Preparing for the Easter Show

BY fiona - How-to - 10 February 2017

It's that time of year again! I have begun preparations and have blocked out some time in my calendar to get some new works completed.

This will be my 3rd year in a row submitting work to this show. The past 2 years have been really enjoyable and I feel like I am slowly learning the process. I thought I would share some of my experiences so far.

The Form

To start things off I read through the section in the 'Schedule of Classes' booklet that I was sent to me in the mail this year due to already being registered as a contributor from previous years. This can be found online if it's your first time. http://www.eastershow.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ASBSH-RES-2017_Art-Awards.pdf

I am choosing to enter the the 'Painting Media' section and it is important to read through all the instructions as they have been modified slightly each year.

The most important thing to note is the date that the form is required back. This year is the 16th of March 2017. Secondly the date that the artwork needs to be received by (there is a separate date for posted works and hand delivered ones) and the date of the initial artists opening evening. Lastly you will also need to make sure you are free on the dates after the show to collect any unsold works. I got caught out by this the first year round as we had already planned a family trip away, luckily I sold everything that year but it could have been a disaster had I not.

The form states that your artwork will need to be NO older than 12 months, I always leave the month prior to the show free so that the works are as current as possible. In saying this, I don't think they are particularly strict on this rule as I have see a few of the same works there over the last few years.

The form also states that you will only be allowed a maximum of 6 works in total submitted. Most categories only allow 3 works and others a total of 5 smaller ones. This year I am submitting 4 entries to 4 different categories. I am doing this as I want to challenge myself and create a bit of variety in my works following the brief of each category.

The form itself is a bit basic and I get a bit frustrated having to write down the title and exact dimensions so early on. The first year I did this show, you only needed a title and not the dimensions. I guess I understand why they need them but I like to leave this a bit loose right up until the end so I can be unrestricted when trying to be creative. The title can be a really hard thing to decide before hand as sometimes you really need to see the work completed first. Perhaps most other artists finish there work well before entering? Maybe I am just mad doing it so close to the time? Anyway, that is my creative process and way of ensuring something fresh and new. Hopefully the names I have chosen work out.

The next issue is pricing the work, there is a $15.00 entry fee per art work + the Easter show takes a 30% cut of the sale price. There is also the cost of materials to think about and in my particular case, the framing cost. I always try to keep my prices reasonable but all these extras do add up unfortunately.

I find the process of sending the form itself a bit outdated but once you get the hang of doing things the 'old school' way it's not so bad. What I mean by this is that you have to return the form by snail mail! Yes, this is the one time a year I visit the post office to send an actual letter. My kids get so excited putting something in the letter box, I guess it's the little things in life right? If you do not intend to pay by check or cash, which I presume no one does these days, then you need to do a separate bank transfer. This is the bit I find a bit disjointed as I never no if I should pay straight away or wait for my letter to arrive first, so far I haven't had any problems with paying it straight away but am always a little bit eager to know that everything has be processed and approved.

This show is good in the sense that there isn't a selection process and to be honest, the work is always seems to be at a high standard.

This Years Submission

Right now I am just under 2 months until the first lot of deliveries can be made (4th of April) and I have laid out what I want to do and how I am doing to do it.

My paintings of choice are

An Oriental Fantail done in inks and watercolour
A Floral Stag done in watercolour, ink and acrylic with a tattoo like style
An inked Tiger done with a splash of colour and lots of black line work
A round canvas featuring hummingbirds

It is my first time using a round canvas so this will be a great challenge. I don't see much point in playing it safe, after all this is a chance to have some fun and be creative.

Previous Years

In the last 2 years that I have submitted work it has been great. There are a huge amount of people that come through the gallery including many that would not normally be interested in going to a exhibition. Most people just wonder through because it's there and something different to look at.

The hall is fairly free flowing with the work being displayed on all the edge walls as well as on display walls spread around the middle. I love seeing all the work and definitely recommend going even if you aren't submitting work.

The first year I entered into the small painting category as I was quite overwhelmed by the whole thing. I entered a series of 3 birds done in an ink and watercolour style. I was very grateful to have sold them all. Here they are: