Recent Interviews

Picture: Lindsay Connors with her dust drawing.

How did you start with SEOS?
I had an artist friend, Sarah Cunnington who encouraged me to be brave enough to join. I exhibited at home in the dining room, hallway and sitting room. Keeping the house tidy with three small kids was a novelty. I found being at home was good. You could get on with things; you weren’t spending your day waiting for visitors. You have to get used to the invasion of your domestic space. I shut doors and wrote ‘Private’ notices on some rooms.
I feel you need good signage and a warm welcome to make people comfortable about coming into your home.
The following year I did a studio share. I asked my ACO and she generously said I could share with her. I benefited from her experience but it was mutually beneficial in that she had then had more free time. I was working part-time so having a studio share meant my work was still on show when I was elsewhere.

Did you get any sales?
I got some sales and Bromley Arts Council saw my image in the Guide and offered me a solo exhibition. It was a difficult space but I got experience in hanging and got my name known. One person who signed my guest book later replied to a mail- out by visiting me at my next Open Studios and buying a painting.

Since then?
I have exhibited at the same studio. In the third year I sold lots more work and began to get repeat visitors. In my 4th year a client who had been before visited specifically to buy works for her new kitchen. This year we have opened up a new space at the studio which has meant more artists and more visitors. It has also meant people buying work who had no previous connection to the studio. I took names during SEOS of people interested in workshops and then held them successfully during the summer holidays.

This year?
Yes, I will be exhibiting again this year, though due to the fact that I will be completing my Fine Art Degree and putting up our final show, I will not actually be at the studio for as much time as in previous years. I am planning to show the work completed for my degree this year – which should prove interesting!

Handy Hints?
The main one is signage I think. We made a big ‘A’ frame and put it on the main road which brought in a lot of visitors who didn’t know about Open Studios. They then went away with a Guide to look at more artists, so it raised the profile of Open Studios.

Many thanks to Lindsay for her time.

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