Fellow Hobblings will appreciate how exciting it is to meet a favourite author and talk about his/her work, and will understand why I was thrilled when I learnt that Joy Kirton-Smith, the artist whose work I love, was going to be at the local gallery to meet people.
It turned out that, in addition, it was also a chance to see the new range of her work including the original pieces!
I arrived and wandered around looking at Joy’s latest work whilst the staff frantically finished off setting everything up, and then the gallery manager brought Joy over and introduced us. The gallery provides headed paper for dedications (it’s a little harder to bring the paintings along than books!) that can be added to the pocket on the back of the painting.
We then talked for something like 30-40 minutes, about where she gets her inspiration from, to how she manages to get such dynamic figures in her painting, to Renaissance history.
It was funny that Joy was nearly as nervous as I was, finding it strange that people would want to come and meet her when it is the paintings that they ‘know’.
Eventually Joy was dragged away to talk to some of the other people, and I had a second look at the paintings. What was interesting to note was that even when side-by-side it is very hard to tell the original from the print, unless you look at the price tag!
There is a small gallery in Hahndorf (small town outside Adelaide) where they have a section roped off, and on designated days one of their artists works on a painting in that area. So you can watch her working AND ask questions (which I'm sure would be very annoying, so that's probably why it's only designated days). The last painting I saw displayed there was a finished work, an enormous picture of gum trees around a billabong... it was stunning. I wanted to steal it and take it home. Or, you know, save up the five grand over a period of time and buy it legitimately. That one. Yeah.
ReplyDeletemy favorite painter is Lolita Lempicka and as she's dead i won't meet or talk to her.. anytime soon. *grins*
ReplyDeleteI've been at several galleries tho and watched people's work (photo or painting) and chat a bit with them and yes it's a thrilling experience especially if you love what they do.
Even if i tend to avoid that last phrase with them.