Focusing

I could feel myself on the verge of spin cycle over getting my ArtWalk stuff together over the weekend. I should do this first, no this. Maybe start on that 4th piece. No, take care of this. Then I realized, just start with the easy stuff first. That would be printing out the contract and inventory sheet. POAC used to send out hardcopies through the mail, and I must admit to mixed feelings about the move to digital files attached to e-mails. I understand it is a cost-cutting measure, and POAC does have a very tight budget. But I do resent just a teeny bit having to use my own ink and paper.

Rift by Sheila Mahanke Barnes ©2016 11 x 14

Next, get Rift into its frame, since it was already mounted in a mat. I bought these Nielson Artcare metal frames because they have UV glass and archival mat board and mount board. I'm not using their mat, but I did think the mount board liner made sense. Of course, I had to clean numerous times to get the last of the dust specs off the inside of the glass. But I really like the way this looks.

Rift and Family (©2014) by Sheila Mahanke Barnes

Then it was time to dust off the piece from 2014 and make a few changes. I don't think I've ever done this before, but I was never comfortable with the name I gave the piece on the right. Something about it always said "family" to me but my lack of confidence convinced me that name would only make people scratch their heads. Rolling Along was what I ended up calling it and it has never felt right. It's been sitting in my living room for months now, long enough for me to hear it begging me to change its name. So I did. Took off the backing, blacked out the name and wrote"Family" in its place. I think these two pair nicely.

That was enough for Friday. Saturday I tackled getting the fountain sample into a frame. I'd bought some black foam core board not long ago specifically for this, to replace the very poor and flimsy piece of cardboard backing that came with the frame. And now I couldn't find it. Seriously, how can one misplace a 20 x 30 piece of black board? Ah - by placing it on the door side of the closet rather than the back wall of it. Clever me. I usually struggle with cutting foam core (it really shouldn't be that hard - I even bought an Exacto cutter specifically for this task) but this time it cut with ease. I forgot to get a picture of the back before mounting on the board, but generally what I do is lightly glue in a few places the piece to watercolor paper for support, running a long stitch around the outside. I write all the label info on this paper backing before putting it into the frame and adding the frame back. 

In this case I'd used some vellum drawing paper, because I didn't have to cut it to size. Later I realized it didn't have the same stiffness so I pinned it to the foamcore board in a few places. That's a sequin pin. This bit of security should keep the piece from sagging from the weight of the fountain. There's no glass in this frame.

This is how I deal with the requirement to put more personal information than I normally would on the back of my art when it goes into a POAC exhibit. I simply attach a business card and write the name and price of the piece on it.

I decided to add rings and wire which turned out to be the hardest part. The wood in this frame is very dense and hard and I had a heck of a time getting the screws in. But having a wire rather than one of the sawtooth hangers will please the people hanging the exhibit.

Eisenberg Fountain - Retreat by Sheila Mahanke Barnes ©2016 11 x 14

So pleased with how this looks! And now my three pieces are exhibit ready!

I had planned to work on a 4th piece yesterday - but I didn't feel well at all and was running a fever. To be honest, I hadn't felt well all week and it must have caught up with me over the weekend. So no 4th piece for ArtWalk. And I am fine with that. Today I filled out that paperwork and will deliver it all tomorrow.