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This week I submitted six of my paintings for the LARAC (Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council) 2017 Member Show. I photographed each one, meticulously resized and renamed the images, and typed up an artist statement and biography. It was an interesting process, trying to sum up my work, thinking about the why, how, and what I do when I create a photograph or painting.

All of the information was submitted online. Gone are the days of toting a portfolio of work around to galleries. I didn’t even have to make a CD. In this new Internet age, many things have become so much easier.

Six was the minimum number of pieces an artist could submit. Thankfully, that’s about what I have since I haven’t been painting  all that long. I hope to do more this summer. I created a new studio space for myself in the house, a place to write and paint and take some more composed photographs.

The kind of place I’ve never really had before. A room of my own, as Virginia Woolf would describe it. Although the whole house is really my own, to have a place dedicated to creative work is different. I don’t have to worry about cleaning or straightening or decorating, even. If I want to make a mess I can, and not worry about anyone ever seeing it. For a neat freak like me, the mere thought of such a place is surprisingly freeing.

Most of my paintings still require framing. Fortunately, I used to do that for work a long time ago so the process isn’t intimidating. It’s something anyone can do really, if you find a frame you like and have a few basic tools handy.

I also hope to get to work printing and framing more of my photographs. That will end up being a much more time-consuming process, however. There’s thousands of images, and only one of me.

But it will be interesting to see if LARAC likes my paintings for it’s exhibition schedule. Most of the pieces are flower close-ups (like the iris above) and landscapes, some things that hopefully have a wide audience and interest. To go from the confidence building experience of self-publishing a book back to the “please like me” attitude of gallery submissions feels backward somehow.

Still, everyone has to start somewhere. Maybe the 2017 LARAC Member Show will be that place for my paintings.