Boston Spa Art Festival update

Well the Boston Spa Arts festival was quite an experience.

I've been asked so many times how many paintings did I sell as a measure of success and the short answer is none.

There's probably a few reasons for that and none have put me off doing it again. I've learnt so much from it.

There were plenty of experienced hands offering me advice for next time. My thanks to Drew Ward, all the Ladies Wot paint , Jan Bulley, Paul Heaney , Sylvia Jackson Angela Parry and Vivienne Rawnsley and Fred Davie.

I then found myself offering advice and support to two lovely young students who are just starting out on their art journey, Lauren Greene and Aimee Smith who then brought their parents to my stand at the end of the day. Thanks

  
My work is mainly Portraits and Figurative and I know and knew before the show that unless I'm going to stagger across a Bob Marley or Jimi Hendrix fan etc then I've not got much chance of selling that work.

I certainly evoked a few memories for a few Hendrix era visitors.

On the second day I put up a more appealing painting of a none descript female that drew lots of great comments but still didn't sell.

My prices were somewhat higher than most other peoples work and I was totally unknown over that way, perhaps i'm making excuses perhaps not.

After the show I called in at The Bare Foot Gallery in Boston Spa,  not to be confused with The Bare Wall gallery in Thirganby Nr York. 

I'd briefly met the proprietor on the Thursday before the show when I called in but unusually for me said nothing about being a painter other than a quick "I paint a bit" 

So when I called after the show on Saturday I was feeling quite empowered and in a mad moment took my latest painting in (Pensive) and asked for an honest critique no matter how brutal. 

Let's be honest I could spill an ink pot on a table and you'd love it Mother ! Ha 

Anyway Linda Schulz ( the proprietor , come on keep up ! ) studied it, studied it some more , minutes turned into hours, time stood still....

She then crouched down to get a closer look. I think I nearly passed out with the anticipation.

It got too much and I interrupted her thought process. I said, "Go on don't be shy , i have a tough skin and need to know the truth" 

She stood up and said, "Well you certainly have talent ...." 

There was a , "but" coming I sensed it. 

"But " I asked. 

"Well, who's the model ?" She asked. 

I told her I'd got her from an online modelling website set up for artists. 

So we had a discussion about models and she declared that the painting of her face and hair was fantastic but she didn't like the model. I just heard the word, "Fantastic" 

She said again I had talent and I should go away, get some models , "do I know any beautiful women" she asked.

Mmmmm ! 

So she gave me her card and asked me to come back with paintings of beautiful women with a bit of content in the painting. 

I'm going in the right direction I feel. 

Waiting for the fall ! 

 The painting I showed her. "Pensive" for sale £345