Originally posted in the Forums: Oct 16 2007, 09:44 PM



I just had my first - (totally disastrous!!) exhibition - where I didn't even sell a single painting...
I was ripped-off for PHP40,000 by the Lilet Artista Art Gallery in MH Del Pilar Street, Ermita, Manila. The half page press release that I was supposed to get in the Manila Bulletin, ended up as a single paragraph in Tikatik - or some such cheap rubbish tabloid newspaper. ? No flowers, as promised - and not even a tin of Skyflakes for the opening ceremony... ?

All my paintings were crammed together on 3/4 of ONE wall of the gallery in question. No attempt at any form of curating - and they were up for less than 36 hours!!!!!!!!

Almost enough to put me off panting for life!! (I gave the bloody lot away - every single one of them!) ...'Only saving grace was, there were plenty of eager takers for the free paintings among some of the Ermita bar girls!

When one potential customer tried to haggle the price of one painting down to, basically, the cost of the frame - I decided to withdraw the whole lot from sale!

Later that same day, I got a friend to come around with his little "owner" jeep. We gathered up the entire collection of exhibition paintings and proceeded to go around Ermita, Manila - giving them away for free!!

I am very happy to report that Hotel La Corona were willing recipients of two of my paintings, (although, I suspect - because I have been a long-term guest of the place - this may have been more out of politeness than anything!?!!)

Anyway, the rest of the paintings went to various people like, as I said, some of the local bar girls - who really could not afford to buy one; not even at cost price for the materials.

I am happy to report that there was something of a scramble for the paintings - with the whole lot gone in less than an hour and nowhere near enough to go around for all the people that wanted one! It done me a power of good to see my collection going to grateful recipients and, for the time-being at least, I am going to forget about even trying to sell any of my own work, for the time-being - and just concentrate on painting for fun... Basically just giving away the finished paintings to anyone that wants them.

Cheers!

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