KOAST - done

Well, the Kerikeri Art Trail is over.  I'm exhausted, but on an exhilerated high, a bit like giving birth!  And I learnt a few things.  

I learnt that exhibiting and talking about my art non-stop for three days is hard work, but fun.  I learnt that I got better at talking about my art the more I did it.  I learnt that I actually LOVE talking about my processes and inspirations to people who have no idea about textile art.  

I learnt that people enjoyed watching me demonstrate how I did something.  Trail goers were fascinated to watch me free-motion quilt the swallow quilt above, and really interested to see me stencil on the sample below.  It was a great conversation starter and question generator.

I learnt that bringing my sketchbooks for people to look through was a great idea, even if it made me feel a little vulnerable.

I learnt that people are happy to pay fair prices if they love the work.  I learnt that participating in an art trail is really good for my ego!

And I learnt that comfortable shoes are a must...

I don't know if I'll get to do it again.  I can't participate in KOAST unless I'm an invited guest artist, as I was this year, because I'm not actually a Kerikeri resident.  But if I ever get the chance to do it again, I'd jump at it.  It was so very worthwhile on many different levels.

A few thank yous are in order - my family for putting up with my KOAST focus in the past couple of weeks, my fellow exhibitors Jane Shaw and Judi Souter, both very talented artists and the best co-exhibitors I could wish for, and the lovely staff and residents at Oakridge Village who looked after us, made lovely cups of tea and served us the best scones I've ever had!

Pushing hard towards the finish

Tomorrow is KOAST (Kerikeri Open Art Studios Trail) set up.  I'm a guest artist at a shared venue, so instead of opening my studio for visitors, I'm setting up a display and pretend studio in a hall.  Luckily there is a good friend of mine sharing the venue, and some of the residents at the village where we will be are putting on a Devonshire Tea to raise money for Hospice.  So I'll have good company and hopefully great tea!

Tonight is one of my 'Blogtober' nights.  Earlier this month I pledged to blog every second day to help get myself back into the habit.  And it's going great.  I haven't run out of things to blog about, people have been engaged and interested, and I'm enjoying it.

But tonight I'm doing the final push to get another quilt finished to show at KOAST.  So you'll forgive me if this blog post is short and fairly shallow on content.  Here's the quilt I'm trying to finish:

While I've been working on this quilt I've been telling myself a narrative about that contemplative hour around dawn.  Occasionally I'll get up really early (when I don't have to) and manage a cup of tea with no one else around.  The dawn chorus is the soundtrack, I'll write morning pages, and I'll feel extremely contented and full of expectation, like the day is full of promise.

Maybe I've just named this quilt.  Dawn Contemplation.

Come and see me (and hopefully this finished quilt) this weekend at Oakridge, off Cannon Drive, right in the heart of Kerikeri.  There will be two other artisits there, you can buy a Devonshire Tea to support Hospice and you'll be able to buy a trail guide to go and visit other artists too.

Deadlines and Blogtober

I've been pondering ways to reinvigorate my blog, trying to find ways to make blogging a habit again and it came to mind that we have hit October.  Have you heard of Blogtober?  It was a challenge thingy that ran for at least a couple of years - the rules of the challenge were pretty simple, bloggers would blog every day in October.

I don't know if there is a Blogtober thing happening this year, but I thought I might hold my own personal one.  I know I'll fall over if I try to do it every single day, and it's already the 2nd of October, so I'm making it my goal to post every second day.

So welcome to my first Blogtober post!

I'm working towards a deadline at present.  It's amazing how great a deadline is for motivation, and because this deadline is an exhibition of sorts, it's also been amazing how great it's been for my creative output.

I lead a busy life.  I'm a mum to two growing kids, a midwife, an artist, and a wife to a busy man.  We've moved house twice this year, sold our boat, I've moved out of my studio, we're renovating the house we are in, we're tackling the horrendous garden on our rental property, and now we are in the process of selling my husband's shares in his two businesses.  

So I could easily make excuses.  And sometimes I do.  But excuses do not make good art.  Ever since I read about Jane Sassaman making art on her kitchen table for years and what she achieved using whatever tiny space she had, I've known that if I want it badly enough, I just have to make do with what space and time I have, and just do it.

But a deadline sure helps that 'just do it' attitude!

My deadline is the KOAST art trail.  Kerikeri holds a very successful art trail over Labour weekend every year.  I can't take part because I'm not physically in Kerikeri, but this year they've invited me to be one of their guest artists, exhibiting at a shared location.  I'm really excited and honoured to be chosen and looking forward to the experience as I've never been a part of anything like this yet.

If you want to make a long weekend of it, you can use the contact form here and order a KOAST trail guide.  Kerikeri and The Bay of Islands has great accomodation if you are from out of town and want to make a weekend of it.

So there we have it, my first Blogtober post.  It wasn't so hard.  And now I must get back to making art.