Sometimes all the work pays off

This weekend, payment for sales I made on a show last month arrived from a gallery up north. Opening the envelope and slipping that thin piece of paper from its hiding place made for a very satisfying moment indeed. There is actually a light at the end of the tunnel and that light means that all this work may eventually pay off. While my mind is filled with feelings of accomplishment and relief (the money is of course much needed), it brings with it a certain amount of tension. Will I be able to keep this up? Now that I’ve moved, will I find it difficult to drum up sales? Will it be even more difficult to build up a base of collectors in my new home town? These are all questions that I cannot answer right now. Knowing that I was able to sell most of my work at the show last month feels good and gives me hope that perhaps I can do the same with future opportunities.

Also, I just returned last night from another exhibition up north (my last scheduled show in Michigan). I flew back in order to attend the opening reception and say goodbye one last time to the city and my friends. Near the end of the reception the gallery received word that we had by far the highest attendance of any gallery in town that day. This is no small accomplishment given the location. Other parts of town hold openings in tandem in order to share the crowds of people who attend, but the gallery where my show was, was flying solo downtown on a weekend when other area merchants and restaurants are closed. Not only did we do well attendance-wise, but I also managed to make a few sales at the reception. For me, this is a first. Usually people like to steep in the work before making a decision. Opening receptions are times for cheese, fruit, crème puffs, and wine, but rarely for purchasing artwork. I’m hoping that this implies that the rest of the works may have a shot at finding new homes.