My Roller Coaster Ride Of A Show

I exhibited my pieces in my first high end show this weekend and it really was a roller coaster ride of emotional highs and lows
The great thing about this, was that for every low, there was a high ...

These are the Lows

1. Arriving on that first morning to set up feeling like a rabbit in headlights with crippling insecurities threatening to overwhelm you

2. It felt like every other exhibitor was an award winning established artist. They all seemed very confident and oddly very tall lol!!

3. The inevitable lulls, or when someone’s gaze briefly rests on my display of pieces and then moves on elsewhere, seemingly unmoved and underwhelmed by my work

4. Feeling exhausted at the end of a very long day, sitting in a Travel lodge/motel, wishing you were home

5. Those times when you are left wondering whether you’ve taken too big a risk and that you won’t be able to sustain a living as an artist



And the high points....

1. Seeing your work presented for the first time in glass cabinets under spotlights in you own mini boutique. I loved that so much!!


2. Meeting some of the warmest, funniest and talented metal work artists out there. The camaraderie between the artists was amazing and so uplifting.
3. I loved how supportive everyone was of each other. Swapping anecdotes and sharing those highs and lows throughout the day meant so much to me


4. Artists that I am in awe of would come over and love MY work!! They would even take me under their wing so to speak, and passed on useful tips and gave me tons of encouragement. I’m still feeling choked up about that actually


5. Meeting customers and art lovers, that just loved my work. They wanted to talk about the pieces, the stories and inspirations, and wanted to try everything on lol!!
There was one surreal moment, where I had a crowd around my mini shop front , with 3 very different ladies wearing 3 unique pieces, all complimenting each other on how they looked in my jewellery!! They all seemed so happy ... it was a magical moment for me

All in all it was an amazing experience, and I cannot wait to do the next show on this circuit.
I have come away with so many new friends and mentors and with a renewed sense of confidence in my artistic abilities. The key thing also is coming away with the knowledge that my own unique, rather fantastical creations are loved and that there is a place for me in this kind of world





Thanks to all those wonderful people that played their part in making this such a memorable and significant weekend