Me with my painting "The Fall" at RJD Gallery
Now, I'm not much for flying. I'm more of a road trip gal. But not being able to make this a several day ordeal, I purchased the tickets and hoped for the best. I nearly overslept to catch my flight out, had a bit of an.....um....episode right before takeoff* (luckily for me my husband restrained me) and I got to briefly enjoy the morning sun reflecting off the Atlantic ocean before landing.
We stayed at a lovely little hotel in South Hampton and got to spend a little time sight seeing before getting ready to attend the reception. What an amazing show it was!
(from the left) Rebekah Bynum, Stephanie Deshpande, Sylvia Nitti, Candice Chovanec, Shana Levenson, Cindy Rizza, Rebecca Tait and Rae Whalen
Meeting and getting to know these hard working artists was a real treat. I love how when artists get together we somehow form an instant bond, like we have known each other forever.
I feel bad I didn't take photos of all the work because all the paintings were stellar. I was too in the moment and wanted to spend time really looking at the paintings. I feel we sometimes spend too much time adjusting the focus on our cameras and not enough time seeing the beauty right in front of us. If you like, you can take a look at all the works on RJD Gallery's website HERE.
If I could give a bit of advice to aspiring artists or artists trying to make it in this art world: Attend as many events like this as you can. You meet the most amazing people, get to see the work in person (no matter how good the photograph, I assure you, it is nothing like seeing it with your own eyes), and you can learn so much about other artists processes and inspirations.
I wish I could do this more often. Although, next time, I may skip the flight...... ROADTRIP! :)
*A little aside about my anxiety involving air travel. When I started this blog I wanted to share more than just the fact that I paint. I want to share the good and bad about what it means to follow a creative path in life. It is not always a blissful effortless endeavor. No. It is full of rejection, being very unsure of yourself, difficult and lonely hours working alone, and often it means stepping WAY outside your comfort zone. I hope that by sharing my experiences, that someone out there feels a little less alone. Perhaps I'll talk about that more another time.
