<< Back So this was my first solo show. Actually who am I kidding... it was my first show period. It just happened to be a solo show. The exhibition show cased work from the past year including oils, pastels, monotypes and bronze sculptures. The subject was as varied as my lifestyle - still lifes, portraits, landscapes and all those imaginary creations poured in bronze. About seventy pieces total. It's weird that my first show was a retrospective, a 'Greatest Hits' if you will. In all honesty I wasn't really looking forward to the opening night. I'm not into selling myself. I know I'm bad ass, unless you're bad ass too, I don't care what you think. So I was dreading sitting there having to explain things to people. In the end it turned out to be a great experience. It wasn't filled with morons like I expected it to be. The people who came in were sincere in the opinions and actually there was some good conversation and ideas floating around. I was totally proven wrong and I like that. I must say having supportive friends really made the difference. I think everyone who wasn't working up in Tuolumne came down for the show. And everyone who was working, didn't want to be working. That says a lot because the show was an hours drive from camp. For those east coasters it'd be like getting a posse of forty or so people from Baltimore to go out and party in DC for a night. As you know, that's impossible. In fact, my favorite aspect of the entire show wasn't the attention and it wasn't the money, it was the new perspective I gained towards my friends. Everybody was willing to help in whatever capacity they could, whether it was to help prepare food for the show, or help with framing, or even just to show up and make a presence. Since I wasn't looking forward to the show at all, having mi amigos there really changed the mood. It changed my perspective on what a show should be. My next show isn't going to be an 'Opening' persay, it's going to be a party. A party for my friends. Drinks, food, music, etc. It's all about just surrounding myself with good people. Out of that good vibe, only positive things can arise. The show itself was successful enough. Sold some pieces, made some contacts. Just the regular stuff. What was interesting to note was how other people's opinions changed. People treated and talked to me if I was a 'real artist.' I'm not sure what I was before the show though. The general public just needs some sort of verification. They need proof that something is legit. Our society is spoonfed culture through a funnel and when it doesn't come from a legitimate source like the advertisting department at Sony or ads on prime time TV, the general public gets lost and confused. So I had my show and now you're allowed to buy artwork from me now cause other people think I'm cool too. All in all it was a great learning experience. If you're interested in attending the next show, click on the below link to be put on the mailing list.