Practising my artist talk in the garden. Turned out to be quite a hoot! (photo Thanks to Jilene Schafers)
It seemed like a great idea about 6 months ago. Then, I went and spoke about it out loud to some friends. Then I announced in my newsletter that I would give my first Artist Talk. So now I’ve set myself up.
It will be good for me, I said. I will learn something, I said. It will be fun, I said…..
Now it is getting close to the time when I promised to give my first Artist Talk. A few nerves have already come to the party! Trying this out on home turf during my ‘Art and a Country Garden’ event should be the safest route to take with this facet of my personal and artistic growth. It takes courage for artists to speak out loud about what we do and why. At least it takes courage for me.
What exactly is an ‘Artist Talk’ ? Apparently, it is something like a short lecture, meant to give the artist a chance to explain their art so that it connects more deeply with the viewers. It also helps the artist understand their art better. I attended one years ago, but that artist was more interesting! He was a sculptor in an unusual medium and spoke about his process and inspiration.
I haven’t a clue as to how to begin preparing or what to say. As usual, I turned to some friends with a bit of experience and the internet to see what I could learn about the subject. I found these articles helpful: http://www.artbusiness.com/appearpub.html
http://blog.lisacall.com/2008/02/giving-an-artist-talk/
So here goes! I have scheduled my first talk on Friday, July 17 at 2:00 pm in my garden here on the farm. While I am at it, might as well practise by having my second talk take place on Saturday, July 18 at 1 pm in the same location (weather permitting). Check here for details on the location of the event and more info.