So everything had to come back down 2 days later; after an hour and a half of measuring, math, and ladder climbing that night. Why? Because the owner of the location remembered that they'd wanted to put a mirror there, but actually chose
not to tell us before, or even while we were working because he--get this--felt bad! Felt bad because we "were working so hard"!
I guess he'll feel better
now, now that we have to do it all over again?
The background story, though, before I forget: One of the owners of a soon-to-be-opening restaurant mentioned giving me wall space for my art after she saw some of my work. I was excited, but didn't want to get tooo excited until it seemed a little more for sure, so of course when she wanted a confirmation from me 10 days before she wanted them hung up, I had nothing ready. Since I mostly draw (on paper), I knew I'd have to get stuff framed if I wanted to use something I already had, but the last time I took something to a professional framer [Frame-O-Rama, and it turned out beautiful and awesome, with the best customer service ever!], it took about 3 weeks, so I knew I didn't have time for that [though I later realized that that was mainly because I'd had a frame custom made], so I thought I'd do a painting instead. A
pair of paintings, even. Because that wasn't overly ambitious or anything, especially not for someone who'd dropped her second and last painting class partly because it was too scary.
Those 10 days were sleepless and stressful, because of course they centered right around the new year, and it seemed like all anyone wanted to do was get together and hang out. I did not have time for this! It took everything in me to not to spend any time doing nothing (a direction my body and brain tend to gravitate towards); if I wasn't playing hard, I should be working hard, and after a lot of good work, frustration, and lessons learned (there were some tears), I finally ended up with two pieces I was happy with, and just in time. [And I learned to mat and frame, too! It was actually a relief to do something so black and white by that point.]
So the night of, I took Tom to check out the restaurant so we could figure out how we were going to hang everything, but the wall she showed me last time had a gigantic blackboard on it now. I was like
oh my god, what if she didn't think i was doing it anymore because i hadn't kept her updated enough? It turned out she'd decided to give me this other wall, which I wasn't initially happy with, but Tom brought up the good point that the pieces would be more visible from the outside here, so when we were done I was all excited and proud, but not as
whew! i'm done! as I'd expected.
And now I think my body must've known we'd have to take everything back down in less than 48 hours! AND find a new place for it.
The restaurant, being mostly windows, actually has very little hangable wall space, and the biggest piece of wall left is behind the bathroom door. The owner was like, "Oh, I thought it might be a cute wall for the painting, since it's smaller and will fit the painting better," and I was like
...n--no. Yeah, as she pointed out, the door's not going to stay open ever, but it's still...The Wall Behind The Bathroom Door. I felt kind of hurt that something I'd worked on so much was being stuffed in this little dark corner. Insulted. So I decided I had to speak up for myself and my work and I said that honestly, I didn't like the idea at all and that I preferred the pieces right where they were, but since she was the boss, I didn't think she was really asking for my permission to move them. And then the little drawing she suggested would be "great" on this other skinny column of a wall, in front of which there'd be counter seating. I said but it'll be right up in someone's face, and way too close to food for my comfort, and she was like, "Well we can just hang it up higher," which would make the halfway height of it at around 70". I mean the little drawing, as she herself pointed out earlier, has to be seen up close to really be
seen, and wasn't the whole point of this project to give me space to display--and hopefully sell--my work? They are not here for your decor!
Anyway, I cut them down and brought them home, to be hung after the restaurant setup is closer to being finalized. At least I can take pictures of them now! I can't believe I didn't manage to get any photos of them finished before I took them in, but I guess I had a million other things to think about near the end. Just waiting for a bright day; it's been really grey here lately.
