TIS THE SEASON
By DUSTAN KNIGHT TARBELL
In this month of flurries, open studios and holiday sales, I
pause and consider the joys and ‘not so joys’ of the season. My new studio
space (in an artist building) has a December Holiday open studio sale.
building up the specific sort of inventory I will need for the
event.
In my experience this is not the time of year for big price
items – most of the holiday fair goers are looking for multiple gifts for
family and friends and have a budget they are adhering to – so in November I
like to create a limited body of smaller, less expensive, light-hearted art
works.
Last year I created a series of Birch trees on smaller, less expensive, canvas. I had a great time trying versions of a single theme in various colors and compositions.
This year, encouraged by a studio friend, who is a fabulous animal photographer, I am having fun painting 4” x 4” pet images in bright happy colors.
(This IS about as far as I can go. I have artist friends who
are better merchandizers, and they are readying notecards and calendars of their
images.)
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I am a tiny bit cranky about converting my studio to an
exhibition/sale space for three days – but I actually vacuum and toss the empty
paint cans out. When the open studio is over, I burst into the cleaned space
like a storm…
Managing my expectations, disciplining myself to an extensive series of smaller, funner, artworks and appreciating the opportunity to make new connections are the joys of the season for me. Holding back from my usual daily art practice is the not so joy – but that may not be a bad thing either.
STUDIO 320, Button Factory Studio, Open Studio and Holiday
Sale – Dec. 3, 4 5, 2022 855 Islington Street, Portsmouth, NH 03854
