I wrote earlier about how I jumped at the idea of joining the Davis Artist Studio Tour. It didn't take long until I got into the nitty gritty of the details. Oh my gosh--I'm out of storage area! Time to comb through books and framed pieces and empty frames. Four bags of books head off to the library sale. Several obsolete frames and posters make their way to the ASPCA. After dusting the shelves, there's literally more room to breathe--and more room for art making.
When you take on a group project like the Davis Art Studio Tour, you invest some money up front. This could be a disincentive, but for me, its already proved its worth. Widening the circle of the artists I know has been wonderful--as well as practical. DAST divides itself into committees in order to organize the event and I found myself on the social media committee with artists Betty Nelsen and Adele Shaw, both talented artists and amazing human beings.
In addition to meeting new folks, there's the super plus of group energy. When you have 30 artists all planning "save the dates,"studio shots and art shots for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, there's a lot more incentive to jump in and go with the flow.
So I've taken the jump and ordered a print rack as well as a complicated device called a "transfer gun 3M adhesive dispenser," which allows me to mat prints at a good pace. I'm excited. I've also discovered new Ampersand panels that I can use for mounting prints and all I need is a good weekend to dig in and begin to stockpile my work. Perhaps this one is as good as any!