Artventures In Regina: Day 3

My second morning in Regina and I am back at the gallery bright and early with a full day of washing and painting plinths (note to self: 2-dimensional work eliminates need for plinths).

The gallery has many plinths of various sizes and heights, and I am pleased to finally see the work displayed as it should be, each piece on its own plinth with plenty of space around allowing the viewer to access a 360 degree view of the work.

Prepping the plinths is hard, hot work. The weather here has remained steamy (how else can you describe 37 degrees with 91% humidity?), and although it is cool inside the gallery by comparison, it is far from being a comfortable working atmosphere. That being said, I must add that I thoroughly enjoyed myself. There is nothing quite as satisfying as a gallery full of freshly painted plinths. It is amazing what a coat of paint can do. Sometimes I think that it would be great if life were like plinths: when things get a little dirty, scuffed up, or rough around the edges, all you would need to do is to slap on a clean coat of paint and you would have a fresh beginning…a clean point of departure.

By 1:00pm I have finished most of the painting. While I am waiting for surfaces to dry so that I can reposition the work, I type up and print the title labels. Fifth Parallel gets extra stars for supplying professional labels (clear adhesive). The afternoon is nibbled away by all the tiny adjustments and re-adjustments of the work. It has already been another 10 hour day by the time Barb and I have affixed labels. The lighting still needs to be negotiated, and the show technically opens tomorrow at 11:00am, but we are too tired and too hot to face grappling with the 12 foot step-ladder. Lighting will have to wait until tomorrow morning.