I am overwhelmed with gratitude to the people of Bath, who have welcomed me and my mom and our little Lakeside Studio Gallery so warmly to your midst.
Our neighbours at The Lodge Coffee House and Books on Main stopped by Thursday afternoon, just as we opened our doors, and made us feel so special! What a treat to have everyone in the same place. I feel so lucky to be part of such an incredible community of business owners who care about the place they live and work.
My friends at Martello Alley and Martello on Brock came by to support me, too, a gesture that speaks to their enthusiasm for promoting local art in this vibrant community. Thank you for taking the time to come by and help me out as I get started!
During our inaugural weekend, 25 people came to visit. I was hoping for one person. You blew me away with your kindness and enthusiasm. I’m so grateful to each of you for taking the time to stop in and say hello.
Some of you even let me know that you’d been following along with this blog on this wild journey of mine. It sometimes feels like it’s just me and my laptop and my paintings, so it means a lot to know you’re out there reading along.
Thank you to our awesome landlords who continue to make the building look and feel new again (even getting a couple things done in crunch time before the opening!) and for creating the opportunity to bring this little operation to Bath.
A huge thank you to Deanna Pinder and Julia Dafoe, our first showing artists, for trusting me with your beautiful paintings and for bringing your talent and energy to this project.
A special thanks to my mom/business partner and my dad for all of your support in getting this off the ground. From putting up with my paint stains on the carpet at home to installing lights and moving furniture around, from putting up with my distracted self to hearing me bounce my ideas off of you, you two have been in my corner on this little dream. It means the world to me!
And, finally, thank you to all of you who continue to read along, like, share, comment, and embrace my art. I am so grateful you find some meaning in what I’m doing, a little beauty, a little joy, a little tenderness. I make art because it helps me feel better, and it is incredible to me that it means something to you, too.
Thank you! Here’s to many more open days at the Lakeside Studio Gallery.