Installation

Michael and I have spent the last week preparing for the Florida Thoroughbred Charities Fall Equine Art Exhibit 2008. You see, Michael as curator must attend to all the paperwork involved in addition to acquiring the artwork and fielding phone calls. Events Coordinator Betsy Whitaker and Public Relations Coordinator Meredith Woods have lent their invaluable help with all facets of organizing this event.

Michael has his hands full. Not to mention his wife dumps the monumental task of hanging her huge nine-panel piece, "Diagonal" It took almost two days and required a lift to install the upper canvases.

There were logistics of weight and balance to be considered. During creation, I often pondered how the heck we'd hang the ever growing artwork but was told..."just paint it and we'll worry about that later". Uh-huh, as one canvas begets another and another.

A request that we minimize the impact on the wall led to further challenges. The bottom third of the piece is suspended with the gallery hanging system and the top third is secured directly to the wall.

The back of the canvases are secured with t-braces and the top three pieces are reinforced with one long horizontal aluminum brace. Because the gallery hanging system would not allow the cohesive unit that I originally intended, a bit of velcro and tape secured the transition into the top canvases. Of course, this won't be an issue when permanently installed.

"A painting that makes me stretch beyond the comfortable and easy is one that makes me want to paint more. Too many of the easy ones and I'd be looking for something else to do". - Gary English (I hear ya, Gary)