The Work Behind a Solo Art Show

One of the interesting things about being an artist is that you often get applause for the small things, while the big things – the projects that take the most time, effort, and investment – rarely get the recognition they deserve. Bringing a solo art show to life can take years of work, all for a brief but beautiful moment of celebration and connection with the public.

I’m currently preparing for the opening of my second solo art show this year. Just last week, my art shipper picked up fifteen paintings headed for Edmonton, Alberta. It’s a 1270 km journey that includes a ferry ride, but in truth, the journey of these paintings began long before last week, and much farther than 1270 km ago.

Preparing for a solo art show begins years before the opening night. It starts with ideas, tiny seeds that grow into new paintings, and with the experiences that shape what I want to say about the world. For me, these seeds are planted when I travel to explore new parts of Canada. On these journeys, I gather reference material: photographs, videos, sketches, and mental notes of smells, sights, and sounds. When I return home to my Vancouver Island studio, those impressions begin to take root and grow.

I start by nurturing these ideas digitally, collaging moments into visual storyboards, snapshots of my experiences distilled into narrative form. From there, I edit and refine until I have a solid grouping of fully developed compositions. These collaged compositions then become loose renderings on canvas, sketched out with a chalk pen. Once I have several canvases drawn, I begin laying down underpaintings, blocking in colour and light, before building up the layers of vivid hues that give each piece its life.

The Work Behind A Solo Art Show Takes Time

Each painting takes weeks or sometimes months to complete. When finished, they’re sealed with protective varnish and readied for hanging. This process repeats again and again until a cohesive body of work begins to emerge. Not every painting makes the final cut, perhaps I create fifty pieces in a series, but when it’s time for a solo exhibition, I’ll select fifteen to twenty that best tell the story.

Once the paintings are chosen, they’re carefully packed and shipped to the gallery. From there, the gallery team takes over – unpacking, taking inventory, preparing the space, curating the show, and installing the work. Together, we promote the show and they plan the opening night, complete with wine, conversation, and guests.

Booking a solo show typically happens about two years in advance. So, each exhibition is really several years in the making. During that time, I’m not just painting; I’m running a business – working on commissions, participating in group shows, managing my website and social media, connecting with galleries and collectors, and keeping the financial side of the studio running.

To keep the creative momentum going, I’m always planting seeds for future work and exhibitions. Often, I’m preparing for a show two years in the future while also celebrating a body of work that began years before. The cycle never really stops, you’re constantly creating your future through your art.

As I close in on my next solo show at The Miller Art Gallery, I’m taking a moment to pause and appreciate the work of today. For while the public sees the finished paintings, celebrating them for one fleeting evening, what they don’t often see are the years of quiet effort behind each brushstroke, each idea, and each show. And that’s what makes the celebration all the more meaningful.

See more Canadian paintings by Brandy Saturley.