Exhibitions

This year I decided my plan was to get my artwork into as many exhibitions as possible!

I'd had enough of trying to sell my artwork at craft fairs last year. I was so sick of being stuck in the freezing cold, expensive fair fees and dealing with rude people to make not very much money when I could be selling online at home in the warmth! It hit me when I was doing a Christmas craft fair last year that I had over £85 worth of online painting commissions to work on while at the craft fair and yet I barely scraped the craft fair fee in sales that day. From then on I decided to concentrate on the online sales and exhibitions. I do miss the people you meet at the craft fairs but definitely don't miss the frozen hands and toes!

My first exhibition for the year was through Staffordshire Enjoy Art - a company that promotes local artists and organises three local exhibitions in the year. I wasn't sure if I would be able to exhibit with them as I don't quite live in Staffordshire but they were very welcoming and produced some very well organised exhibitions.

The first exhibition was at Shugborough Hall, Stafford where I had two collagraph prints displayed - "Twisting Upwards" and "East Wing". I also had great fun exploring behind the scenes of Shugborough Hall when picking up my work after the exhibition!

Staffordshire Enjoy Art Spring Exhibition - Shugborough Hall - 30th March to 13th April 2013

 

My next exhibition was the Creative Connections Showcase Exhibition at Bilston Craft Gallery. The course I did the exhibition for was Survival Skills for Artists and it was a really interesting and very useful course for anyone wanting to become a self-employed artist. I also met some really supportive people and we had great fun organising this exhibition!

Creative Connections Showcase Exhibition - Bilston Craft Gallery - 22nd May to 22nd June 2013

The busiest private view I've ever been to!

My next exhibition was the Staffordshire Enjoy Art Summer Exhibition. I was lucky to get three pieces accepted and exhibited two collagraph prints "Ruined Forecourt" and " Shadow Chamber" and one large acrylic painting "Pause For Thought".

Staffordshire Enjoy Art Summer Exhibition - Barewall Gallery, Stoke - 13th July to 3rd August 2013

Next I exhibited at a pop up art gallery in an empty shop in Walsall town centre. The shop looked great and was full of amazing local artwork and really busy over the two weeks it was open.

Open Art Exhibition Walsall - 7th September to 22nd September 2013

The first showing of my kitten prints.

My next exhibition was the last Staffordshire Enjoy Art Exhibition of the year currently at the Museum of Cannock Chase. My theme for this exhibition was kittens and I got to exhibit two collagraph prints "Dreamy" and "Play With Me!"

Staffordshire Enjoy Art Autumn Exhibition - Museum of Cannock Chase - 21st October to 13th December 2013

My final exhibition for the year is currently on show at Wolverhampton Art Gallery where I had a collagraph print accepted into the Wolverhampton Society of Artists Open Exhibition.

Wolverhampton Society of Artists Exhibition - Wolverhampton Art Gallery - 19th October to 25th January 2014

That should be it for this year exhibitionwise and I'm looking forward to planning all of next years exhibitions! I just had to mention the Printmakers Cat book which has sold over 1000 copies since it was published in June! I have a page in the book with two of my collagraph prints featured "Purple Cat" and "Sleeping Cat" I've just had a couple of extra copies for special Christmas presents too!

Clare xx