My First Art Exhibit in Australia

I joined the Walker Street Art Gallery “9x5” Art Exhibit this year in Dandenong. The Art Gallery located at Corner Walker & Robinson streets Dandenong holds an annual art exhibit that’s welcome to all kinds of artists who want their works displayed in the gallery for a few weeks. You can put it on sale or just have it there during the exhibit. To be part of the exhibit, you must pay a registration fee of AUD15.00 and get 9x5 wood panel you’ll be using for your painting so it’s like you just paid for the material. All paintings submitted must be on this 9x5 board. All mediums are welcome, combo of types of paints or even prints on fabric or digital photos, almost anything you can put or mount on the 9x5 board.

I thought I’d join just for the experience. I wanted to know what happens in an exhibit, what do you do on the opening day, what do other artists do etc. So, I did register and got my board. My piece is a landscape painting of the famous “Uluru” or more popularly known as “Ayer’s Rock” in the dessert of Australia, with an eagle hovering above on the top right and on the left bottom of the painting, are three aborigine boys walking towards the rock mountain, partially hidden by tall overgrown grass, with their backs to the viewer, entitled, “The Sacred Journey”.  To be honest, I’m still very insecure when it comes to my painting. I had no expectations when I joined except the benefits of a new experience.

 We did go on the opening day, December 3, 2019 at the Gallery. There was a crowd there already, a buffet of drinks and sorts for nibbling and before long, the place filled up with curious friends, relatives and art enthusiasts.  There were some good works there.  I dread the thought of comparing mine to them. I had my favourites too, apart from mine. A paper was circulated among the visitors. It had the numbered list of paintings on display, the artist’s name, the painting’s title, the mediums used and the price the artist wants for his/her work. Mine was a combined gouache and watercolour. Please don’t ask me what I priced mine, sorry, but it wasn’t too cheap or expensive, just what I thought was appropriate although my husband think I could’ve put the price a bit higher. Well, the purpose was not to make money but to experience and I will be quite happy just to know someone will like it enough to want to take it home and put it on their wall.

Someone did apparently and a week after the opening, my painting sold. The

"The Sacred Journey" by Theresa Painter -
combined gouache and water color
on 9x5 board (Walker Street Art Gallery 2019)
Australia

gallery gets 25% commission and I get the rest. The painting remains on display with a red sticker underneath which indicates that it’s already been bought and owned by someone until the closing of the exhibit.

Yes I am proud now, proud of the fruits of my labor

I am very thankful to God. I am blessed and right now I am just right over the moon with gladness. Now I can’t help think , “Who is the friend who bought it?” 😛