This was my second success in getting into the Ferens Open Art Exhibition. I ventured into acrylic for this entry and it was a learning curve as my experience with paint has been frustrating but I was determined to follow this one through. Honestly, I wasn’t that happy with the final result but was determined to finish it regardless – a lesson I learnt from Grayson Perry who said that if you create a habit of not finishing work then it’s a hard habit to break. So no matter how much you hate what you’ve created, there is always something to learn from the process.
The private viewing itself was great, though the quality of work was a little lower than the last time we came back in 2019. The paintings appealed the most, as they generally do, and there were some really nicely thought-through pieces with lovely rich palettes. I’m always interested in the pieces that sell at a private viewing and find myself scratching my head to understand why. But I remind myself that’s a mistake to chase the sun, as we have to remain true to ourselves as we don’t want to become capitalist slaves. Stay true, speak confidently and don’t give a damn.
