The main gallery at Sidney Cooper

Hello everyone. I had a big lie in this morning. I woke up at usual time and had breakfast in the bed while checking messages, but stayed there and fell into sleep again. I heard Pearl whining and checked the clock. Whoa! Noon! I had to be in the Sidney Cooper gallery at 1:30! I walked dogs very quickly, (of course, Pearl insisted that she would graze grass, but I dragged her back). After lunch, Mike dropped me off at the back of the gallery spot on time. Phew!

I had great chats with two gentlemen, a print maker and a psychotherapist. (Hello!) Then the lady who purchased Paper crown came. She was also interested in Tony, the photographer's works. So I volunteered to sit in the main part of the gallery while he was showing his works to her at the back of the building. I have looked at the works carefully with a price list in hand. But after that, I got so bored! People don't talk much there because it is the beginning of the exhibition. So I started taking photos. Now I might become a photographer myself!

So here is my guide tour of the main gallery space at the Sidney Cooper this afternoon.

Dani Flowerdew's installation

A close-up of Dani Flowerdew's installation

And again! Dani Flowerdew's installation

To the entrance

Main gallery

Fan was moving

Main gallery

Reflected view of the main gallery on Tony Smith's photograph I

Reflected view of the main gallery on Tony Smith's photograph II

Reflected view of the main gallery on Tony Smith's photograph III. Hello!  

Reflected view of the main gallery on Tony Smith's photograph IV

Reflected view of the main gallery on Tony Smith's photograph V

Reflected view of the main gallery on Tony Smith's photograph VI

Reflected view of the main gallery on Tony Smith's photograph VII

Lights and window

Projector

No wall is straight

A close up of a chance work by Dariusz Ryzak, collected from B&Q

I hope you enjoyed them.

 

What an amazing day!

Hello everyone. I had an amazing day. Do you know those days that start with good news, and feel so happy. Then everything gets better and better. Before falling into sleep, you really have to wonder if all these things happened in a day. Once some years or a decade, I have such a day. It happened to be today! 

Wasted talent

The first message I read while still in the bed this morning was from one of customers in USA. 'I received the mask today. I'm just crazy about it !!...'  How good is that! I was filled with excitement. If you create something, you know how I felt. In the end, what matters most is people's reaction. Artists feed on them. They are treasure to me. I still remember my first customer's message after she received my work. ( It was also from USA.) 

Wasted talent

Then I met Claire, a lovely graduate, for a lunch. She came down from Bedford to see our show. We had a catch up, and enjoyed a chat, so when I checked my watch, it was already the time I should be in the gallery! I left Claire to finish her drink, and ran. I relieved Yvonne from the duty. 10 minutes late!  

What Claire wore today! 

Claire looked at each work very carefully. She is an installment artist; she seemed to find some inspiration from some of students' works in the show. After she saw everything, I explained to her some of my works and how Mike cleverly secured my works to the plinths and walls. She could use similar systems when she does some of her works for display.

Answer was in the box II (Fit for a giant)

Then, our neighbours came with their friends. How lovely! They told me that they enjoyed the show. I wanted to show them what I do. They had no idea! 

Soon afterward, two very tall gentlemen came straight into my space in hurry. After a while, they looked upset. Just when I was about to ask if I could help them, one of them asked me if certain masks were sold. Yes, they are. They looked even more upset. So I offered to do a commission work for them. They want to go ahead with it. How wonderful! They are visiting Canterbury from Europe, so their mask will be shipped to the continent. Thanks to my Etsy shop, I have lots of experience shipping all over the world. I was able to quote the shipping fee from the top of my head, too.

Answer was in the box (eyes)

Then I had a great conversation with an English gentleman about my works. It is wonderful to be able to tell stories about my works. He was interested in Very old and even older and Out of sorts.

I was already very happy before the gallery gave me an offer to show some of my works after the show in a front room, which has not been used. I hugged Hazel, the curator. I always wanted to have a local gallery to show my works.

So after five, when I came out of the gallery, I couldn't care less about the light rain falling. Mike was waiting for me behind the gallery. I had lots to tell him.

  
  

     

   

 

Farewell

Hello everyone. How was your weekend? We mainly enjoyed relaxing time with our animal family and slept! I am going to take a week off from ceramics, so no studio time neither. First free Saturday since June!

Yesterday Mike and I popped in the gallery on the way back from the post office. I restocked my business cards. I have also checked red dots. Friday night we had to rush so we didn't have time to check them. Small human masks were strongest. They were all sold.

Answer was in the box III SOLD

Art theory discussion SOLD

Art theory discussion - side view

You have never seen last three. They went to the show directly from the studio, only after I realised I could show more than I expected.

Big Ears SOLD

Big ears SOLD

Mother SOLD

I made this after hearing a report that Syria government probably used chemical weapons on citizens.

Syria SOLD

Syria SOLD

Three sculptures had red dots.

Very old... SOLD

and even older  (the other side)

My friend was interested in her just before the show. But his wife wanted my porcelain jug, so they bought it instead. The next day, while we are setting up the show, a lecturer passed by and she snatched her. 

Out of sorts SOLD

I still can't adjust colours on this photo. Too many different whites on it.

 

Paper crown (left) and Angel

I add Angel here too although she had been spoken for prior to the show. She didn't have a marble plinth yet at this time. This is her true colour.

Angel - a loan from a private collection

I am often asked if I feel pain to part with my creation. I usually say, no, but when I see them together here and think back to the journey we have come together, I must admit I feel a bit of sadness. But they are going to really good homes and being loved. They will start their own new stories, so it is a bit like seeing a child leaving a nest, I imagine. Just like a parent, I remember all details of their stories when I see the photos. I had better take better photos!

Private View evening - Big success!

Hello everyone. The private viewing was very successful. There was good buzz everywhere until closing. I have met fabulous people and enjoyed talking about my works. Lots of people asked me various questions. How nice to have opportunities to explain how I have created my sculptures. Mike and I went early so that we could take more photos. Ta-da! Today we took much better photos because lighting was on!

As midori means green in Japanese, I showed my true colour tonight. Green in Japanese is this dark colour, not any green. I am telling the story about Paper crown to the lady who purchased him.

One of my space

Taking photos before the opening. 

Most small masks in this space are gone today. Two sculptures are also sold.

The other space

I also like to introduce some of my wonderful friends and their works here. Other students turned up after opening, so I didn't have a chance to take them, but will show their works later.

Tony is a photographer. He also made this installation. He is a good friend of mine. He is very organised, and without his contribution, we could not have this great show. Thank you, Tony!

Tony

Harriet is making films, but she is also a painter. She is also my great friend. I love this painting. It has strong presence. She is very hard working. She also helped to make the show catalogue for finishing students. Look at her smile. She looked radiant!

Harriet

Dani is a painter. She likes painting large canvas. She came with her daughter. This photograph doesn't do justice to her work. They look more gold yellow and sparkling. She teaches art.

Dani

Last, our tutor, Bob. He is a painter. He is humorous and definitely 'Vive la vie' type.  But today he looked serious. : )

Bob's speech

We are ready for our MA show, Prism

Hello everyone! I missed you! This is the longest time I hadn't posted. What happened? You might ask. Is it because Willow gave me a lovely award, that I felt too much pressure to write?  Hahaha! Nope. I have been literally working day and night until 9pm in the gallery. So when I came home, I was almost passing out. I slightly twisted a wrist and an arm, hurt a shoulder, nonetheless I am satisfied and happy. All preparation finally finished this afternoon, about three o'clock. I am sending out e-invitation to art lovers.  I know it's a bit late, but I really didn't have time to do it sooner. I only found out that how much space I would be given to show on Monday! It was twice as big as I had expected. How nice!

I will give you some snippets of my sections today. Photo quality is poor. It is white everywhere except for the grey floor. Most photographs Taken somehow became blue grey.

Harriet and I were able to choose the space we liked. I had plan A and B for my choice, and ended having both. How lucky! Harriet had her best choice, of course. The experience as interior designer helped me to decide the layout. I placed the plinths in position to check what it looked like.

Space 2 - shot on the 2nd, September 

The high plinth will have two figures: Angel and Paper crown. Angel is going to very lovely ceramic artist, Karen Banks. She kindly gave me opportunity to display her for the show. Thank you, Karen.

This was yesterday. Not finished yet.

Space 2

I have humble photo of Paper crown not on a high plinth, but on a bath mat. He looks like this in reality.

Another section has also a large plinth. This pictures shows all five chickens and the one with Very old and even older on the right side. The little chicken on the right was sold during the hang. I hope it is an auspicious sign!

The colours look faded on the photo. Sorry. 

Today it looks like this. 

Space  1

Sorry about the quality of photos. I will try again during the show, but those inside the vitrine are difficult to shoot.

I think the show this year is strong. I feel so happy to be a part of it. There are very nice paintings of all sizes, photographs, films and my ceramic sculptures. 

If you are around here in Canterbury, why don't you pop in our Private view. Sidney Cooper Gallery is on the High street, close to the Westgate tower. We will be very happy to meet you! Please don't forget to talk to me. You can spot me easily I am a petite Japanese with a big smile. 

*****************************

You are warmly invited to the Opening Event for:           

Prism

MA Fine and Applied Art Degree Show

Opening event Friday 6^th September 2013 6 pm- 8 pm

The exhibition runs from 6 – 21 September

An exciting contemporary exhibition profiling CCCU's graduating MA Fine and Applied Art students, exhibiting painting, photography, film,  sculpture and drawing.

We look forward to seeing you in the gallery.

                                                               Sidney Cooper Gallery

St Peter's Street

Canterbury

CT1 2BQ

T: 01227 453 267

W: http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/sidney-cooper/

E: gallery@canterbury.ac.uk

Fb: https://facebook.com/SidneyCooperGallery