Some thoughts on releasing new work
I’ve got new work that I haven’t shown anyone yet - and it’s causing me a dilemma.
When I started my email list it was my intention to offer collectors an opportunity to have first access to new paintings, amongst other things. But it often doesn't work out that way . . . . either an exhibition opportunity comes up and paintings I've been intending to offer to subscribers first suddenly end up destined for a show, or I 'save' them secretly so that I can enter them into a competition - a lot of competitions stipulate that entries must be brand new and never shown before, including online.
So often, my best intentions get de-railed. And while a competition entry selection is very good for an artist's confidence and for building an audience for my work, it seems that the important people, those 'already'-collectors of my work are the ones who potentially miss out. Right now I've got five new paintings that are finished and I was going to give subscribers first-dibs on - but one has ended up as a finalist in a competition, one is about to be entered into another competition, one has just been in an exhibition, and that only leaves two (one of which I'm contemplating putting into an exhibition next year). . . . but keep reading, it's not all bad news!
I work best when I don't have a set deadline for new paintings, so working specifically for an exhibition or competition doesn't work so well for me. I'm happiest, and I think I produce better work, when I work at my own pace on whatever I feel like working on. And this is what leads me to end up holding work back for competition entries or exhibitions.
I’ll be sending out a link to these newer (mostly unseen) paintings to my mailing list subscribers soon. They will get first option - well, on the ones that no-one else has seen yet. And I intend to do this more often from now on!
If being able to see and buy new work before anyone else knows about it is something you'd like please sign up to my mailing list, and/or email me to let me know and I’ll add you to the list.