Notes From The Woods - Special

Enid Petherick

Vignettes from my Open Studio,
August 2002:

Because we are 2 ½ km off the main logging road, our signs seem to lead into isolated wilderness. It seemed a good omen therefore, when the day before the advertised time, five people appeared. The paintings were still stacked around the walls. Next morning our nailing directional signs intrigued two women on bicycles who changed their destination to get a preview before the “official” opening time of noon.

The first two weeks we averaged a group a day—usually late afternoon. The thirteenth was a beautiful hot day so in early afternoon we decided to refresh ourselves with a dip in the pond—still swollen to a small lake after the spring floods.  I enjoyed several laps and floated on the warm surface, working out the kinks.  Back at the house, in the process of changing, we heard voices and went, shoes and socks in hand, to greet a family of seven from Israel.  It was rewarding to see the interest and enthusiasm they displayed over the paintings, culminating in a selection of preferred pieces.  We took these out onto the deck where the light was best and propped them against the vertical supports.  "We'll have to watch that no wind comes up," Ralph commented.  A few moments later everyone "watched" as a maverick gust caught a painting and sent it crashing—with a splintering of glass—to the deck-floor.

Ralph and I are participating in the MillenniumArtGallery on-line opening when a tap on the shoulder made us turn---to see friends from Vancouver.  Part of a group of four who had canoed the Columbia River from its source to Donald below Golden.  They returned home with us.  While catching up on conversation after supper, a flash of light from the studio made me aware that one fellow was looking at the paintings by flashlight. Now anyone that interested is definitely my kind of guy!  Sure enough he saw a laser print he liked, we dug the original from a box where it was stored, and the ‘Green Sea Turtle‘ returned to Vancouver with him.

I was cleaning the cabin and Ralph came to help me finish.  We walked along the upper lane toward the house and met a family returning!  They were from Montreal, had viewed the paintings on the lower floor and signed the guest book, but returned with us to view the more recent canvasses in the upstairs studio.  Lacking wall space we had devised a system whereby Ralph placed each painting on the easel while I gave a running commentary.  This gave me time to explain the idea and concept behind Figurative Landscape and introduce people to Animatism and to MillenniumArtGallery.com.

A ski patroller and first aid attendant from Kicking Horse Mountain Resort drove out to the Blaeberry to practice his guitar in the wilderness—saw our signs and wandered in.

We were relaxing with a cup of tea and contemplating turning in early when a knock at the door surprised us—a young fellow breathlessly explained that he and his companion were on their way back to Golden after a day hike  but could they possibly see the paintings first?  Mention of our cabin elicited interest.  They decided to overnight in the cabin and arranged to view the paintings the next morning.  Next morning I was surprised when in answer to my “come on up” a reporter from the local newspaper appeared in my studio—an impromptu visit.  She in turn was somewhat surprised by the silver BMW convertible parked beside our Hyundai Pony!  An interesting morning all round.

A couple with their 10 year old daughter contemplated my newest canvas (female figures rising like steam through frost).  I explained I hadn’t  decided on a name.  The daughter remained intent and silent—then uttered “Frost Fairies.”  Surprised I replied “That’s nice….Yes...You have just named a painting!”

A woman and her two young sons arrived by bicycle. They scrutinized the paintings and listened with interest as Ralph related background stories pertaining to some. In the studio the boys sat on chairs while we showed the Figurative Landscapes. I explained they were meant to be viewed closely to take in detail, but that if they were viewed from further away, one focused less on detail and the image could be seen more as landscape.  We were looking at Red/Green Figurative Landscape and I handed the oldest boy (11?) my binoculars and instructed him to look through them backwards.  Surprised and a little uncertain, nevertheless he studied the painting.  Then “ye-es “…and with some excitement "Yes, it does look like mountain ranges!”

Our last visitors—a mother and her energetic eightish son—bright eyed and inquisitive—had no trouble seeing the profile on Red Indian Mountain and happily signed his name clearly and carefully in the guest book.

Summary:

Over eighty visitors—we were surprised and pleased considering our remoteness and isolation. Five countries represented, from across Canada and the U.S. as well as U.K., Germany and Israel. 90%of the visitors were unknown—either new to the area or on vacation from other places. A couple of "on the spot" sales and some ongoing negotiations, and many cards.

Most surprising and the biggest change from other studio shows—most visitors left an e-mail address for future contact.  There was increased interest in the on-line gallery and prints.  Also promising was the wide age range represented—more young people—and the interest taken by children.

We plan to repeat next year and will look in to having credit card access since at least one sale was lost because of this lack.

This was an exhilarating—and given our usual quiet and unscheduled lifestyle—exhausting experience.  Yesterday we cleared the walls of paintings and today I am back in a ‘working’ studio.  A-a-h heaven. Now to clear myself and wade into the best yet….always the next painting is going to be better!

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