FABRICATION - open to view

Wow, was yesterday a busy day.  Fabrication my solo exhibition at the Mills Arts & Events Centre, Rayleigh, Essex is now up on display.

This is it, standing facing the entrance to the cafe.  None of the pieces have been shown here before, but there are some older items, some show only once before and some totally brand new - unfortunately with home circumstances thrown into disarray, I lost a lot of prep time. Having been here before I thought I knew what's what.  Unfortunately since last time there are less hangers available, so it meant a bit of jigging and swapping to get 3 hooks on one wire, and 2 on another, with the kind assistance of venue staff, and a ladder!!  Because the Centre is well used and there are often small children/pushchairs around this gallery corridor, pieces have to be out of reach of small hands.  Last time people "complained" to me that I'd hung the work too high - but there is a reason for why it is as it is.

After putting the work up, it was time for "breakfast" in the cafe - well toasted tea cake, and tea, very nice too.
Then back home to collect sewing machine and take it to be mended, and serviced.  It will be away about 10 days.  I have no spare, unless you count my gran's old hand Singer with the long shuttle bobbins.  So I will have to get on with design work - no bad thing I suspect.

Its mid afternoon before I get lunch, and I'm very tired, all this work and rush, and then boom, its done. Then the phone rings....local Council, ringing to get information for a Press Release for this exhibition.  As the venue comes under the remit of the council, in the Contract it states they will do the Press Release.  However, having been promoted in the Rayleigh Arts Festival brochure, I thought that was enough 'exposure' and generous.  So I had to answer questions totally out of the blue, and out of brain cells.  I've little idea now what I said, but I will get to proof it, before publication.  And.... another new experience to chalk up, never done a phone "interview" before!  The minute you take your art out of the home, be that in any form, teaching, exhibiting, publishing, entering events - there is so very much to learn, and to continue to learn, as nothing is ever exactly the same from one experience to another, or so I've found.
And now, as they say, I'm going to chillax for a day, but there is the task, of fitting things back into cupboards... may be.