Dear Cleo

Recollections of an exhibition Day 01 Wednesday

The alarm went off at 05.30, a quick shower and a coffee before Frank arrived at 06.15 to pick me up at 06.15 to deliver me and the paintings to the gallery. There were strict parking and access restrictions on the Portobello Road so the timing of the trip was as crucial as NASA’s trip to the moon. Thanks to Franks driving skills, and my navigation with Franks phone rather than a map like in the old days, we arrived at the gallery at 08.00 in plenty of time to meet with Marcus at 09.00 hours. It was time for another coffee.

Marcus was a stranger until I met him on the doorstep of the gallery, but he was soon to become a friend. Following a flurry of contract signing to get the paperwork out of the way, Frank and I unloaded the van and I bid Frank a fond farewell.

Alone in the West End of London, with only my paintings for company, I set about creating the exhibition I had long planned and dreamed about. The original plan was that the exhibition would be up and running by midday but as Robert Burns said, plans gang oft astray.

Following the advice of someone who had done it before, I had left the D rings and wires off the frames to avoid damaging the frames, with more bubble wrap, the paintings could have been ready to hang on the framing system. Cue several hours of acting as a framing technician that could have been done far easier the week before. Terri arrived around 14.30 and the walls were still bare in places and I was as fed up as a snake going up and down the ladders. Marcus was marvellous at popping in to show how it should be done, as he had done it all before.

Figure 01 Paintings sitting on the floor in front of paintings that should be sitting on the floor.

Figure 02 The hang around 15.00

You always remember the first visitor to your exhibition, around 15.00 Barbara arrived, who had promised to come when she was in London over the week and I guess the grumpy me was less than welcoming, but nonplussed, Barbara viewed the threequarters complete exhibition and was very complimentary

Figure 03 The window sticker

The window sticker was something that neither I nor Terri had any experience with, but following Amy’s carefully written instructions, we applied it with some aplomb to complete exhibition.

At 17.00 all the paintings were on the wall leaving only the levelling up to be sorted out in the morning. As exhibitions go it was pretty much one wasted day out of the seven with the exception that one painting sold.

I am ambivalent about the sale of my works because I love them and am happy to see them hanging on my own walls, or even being in my own loft. I suppose it is a good thing that people are prepared to invest their own money to own one of my paintings but that doesn’t stot me missing them.

About 18.00. Terri and I went for a well-earned drink before I retired to my hotel for a well-earned sleep.