Last week was a little quieter. I decided last minute to enter my ‘House’ into the Margaret Harvey Open Exhibition in St Albans. This meant making sure it would get through their very particular criteria like max size, plinth presentation and any health and safety issues etc (they are notoriously rather strict). I was sure the plug on the light box would cause an issue, especially after the sharp sucking in of breathe I heard on the other end of the phone when I rang to enquire. I delivered it on Friday anyway and am now just waiting to hear whether it gets in. I have been in the Open Exhibition before and had some success but I have always played it safe previously and entered my photographs. They have not judged my 3d work before. Strangely feel a little tense about it. It is the same piece that didn’t get into the Jerwood Drawing Prize.
Also, last week I had a visit at the studio from a woman I met at the Open Dialogues event earlier this year. I am pleased that we have stayed in contact, it has been very interesting to chat about ideas and approaches and problems. She also has a blog on a-n… ’Recording on Progress’ Nicola Kearey.
I am aware now that ‘this year’s progress’ is nearly complete. I can’t believe how short a year really is for an artist. Although there have been some very good experiences and small steps forward, I still feel that my biggest achievement is just to have made it another year and still be doing it. Will I make another one? I hope so. I spent sometime yesterday working with the ‘Artist’s Development Toolkit’. I thought it a good attempt at giving myself some kind of appraisal for the year. It was helpful for me to recognise some positives as well as the problems. I think it is hard to see your own progress sometimes and with no one there to critique you, it can feel reliant on a blind faith that you’re on the right track.
