The Fun of Working With a Gallery

Yellow Dinghy Christmas Cove    5"x7"     watercolor on paper - demo from the Holiday Market

After Thanksgiving, I took a break from getting our new house and my new studio up to speed, and did a demo at a holiday market in New Bedford. My host was Anthi Frangiadis, at The Drawing Room, her gallery on Water Street. It's across from the famous and very interesting New Bedford Whaling Museum. The market was lots of fun, with a brass band playing outside, wonderful Corey directing a wine tasting, Mrs. Claus giving out candy to the kids, and of course, all the beautiful things that Anthi offers for our homes. Here's a link to some great photos of the event.

The experience reminded me of why I enjoy working with my galleries.

Lapstrake Dinghy     5"x7"    watercolor - unfinished demo from the Holiday Market

It’s so much fun to meet people with similar interests, who are trying to make their homes more suited to their lifestyles, and their personal style. Anthi’s shop is wonderful for that. In addition to paintings, she sells Farrow and Ball paint and wallpaper, and the work of many artisans. It's hard for me to deliver paintings to Anthi without leaving with a large bag of beautiful things for our own home.

Yellow Rowboat 8"x10" oil on canvas panel - a previous demo at the Drawing Room

I also meet people who would like to learn to paint at these events, and I hope I can give them some encouragement and inspiration. I once did a paint night class at Yarmouth Frame and Gallery, where I show my work in Maine. We had a blast, painting sunflowers with acrylics. They also have wonderful openings for new shows, where I get to meet collectors and chat with the other gallery artists. It’s a great group.

I also enjoy working with a gallery that does framing and restoration, like Yarmouth Frame and Gallery. They’re a great resource. I often need a frame made, a few mats cut, or some advice on a restoration problem. And they offer my collectors a discount when framing my paintings, even if bought online.

Paint Night at Yarmouth Frame and Gallery several years ago

It’s the camaraderie as well as the sales that makes it fun and rewarding to work with a gallery. I’ve had readers of this blog ask me where they can see my work in person, and I always point them to these two galleries. Both are located in vacation spots, and I’ve had numerous readers tell me they visited and enjoyed the experience. And some have even taken home a painting to remember it by.