Creative wonder

I am just sat next to my 2 month old son. I have tied a helium balloon to his cot and watching as if I had just provided the most fabulous entertainment there is. His face is of total wonder at the movement and shiny patterns reflecting off the balloon. I think he will probably be the sort of kid who will play with the cardboard box and not the fancy go-cart in Christmasses to come.

I've had his kind of face the past week or so. We are having our biggest inflow of new artwork from different artists for a very long time. My eyes wide, mouth slightly open, a bit of drool coming out. Well not the drool but it is strange how artists and galleries go through cycles. Seasonal changes have meant that many artist have picked up their brushes and gotten painting again. Maybe its the look of the new gallery above.

We have been putting the new work from Alan Knight, Steven Cooper, Caroline McManus, Julie Dumbarton and Emmesse up on the site but there is still more to come from Charles Willmott, Jenny Hirst as well as a further 4 undisclosed new artists. This is a mixed exhibition and we wanted plenty of choice for people coming in over the christmas period.

This amount of work coming in has meant we are having to change things around more frequently. If we had a gallery 8000 sq ft we would easily fill it just like if you take a massive suitcase on holiday you won't let it go half empty. The changes are a good thing though and customers have been giving some very positive comments. Its a better reason to stop by more often when you know the artwork will change week on week.

Our framing service has also been a big hit. Because of this we have increased the number of moulding we have on offer and the pieces coming back look very professional and hugely enhances the work. We've found that many of the block canvasses have much greater impact when framed. Its a personal preference but a decent frame can make or break a piece of art. Its the easiest and quickest way to add visual impact and value to your work. When you see the difference it makes, you will know it's worth it.

We had our teething problems with the move. British Telecom caused no end of problems when we had no phone or broadband for the 1st 3 weeks of October. I know other people have had bad experiences with them before but this was a very serious and difficult problem to deal with. However we are back on the art trail and back in full flow with some great artwork coming in. We still have great artists who are the ones to watch so come along and prepare to adopt your "Just seen a bobbing balloon" expression.

A busy gallery owner?

My Inlaws were up for the weekend. I gave them the tour of both galleries, which should have been a proud moment for me. It was capped by “Are you sure you don’t want me to bring you a paper or something”. Gutted. Coming from my mother in law she had obviously taken pity on me and felt that I can’t possibly have enough to do without her help. It left me trying to convince them that running a gallery doesn’t involve waiting for people to come to you all day.
Every word from that moment sounded hollow, fatuous and left me feeling like a schoolboy again. I was saying too much which only heightened the demeaning arch of her eyebrows. Keep it simple Smith. If you are late for work it sounds better if you stick to one reason rather than “the train was late and my mobile battery died and the dog ate my watch and and and”.
Anyone who runs their own business knows that if you wait for people to stumble your way, you ain’t going to last long. The nature of an art gallery is that you don’t have huge numbers of people coming through. But then you don’t need huge numbers because what we sell is higher value than the newsagents on the corner.
We are starting to trial Sunday openings at the triangle so this is a time when I need to take on staff because no one can work 7 days a week. Any extra time is spent searching the mills and art studios, going to degree shows and networking events. How else can I be a specialist in emerging talent?
Mooch art Oldham street is also named the “Gallery of dreams”. It’s on my business cards and makes people smile whenever they read it. My take on “field of dreams” isn’t because of a penchant for cheesy 80s films. I loved the phrase “If you build it, they will come” and they have and do come. Artists all over the world sent material to me, and the gallery really is a beacon for attracting people who paint. Every now and again, not often mind, I see an artist who makes my week or even year. An artist who blows my mind with their talent and who still hasn’t a clue just how many people would love their work if they knew about it.
Don’t get me wrong, for every diamond there are hundreds or thousands of lumps of coal. Recently I have founds a few diamonds and It leaves me with a sense of enormous well being.
The next exhibition should be very very interesting. If you come along to Oldham street you will be able to see these artists before they are officially unveiled.

So am I busy? The answer is very.

Opening a new gallery - looking back

The picture here is a map of manchester from 1650.
The Electrician looked at our simple faces and said "You've got your work cut out for you".
I normally hate painting with a passion but the new gallery is making me change my mind. Creating big solid blocks of white with immaculate edges is curiously satisfying.
If art is any substance, arranged to make a statement then mine is "Clean white walls are gallery nirvana". Ugly brick walls are transformed into glorious white textured surfaces. It's clean and fresh and like a little piece of heaven, only you don't have to be good to get there.
I need to be involved in painting the new gallery for me to feel a part of it. I need my shoulders to ache and my scruff jeans to be encrusted with paint. I even put up with curious white bogeys and paint getting caught in my ring (wedding). I need to do this because as with many parts of this gallery I want to stand back and say with confidence that we did that.
I appreciate that there aren't too many people who have opened a gallery before but let me say.. Wow it's hard work. I mean, really it is. At opening events, gallery owners will smile and play down the shear effort that has gone into showing other peoples artwork. But trust me when I say that every one will need a holiday afterwards.
In June Last year Mooch art, Oldham street, opened to a receptive crowd. Perhaps people would have been more impressed had I have put the before pictures of the gallery up on the wall. There was a monumental effort involved by workmen and myself in getting it ready in time. Pure graft and passion went into that gallery.
Mooch is expanding sooner than expected and this effort is being repeated in the Triangle. We are in Unit 17, and we have already figured there is a great community in the triangle as there is in the northern quarter.
I had a chat with the guy who runs the Titchy coffee company and its fascinating to find out the history of the building. The triangle used to be the corn exchange "For many year's, (up to the time of the bombing), the building acted as a covered market hall, a Mecca for students and specialising in "alternative" produce - vegetarian foods, numerous "New Age" and Occult shops, palmists, tarot readers, books, aromatherapy prerequisites, music and clothing. Well worth a browse, even if nothing takes your fancy." But now the triangle is one of the most underrated retails spaces in Manchester. Glorious Victorian architecture houses a modern light spacious interior. Go through the fairly well hidden opening into a triangular courtyard. Calling the triangle a "shopping centre" is like calling Charlize theron a "tasty bird". It's just not classy enough. The gallery's doors will open inside to the interior but also onto Cathedral street. A beautiful cobbled street runs between the Triangle and Manchester cathedral that should be the biggest drawcard of the "Shopping Centre". Many shops for security reasons haven't utilised the best looking street in Manchester. I'm serious, it's picture postcard stuff and having lived in Manchester for 8 years kept wondering why I didn't know about it.
I have yet another spell of 12-13 hour days to get it ready and looking pristine, white, and as good as possible. The satisfaction is immense, the artwork will speak for itself. Great quality original art always does. Mooch art is passionate expression concentrated onto a canvas and I love it. If you want to come to the soft launch of the new gallery e-mail info@mooch-art.co.uk with the names of who wants to come. We are pinning in tuesday the 14th April but this may change. It will be fairly low key until the proper launch will be sorted out.