I'm not sure why this is, but I've spent the last couple of weeks with art on every wall and table and leaning against every wall of my living room, garage and hallway. I would have them situated in these various locales as they passed through the final inspection, clear coat process and/or repaint. Then, they would move again for the signing and hardware on the back. The living room has never been so colorful, except perhaps prior to my previous art-show. Yet, sometimes it's hard to really see the pieces properly. Leaning  a piece against the wall next to the sofa is not necessarily a prime location for appreciating said piece. In addition, some of the pieces that I felt were weakest out of the collection never would come to a resolution as I couldn't figure out just what to change. Then again, standing up on the bookshelf doesn't exactly allow me to view the possibly "off" piece properly.

Yesterday evening, I brought everything to Starbucks after about 3 hours of final touches, attaching hardware to the final paintings (so that it can hang on the wall), and creating the art tags... in fact I had the drill out moments before I loaded the car.

I hung every piece and hoped that without a level I could somehow see if a painting was slightly tweaked.

Then, it happened... I do remember this from last time.

It all came together. They pop.

It's odd how a painting is never fully appreciated until it is hanging on a wall and even lit properly. These especially need lighting. After all, lighting is an important aspect of this show because of the fact that each one uses it to enhance its natural features.

As I stood there looking at my work and trying to decide if I needed to switch any around, I realized that even my weakest paintings looked fabulous when properly hung. In fact, I cannot find anything to fix... That feels good. Of course, I will always remember the paintings that caused me the most trouble. I will always see these in a slightly inside-out fashion, but having them on the wall transforms them from the "is this good enough?" to "I'm proud of this".

I still have brochures to fold and final invites to send out, but the bulk of it is done. It feels good. As I considered this transformation that seems to overtake an otherwise normal painting, I realized that when I finally have some of my art back in my house, I will definitely pay attention to where I hang it and how I light it. It makes a difference.