Sorry

I have an apology to make to all the people who generously donated work for the Japan Charity Auction. I am very sorry that it hasn't happened yet. I have been snowed under with the day to day running of the gallery and managing shows. With absolutely no gaps in between. I plan to have a charity auction in November. It will be in aid of the Red Cross who are still working in Japan and in Africa with the victims of the famine. I hope to be able to put the publicity out very soon. So please be assured that all donated work is stored safely and will be sent to new homes before too long.

I have just heard a rumour that a gallery has bought the premises next door to me. This does not fill me with joy. I am all for more art in Swanage but I don't like the idea of such direct competition. Let's hope that it is just a rumour. 

I have spent the morning selecting some pieces from the artist Jan Dagley at the Boilerhouse Gallery in Corfe. If you haven't paid it a visit you should. It's a little off the beaten track but is home to some really good art and crafts.  So if you haven't already try and pay it a visit.

I have got some great work lined up for the Colour Open show but I have to tell you that there is a lot of work to be done before I can put it up.

The current show has meant that numerous holes have been made which will need to be filled and sanded the repainted. Oh the joy!

When I have a bit more time I will let you know about what I have planned for next year. There are loads of opportunities to get involved.
Now I must get on and finish some more of my list of things to do which now seeming to have a life of its own. Growing regardless of whether I cross things off or not!

What's A Blog? Not A Bog With A Log.

He would have blogged I'm sure

Nobody reads blogs do they? Well you are so that's a start. All great journeys start with the first step. I have  been on one, journey that is, for the last seven months and several of you have been with me since the very beginning. Thanks for that. I may have just foolishly volunteered to write another one. By 'may' I mean have and by 'foolishly' I mean idiotically. I am a sucker for literary punishment. But then I am also a sucker for helping out what I perceive to be good causes.
So all you loyal and faithful readers I hope that I can tempt you to check out the new one. I will only be adding to it once a week or so. What I can guarantee is that it will not be filled with the musings of a gallery owner but lots of useful information about The Purbeck Art Weeks. The artists, working in all areas of the arts not just visual, who will be showing their work and doing workshops etc. I may have one or two amusing anecdotes to pepper it with. Who knows I might even make you laugh!
One of the many things I do not miss about teaching are meetings. I am sure my inner rebellious teenager (not that inner if the truth be told) inhabits my persona and makes me slightly outspoken and petulant at the same time. It is a flaw, that I am constantly working on to rectify. (By 'constantly' I mean never). So I veer between outspoken and disengaged at a somewhat staggering pace. It's a good job that the majority of meetings that I have are with myself. I have tried to farm out/delegate to various committees to no avail. Maybe one day in the bigger scheme of things I will have a work colleague who I can impose meetings on. But I will insist on them taking place in the pub!
It has been a fairly busy day at the gallery despite my absence this morning. It transpires that the gallery white lie was a gallery white lie. That's ok I can live with that.
And then rain stopped play. It is a shame that we can't just switch it on, especially when many of you have the pleasure of indulging in a nice long weekend to end the summer with. I know, I know how can something end that never really started?
I'm probably going to open tomorrow if the weather is ok. I will definitely be open on Monday.
I hope that you are enjoying your weekend. If you fancy some pretty fireworks (weather permitting) it's the last ones of the summer in Swanage tonight.

I'm Hungry!

To say I have been busy is an absolute understatement. I am just contemplating lunch and it is 3.20. Who would have thought that one week off could leave such a trail of admin in its wake. Maybe I should rethink the whole idea of going on holiday too often as I am rather hating the whole spending a complete day in front of the computer.
Whilst constantly yearning for the sun and sea.

Well, entries for the Colour Open are coming in thick and fast I am pleased to report. I always get excited at this point as I have to start to think about the whole lot is going to work together. The Private View will be at 6.00 on Saturday 3rd September. It would be lovely to see you.

I would like to put my time to good use and produce some new work for this show but I am not entirely sure whether I am going to pull it off or not. My list of Things To do was at an all time high today with no less than 30 things on it. I have ticked off 18 things so still another 12 to do.
I am not going to be at the gallery tomorrow as I will be attending the PAWF Wash Up Meeting. So if you are planning a visit I will be doing the late shift from 3.30 until 5.30.
I had better stop writing my blog and get round to the 12 outstanding jobs.
Do you think people mean it when they say that they will be back? I am starting to believe that this might be a convenient white lie told to gallery owners. If it is I totally understand it as I am sure that at some point I have said the same to some hopeful business owner about a potential purchase.
I have been asked whether I would run a pay it off in monthly installments scheme. What do you think? I worry that it would over complicate things and potentially could be disastrous if people failed to pay up. Or  maybe I keep the work until they do?
Any comments you might have would be gratefully received.
I am off to do my chores. I hope that you all enjoy your Bank Holiday Weekend, and for all you teachers out there the countdown is on.

Post Holiday Blues!

Come and see it before it's too late!

I expected my stats to say that there had been no page views in my absence but it would appear that just because I'm on holiday people still want to read about sex. Regular readers all know what I am talking about. I've been getting page views in the hundreds whilst I've been away. So sex stops for no man apparently!
I had my best ever holiday ever with plenty of of sun, sea and snorkelling. I will show you a picture as you might just like to see but I will promise not to bore you with the 1500+ that I did actually take. All underwater and some are definitely better than others. I am pleased to report that unlike my last holiday to Egypt I was not driven straight to A&E and managed to spend the whole week in rude health!
I have got to get the gallery gossip from Shirley who stood in for me and I'll let you know as soon as I do.
Since the start of this I have found out the gossip and the news is all good. A few sales in my absence and lots of very nice feedback about the exhibition and a few nice comments about the gallery.
I think that this does in fact give me license to go on holiday more often. Maybe not. It just proves great art will sell itself.
So a Bank Holiday Weekend is nearly upon us and I bet many of you are wondering what you should do. Come and see this exhibition before it finishes next week. It is fantastic! You know you want to visit Swanage and really enjoy the last Bank Holiday for a while.
I found out that lots of people took advantage of the fact that the artist was here on Monday and paid the gallery a visit. Well done you if you were amongst those that did. Shame on if you missed it everybody else.
Whilst I was away I came up with several ideas for other blogs that I could quite happily write if there were 29 hours in each day.  The Bog Blog is my current favourite! I would like people to be made aware of the successes and failures of a multitude of local/international establishments facilities. Why? Because it might shame them into moving into the 21st Century.
Anyway, the other thing I need to mention is the Colour Open if you're going to submit work the moment has come to do so. Bring it in to the gallery and I will gladly relieve you of it and £4 per piece.
It's good to be back even though the day has been spent attending to all of the gallery admin. I had to manually write something today and it occurred to me that the pen felt a little alien in my hand. I am so used having my underwater camera in it. Oh well, there's always the next holiday to plan.
Bournemouth readers I hope that you have suitably recovered from the bizarre floods of biblical proportions that happened last week.

Time For My Holiday!!!!

I started writing a blog on Saturday but what with one thing and another I did not get around to posting it. You can sit around all day doing admin and making sure that all the bills are paid and then suddenly realise that there are still a whole heap of things you haven't even thought about doing. Then go on to forget the ones that you have.
It has been an interesting time of late. I have three friends who have all been diagnosed with cancer within the last three weeks. It is a very trying time for them and their families. My thoughts are with them at this difficult time. I hope that they all make a speedy recovery.
I am very much looking forward to my holiday. I feel like this one that I actually deserve. I have worked solidly for a year getting the gallery off the ground and I think that I have done a fairly good job. I still can't quite believe that I have done it.
I know that I have been very fortunate to have had such an easy transition from redundancy to full time employment. I know for others it has not been so easy. I worry about the fact that there are some great people who just want a full time job and cannot find one. I am talking about qualified people, if they can't find work what hope is there for young people with no experience.
I am starting to get submissions for the Colour Open Exhibition which is always exciting. I hope that if you are reading this and thinking about submitting a piece that you get on and do it.
It makes sense that I am going to take a holiday from blog as I won't be at the gallery. I'm sure that things will happen that I will fill you in on when I get back.
Remember that the artist (Mary Jane Evans) will be manning the gallery on Monday 22nd August so that would be a really good time to visit the show if you wanted to find out more about the work on display.

I hope that you all have a very good week while I am away and that the sun which has been suspiciously erratic makes some day long appearances for you.

I'm Flagging, It Must Be Friday!

I looked at the titles of all of my blogs yesterday and do you know what I realized? I am positively addicted to the exclamation mark! I really am! I don't think I have written one blog that hasn't had an exclamation mark in the title. What is wrong with exclaiming all the time? Nothing, I guess.

Yesterday 35 people came through the door of the gallery and today there have only been 10. I would always if asked anticipate that Friday would be busier than Thursday and it would seem that I would be wrong.

I've been working my way through my numerous lists of things to do and I am pleased to report that I have done everything that I needed to.

I have made sure that the office is nice and sparkly for my gallery sitters next week. I'm going to make sure that they have everything they need so they can enjoy the gallery experience. It is quite a mellow place to spend the day.

I am trying hard to motivate myself to some work but the lethargy has come over me and I could quite happily go and have a nice lie down.

As you all know that I like to publicize local art events and why should today be any different. Some friends of the gallery will be taking part in a sculpture exhibition at the end of this month. The poster above gives you all the names and dates. I urge you to go along and support the sculptors as they are often under represented in the arts. I hope to go to the opening of this show, I love going to look at the work of others it is so inspirational.

I am now thinking about what drawing materials to take with me on holiday. I would ideally like to take my iPad as it has every 2D material I could ever want to use at my fingertips. But I also know that as I spend so much time in the water leaving an expensive bit of kit unguarded on a beach can only end in tears. So I think I will revert to type and take a trusty sketchbook. 

I have been stockpiling books to take with me. I am an avid reader and I need to allow at least a book a day. I have five but I think that I'll probably get through at least one on the journey. On my last holiday I read the 'Girl with the Dragon tattoo' trilogy. No that's what I call holiday reading. I would welcome any suggestions for books that might challenge me a little intellectually as I am prone to reading literary bubblegum. Hence my ability to read them so quickly. Thrillers are my favourite genre. I make it my mission to make sure I read all the Booker Prize nominees/winners they are generally a much slower read.

Anyway, I hope that you have a great weekend and if you are stuck for something to do. Come and see me at the gallery. I think that you will love this current exhibition.  

Time Off For Good Behaviour!

I had the best day off in ages. I did nothing remotely related to the gallery. I didn't even answer any emails. Bliss. I could do with several more of those.
I'm pleased to report that I have secured another booking for next year. I am really pleased. Today has been the busiest day at the gallery for ages, it's 3.30 and over 30 people have been in to see this show. Loads of great feedback but unfortunately no more sales. I really hope there will be some soon. I have told you already that this show is great but I think you owe it yourself to see it for yourself.
Oh the lists! I am off on my holidays next week and I'm leaving the gallery in the capable hands of a few different people. Which means I have to write lists to remind me to write lists for them. I know it's getting a little over the top because the multicoloured pens are out in full force. I'm not sure I've gone into multicoloured pen mode since I was teaching. But as I have no one leaning over my shoulder it's just my blog confessional that bears witness to my obsessive compulsive tendencies.
It's good news that the recent riots seem to have stopped. I am shocked to see the amount of professional people who joined in the looting of businesses. They are saying they got caught up in the moment. Which moment would that be? The moment that they forgot the difference between right and wrong? Stealing £5,000 of electrical equipment on a whim. Would they do that during the course of their normal day? I doubt it. What a total bunch of losers.
I am glad to see that there was a strong sense of community when it came to restoring order to the streets.
Let's hope that we have seen the last of the riots and that we can start to see all of those arrested being punished accordingly.
I made some paper today and the whole studio was awash. I have got to work out a dryer way of making it. I think I have thought of a way but I need my handy man to help me build something.
Paper looks good though.
I'm writing this on my iPad as I'm multitasking at the moment. So no picture today.