The Buzzy Excitement of the Major Art Shows

The various Art Shows which run so successfully in our main centres have been a moving target over the last few years with postponements and cancellations due to Covid rife. Sometimes the Shows have gone on-line and surprisingly OK results have been achieved for some this way. However nothing substitutes for the excitement of the real thing, the buzz of the monster opening nights, the hyperactivity of so many art-collectors in the same place at the same time and of course being able to meet and talk to the buyers of your work.

The not-to-be-missed NZ Art Show in Wellington is held on Queens Birthday weekend in June each year and overall sales in 2022 again topped $2million dollars. Here I am a bit bedraggled in the rain starting the load-in process with the bigger paintings still in the trusty vee-dub you can see reflected in the window. I didn’t quite sell out but came very close with just three paintings left by the time we all packed up on Sunday evening. The ‘wall’ I was allocated was in a great position and it was a pleasure to have previous clients stop to say hello (or in some cases buy another painting) and special too to catch up with all the other artists who travel from all over New Zealand to participate.

The 2022 Christchurch Art Show was held several weeks later at the magnificent new Te Pau Event Centre right in the centre of mostly re-built Christchurch which is at last transforming from a sad and sorry earthquake zone to a beautiful up-market city. My ‘wall’ in Christchurch was also in a great position and again a virtual sell-out with only one large painting and a couple of tinies left at the end of the Show. Very rewarding to participate again in the live shows after all the Covid disruptions we have had to persevere through.

In the meantime I missed out on both the major Auckland Art Shows in 2022 because of date changes and conflicting commitments but do have a Solo Exhibition ‘Inside Out’ coming up at ArtSelect Gallery in Newmarket Auckland and currently painting in a very dedicated way (like seven days a week!) to ensure I have enough large and small work available for opening night on Tuesday 4th October.

Mark this in your diary!

More about this exhibition in my next blog post.