Only a couple of months ago, an opportunity came up that my wife and I felt was a door that had been opened just for us to walk through. A studio space was opening up inside the Inner Banks Artisan Center, a great venue that boasts a large gallery space, perhaps fifteen individual artists’ studios, and a coffee shop where workshops are hosted and local, traditional music tickles the ears on a regular basis.
After a good deal of deliberation, we decided to take the space with the idea that we would (among other things) 1) sell some of my fine art prints and canvases 2) advertise my services locally as a wedding and family photographer, and 3) perhaps begin to host photography workshops for folks interested in learning more about the craft I love so much. We then decided to buy a printer and print our own photos and canvases, which added another dimension to what we would be able to do from inside those 300-odd square feet.
I asked my wife to take on the task of deciding how the space would look, and she excitedly – albeit nervously – accepted the challenge. On Monday night, the hard work and efforts of spackling some 200 holes, painting coat after coat of chalkboard paint and trim, filling dozens of frames, painting the floor, learning to wrap, and then printing and spraying and wrapping dozens of canvases… and a heap of other chores finally paid off. We opened the doors of the gallery to the public. And though we were nervous as to whether or not we’d be able to get things together for the opening, it did somehow come together, and these are the results!
This a view from the left-hand entrance to the space.
Here’s a view from the right entrance. The big shiny thing at the back was Caroline’s invention — a magnetic board where you can play around with different images, and rearrange them to “build your own Quiver Tree Collection.” I’m proud of her and I love it!
Those canvases at the back are 20 inches by 20 inches! Almost life-size! You might recognise several of the other photos you see around the room — like some of those on the floor from the wedding in the bush!
That’s a good look at the North wall.
That’s the South Wall and our big and amazing printer — we have been so impressed with the colour and quality of the images it’s producing!
That’s one last shot from dead centre!
We are planning to work toward making a lot of what you see in this gallery available online for you folks who aren’t in this neck of the woods, but if you are, we sure would love to have you stop by!
We’re glad the big push toward opening is over — I can’t wait to get back behind a camera! Next week we’re headed to Scotland for a wedding which I’ll be shooting, Caroline is a bridesmaid and our oldest son is the Ring Bearer!
What do you think of the gallery space? My wife and I would love to hear your feedback in the comments!