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Easter Art Show!


Digger

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We had a BIG day yesterday and another big one coming up today.

 

Yesterday we turned a bloody big void into an art show. Almost 400 paintings, the biggest ever for this region. It opens tonight. A fantastic team of volunteers worked their bums of including me, and we were dead tired by the end of the day. Poor Gael had to stay there until the final entry came in and didn't get home until 6.30 pm making it a long day...she could hardly even talk. I cooked tea to give her a break and we were in bed early last night.

 

I took a few photos of some of the paintings once they were hung to show you but phone photos are not good for this purpose. I will say that we have a very high level of work entered this time.

 

The lovely artist Rhonda Gray is our feature artist and she is doing some very unusual and highly successful work these days.IMG_1400_zpsepgnipjj.jpgIMG_1391%202_zps9qpeq1xl.jpg

 

 

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IMG_1398_zpsgj9svn3v.jpg

 

As art society president Gael is being interviewed and taped by the local TV news station for tonights news promoting the show to all those down here for the Easter weekend. Straight after that she has to accompany the judge to tell him something about the artists while he is making his rounds to award the prizes. That usually takes a few hours.

 

Then tonight she has to make a series of speeches, so it's a big day for my darling, and evening too. Me, I have to have a haircut...Grin~

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Wow! Very nice!

 

 

Thanks Cougar appreciate your comments.

 

The judge who is an eminent artist has been commenting about the very high standard of work in this exhibition, which is nice to hear.

 

We have the opening tonight so I'd better slap myself around the chops and look enthusiastic. Its been a busy couple of days!

 

This is how it looked all set up ready for the opening.

IMG_1402_zpshwmyilwl.jpg

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Thanks fellas, the opening night was a huge success with estimated that we had double previous first night events attending. I know it was hard to move around there were so many people there.

 

Both the judge, who judges a lot of top level shows and the local member of parliament, in their speeches commented about the extremely high quality of artworks on display. This is out 3rd bi annual show and each has been a great success and so credibility amongst the top artists has risen to a point where the really good ones deem that it's worth entering. The prize money is a lot higher than most shows thanks to our wonderful sponsors.

 

The organisation for the night went seamlessly and my darling wife was impressive as president. Yes I am proud of her, and always have been.

 

There were 4 paintings sold last night and opening night isn't usually when sales are made, so it bodes well for the next few days. Running the show over Easter is an experiment hoping that we can attract visitors to the doors over the Easter break when there are thousands of them in the area. Of course there are also many other things to catch their attention, so time will tell if we have done enough.

 

 

I'm off into town in a few minutes to erect signs all over the place, stuff that has to be done at the last minute as we open to the public at 10 am. (Friday)

 

Thanks for your interest.

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I love that old guy painting and that pink flower is very good. I'd love to be there to see them all. Gael sounds just like Deb. She's been telling me to go get a haircut for weeks!

 

 

Which pink flower is it you like Butch?

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The one below the horses. I just really like the way the leaves are done, very good. Like the old man too. I love horse paintings as I've been drawing and painting horses all through school and then some. That one is nice too but I thought it was a little too light. Thought the pink flower below it was much better. But that's just my opinion, Or, the artist in me. I bet Gael is wiped out with this. Plus she had a bit of a cold I think you said. You've both worked hard on this show, I love going to art shows, how far away have people come to show off their work?

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The one below the horses. I just really like the way the leaves are done, very good. Like the old man too. I love horse paintings as I've been drawing and painting horses all through school and then some. That one is nice too but I thought it was a little too light. Thought the pink flower below it was much better. But that's just my opinion, Or, the artist in me. I bet Gael is wiped out with this. Plus she had a bit of a cold I think you said. You've both worked hard on this show, I love going to art shows, how far away have people come to show off their work?

 

 

That painting of the Waratah won a prize as a botanical study, it's very good!

 

The bottom flower is Gael's from my photo and I really like it myself.

 

The bloke with the beard apparently is a local aboriginal who had had a pretty hard life and I think that shows in his face. The clever use of the space to the left draws your eye to where he is looking. It is a stunning work! The Clydesdale horses is a scene that has been overdone here by many artists but although seeing it you see a very good work, that theme has become a bit hackneyed.

 

Gael is at the point she loves, dealing with people coming through the show and talking to them about art and yes she's pretty tired but exhilarated too as she is presiding over probably the biggest and best art show that's ever been held in this area. It's one hell of an achievement for a bunch of Grannies! Anyway mate I'm looking after her taking as much of the load as i can, and then next week I'm taking her to Cairns to spoil her, so she'll be right .

 

As a footnote, Gael is waiting on the phone ATM for her interview and when she spoke to the program producer she said that she'd seen Gael on TV last night and also seen a painting she loved and was coming down to buy it! We are spoiled with lovely friendly people in this region.

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1492203618[/url]' post='1849223']

That painting of the Waratah won a prize as a botanical study, it's very good!

 

The bottom flower is Gael's from my photo and I really like it myself.

 

The bloke with the beard apparently is a local aboriginal who had had a pretty hard life and I think that shows in his face. The clever use of the space to the left draws your eye to where he is looking. It is a stunning work! The Clydesdale horses is a scene that has been overdone here by many artists but although seeing it you see a very good work, that theme has become a bit hackneyed.

 

Gael is at the point she loves, dealing with people coming through the show and talking to them about art and yes she's pretty tired but exhilarated too as she is presiding over probably the biggest and best art show that's ever been held in this area. It's one hell of an achievement for a bunch of Grannies! Anyway mate I'm looking after her taking as much of the load as i can, and then next week I'm taking her to Cairns to spoil her, so she'll be right .

 

As a footnote, Gael is waiting on the phone ATM for her interview and when she spoke to the program producer she said that she'd seen Gael on TV last night and also seen a painting she loved and was coming down to buy it! We are spoiled with lovely friendly people in this region.

 

So it won a prize, see, I still have an eye for art then. I do see a lot of good art there Rob. I wondered about that bottom flower. I'll tell you what, Gael has become a very fine artist in the short time she took up art. She must have had one very fine teacher. I blew it up and now see her signature. Growing up i took art all the way through school and won an scholarship for a college in Illinois. Frustrated me though as the best grade I could get in art classes was a B. And that's because I loved horses so much and did nothing but horse paintings and the teachers hated me doing so many horse paintings so they refused to give me an A. Once I got in High school, I started doing other subjects and started getting straight A's. Even had one art teacher buy some of my stuff. Funny as my Mom and the teacher fought over the stuff so mom finally said, well if she is going to pay that much for it then she really wants it bad. Lol When it's over, you Both deserve a break. Take care.

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So it won a prize, see, I still have an eye for art then. I do see a lot of good art there Rob. I wondered about that bottom flower. I'll tell you what, Gael has become a very fine artist in the short time she took up art. She must have had one very fine teacher. I blew it up and now see her signature. Growing up i took art all the way through school and won an scholarship for a college in Illinois. Frustrated me though as the best grade I could get in art classes was a B. And that's because I loved horses so much and did nothing but horse paintings and the teachers hated me doing so many horse paintings so they refused to give me an A. Once I got in High school, I started doing other subjects and started getting straight A's. Even had one art teacher buy some of my stuff. Funny as my Mom and the teacher fought over the stuff so mom finally said, well if she is going to pay that much for it then she really wants it bad. Lol When it's over, you Both deserve a break. Take care.

 

 

Like I have said to you in our chats before Butch it's a pity you weren't able to continue with your art as what I've seen, you have a definite talent. Um, horse paintings aside..Grin~

 

Yes getting away will be great and we are both looking forward to it very much thanks.

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The show finishes today @ 4 pm and all has to be packed up after that. It's going to be a busy afternoon and perhaps evening. The good part will be having dinner with the others afterwards.

 

Even now with a day to go, it's been an overwhelming success! It will be interesting to see the wash-up and i suspect there will be a lot of money raised for the art society members to fund even more art activities and to further the goals of this pre-eminant group in bringing art to many more people in this region. Events like this are necessary as the art society is totally self funded.

 

My darling was very excited when she came home last night as one of her paintings was sold! Sometimes the manager forgets the artist within.

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Cool show! I really like these two myself...

 

 

Yeah I like those too, pity I can't show you them all as there are some stunners.

 

The top work is by one of my best mates. Not sure about the river scene but it's good too.

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All finished now and a blinding success! Numbers through yet to be established. Estimates are that 1000 people came through the show but final figures are yet to be extrapolated.

 

30 paintings sold, maybe 20 new members, lots of new students and the art society standing has risen enormously in the art world.

 

All the committee that helped Gael run it worked tirelessly and I have never seen a more motivated group of volunteers.

 

The best thing is that Gael has met with other art groups in the region and instead of competing with each other, there is now a spirit of co-operation between them all and that could bring bigger & better things in the future.

 

The majority of the committee and workers are over 70 so the challenge for the future is to attract younger members to take over the reins.

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I'm still amazed at Gael's success in Art in such a short time. Very happy for her!

 

Thanks mate but it's actually 15 years or so that she started. She had lessons for 8 or 9 of those years. The management ability comes from a career of top line positions and her determination to succeed. (she is a redhead after all). Also she gets lots of experience "managing" me..which anybody would see as a challenge....grin~

 

In the aftermath she is terribly tired though and is sleeping lots atm.

 

Next week swanning around up north should do wonders for her I hope, or at least that is my reason taking her away. Also I'm going to spoil the heck out of her!

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Pippy reading back I see I overlooked your kind comment and I apologise for that.

 

As you've read it was highly successful although the treasurer has fallen ill these last few days and so final results haven't yet been tabulated.

 

Our goals now are to attract some younger members to help run these things lest we burn some of our people out given our ages mostly in the 70's. Another goal will be to see if we can get the various art groups in the area talking to each other, and dare I say, working co-operatively rather than competing. We have the same aims after all, bringing art to the people of the region.

 

Some challenges ahead but interesting times as well.

 

 

Many congrats to Gael, Digger.

The show looks to be mightily impressive from your photographs.

 

I trust you have the success you all clearly deserve.

 

Pip.

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