Opening night - ArtMelb10

What a great night! I am really pleased to have gone. This year it seemed the odds were against me getting there with various family committments arising at the last minute and plans being changed several times. Even as I was leaving, my 6yr old hung off my leg, pleading ‘Don’t go, you should stay home and look after your children!’. Talk about laying it on thick! I hardly ever go out alone, perhaps that is why it seems such a big deal. I headed off on the train as I don’t like to drive through the city, feeling a little frayed around the edges but so happy to be doing what I wanted to do! I love the Art fair. All the art, the people, the colors, the whole atmosphere is fabulous. I never manage to take it all in, on one day. Today I am heading back to have a really good look at the ‘Off the Wall’ section and attend a seminar on Professional Development by Cash Brown. (Artist and Single Market Events) That should be very interesting. I actually met Cash last night as she was meet and greeting the guests and she was lovely and so warm. What a huge job she has with ‘Off the Wall’. Meet and greet at your own Exhibiton is overwhelmingly like a wedding, I can not imagine being the front person for such a huge crowd. She does well!

I got quite sidetracked from looking at the artworks as there were so many people to catch up with. It really is a meeting place for artists as much as a means to show and sell work. The comraderie was excellent. There is one particular artist from New Zealand that I will be having a closer look at today. Mandy Emerson is her name and her website is www.mandyemerson.co.nz

Her work is beautiful. Rich layers of color and glaze and figures, motifs and stories relating to home and nurture. Can’t wait to speak with her in more depth about her practise. She deserves to do well. It is a huge undertaking to come over from another country to be part of the Show.

Another artist whom I have recently befriended from Perth is Jennie Nayton. (to see her work: www.galleryeast.com.au) She makes incredibly detailed works on paper. Photographs that she takes and then designs patterns to be embossed and cut with a scalpal to ‘pop’ out at you. The theme of her work was water and some works were cut in the form of a free flowing waterfall. They allow you to move into the picture and take on different leanings as you change your eye level. They are beautiful works. In getting to know her a little over the past couple of weeks, I have to admire her ability to maintain family life and her arts practice. Another Mother who had to travel a fair distance to be part of the show and balance the needs of children and having a career in the arts. I know how difficult it can be at times and I have only had 2 local shows to date! Leaving the family for an entire week shows serious committment to ones practice. I admire both Jennie and Mandy’s drive. Their artworks are impressive to boot! More on the show later!