Natural Diversity ...

There  are few really original ideas left these days and particularly when referring to nature, the arts and creative concepts.  'Natural Diversity' was to be the name of the exhibition we held as it is a collaboration between four very diverse artists working in different styles and mediums.  However apparently it was too similar to the name of another exhibition held at the gallery so we had to create a name in a very short period of time which reflected our ambitions.

The result is 'Framing Nature' - the culmination of years of work for the artists involved.

We are all passionate about our subject matter, the natural world - and the title was quite appropriate as it relates so well to how we each see the subject in front of us, how we want to portray it and ultimately, how we present it to the viewing public.  We all frame our subject in our own unique way and our mutual celebration of the natural world is reflected in the works being exhibited.

 

Presentation being so important, prior to framing artworks behind glass it was important for me to have a very good digital copy for printing purposes and online promotion.

 I've spent a lot of time researching the best way to get good reproductions of watercolour botanical artworks and after many test runs, ultimately photography gave the most accurate results.

I have taken some photos for my own files but also had a select few professionally photographed. 

Then comes framing!  So much choice - but I went quite uniform for all my artworks.

 I decided this so that in a group exhibition my artwork has its own trademark style and was easily recognised.  My framing is a little more expensive than hoped but in the end it's like dressing up for the occasion ... time to bet the best foot forward.   That was almost more difficult than choosing the subject for the original artworks!

 Who knew so much goes into an exhibition - from framing, labelling, pricing, bios, artist statements, media releases, photography, catering, sponsors, speakers, delivery, wait staff, etc.  Oh and not to forget the artworks themselves - seems a distant memory since sitting in a quiet studio painting to our heart's content.

It has been a great pleasure working on this exhibition - and as we head towards the finish line with all the hard work behind us, I couldn't be prouder!   Joining together to celebrate our interpretations of the fascinating world of nature  has been a great learning experience.

Vicki Lee Galerie