folks mingling and contemplating the art on the walls. There was a table set up with what I would guess were two interns counting heads, answering questions and keeping track of a binder of price lists.
Naturally my work was the first I was drawn to! I'm sure that I was subliminally seeking it out to see how it looked. We painters are a bit narcissistic in that way... The first thing that I noticed just looking at my work was that the pieces were crooked! I was a little disappointed with their method of hanging the pieces which involved a rail and hook system. I understand that the hook and rail system (monofilament or fishing-line-type material hanging from strips of metal at the very tops of the walls) is a money saver for the gallery because they don't have to invest in the labor and materials to patch, repair and paint the walls between shows. However, the fact that a bunch of the pieces on the wall are all cattywampus lacks professionalism.
My Paintings at the Pinebox Art Center Art Bazaar
The art was also very clustered and claustrophobic. I think that all of the artists pieces were stylistically different enough that there wouldn't be any confusion as to which artist did which works so why not give the art some breathing room?
I did an initial sweep of the room to get an overall impression of the work and then came back to hone in on each individual artist. I was most impressed with the poppy work of an artist named Bill Watson. I was inspecting a lovely spray-painted female figure à lá Banksy when I realized that someone who could only be the artist was hovering over my shoulder and struck up a conversation. We had a really nice chat about the other artists represented in the show, trying to "make it" and exploring new themes and ideas and even styles to invigorate one's work. Before I parted he gave me his card. His website can be found here. I think it is worth a peek!
I'm not sure if anything will come of this particular show, but as my mom told me... it should at least be some exposure. I have also submitted a very fanciful proposal for an early summer solo show that would involve some yet-to-be-completed very large paintings, some found-object sculpture and a mural-- if I have my way!
All-in-all, Pinebox Art Center is a wonderful new addition to the Highlandtown Arts community and I really hope to see them thrive.
In other news, I had a very exciting fitness milestone today. I was able to do 8 push-ups in a row! That is a huge deal for me. I love that I am getting stronger. I am also knocking on the door of re-achieving having lost 80 lbs. since my heaviest recorded weight. I was about there around the time of my wedding but since then I had gained back about 10 of those pounds. I'm really trying to make healthy lifestyle choices for the sake of LONG TERM goals, not just quickly losing some weight.
On that note- I am making some delicious vegan Pad Thai tonight. After recently experimenting with some spaghetti squash I had the *brilliant* idea of using it as a substitute for rice noodles in one of my favorite Asian dishes. Turns out it has been done before. So this is not a totally new and unique idea. I will let you know how it turns out. I am adapting the About.com recipe that I've posted before. Yum!
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