Class is over for this fall...almost. The actual classroom portion is finished, ending with a potluck gathering and art show at the home of one of our classmates, who very graciously opened her home to us. (BTW, her home was high, high, high up, with a breathtaking ocean view. Wow...!)This class has been an unusually fantastic learning experience. Our teacher, and fearless leader, Tom Lamb http://www.lambstudio.com, went way above and beyond, teaching us real-world skills for preparing our work in a series format, printing, matting, framing choices, publication and presentation options, and ultimately, he has made it possible for us to showcase our final work at two different galleries!
Arranging for us to have a gallery show is something that we most likely would have had to work toward for a very long time. You don't just walk up to a gallery and make a reservation to show your work. There is much involved, from photographing each piece, preparing slides for submission, and preparing a presentation (the easy part), to finding a "common thread" (person) to help you get a foot in the door to even meet with gallery owners/managers. With Tom's help and connections, we were able to leap past these obstacles, and I will be ever grateful to him for this opportunity.
Tom Lamb is a fantastic aerial, architecture, landscape, ethnographic, and panorama photographer, who teaches in addition to his ridiculously busy schedule. He has an incredible amount of talent and experience, and shares it gladly with his students. He's also the newly elected secretary on the Board of Directors, as well as the chair/ liaison for Art Education and the Art Exhibitions and related activities (having exhibited at the FOA for almost 18 years!) for the Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts. I can only imagine how much of a contribution he will make to this already wonderful organization. They're so lucky to have him.
This is another reason I love going to school. Granted a lot of the people are very cool on just a Wow-I-really-like-them-and-would-love-to-hang-out-sometime level, but there are also many people who really catapult you to another level completely. I've been fortunate enough to have met several of these people, who, in their kindness, afforded me opportunities and connections that would be impossible or improbable to make on my own. I only hope that someday I will be in a position to pay these kindnesses back or forward.
I have to say in all humility, that everyone in our class was a great talent in their own style, and there are some really great pieces that will be shown. The variety runs the gamut from film to digital, black and white to bold color, and from classic florals to edgy tattoo art...something for everyone!
I'm crossing my fingers for a packed house. I'm sure everyone who comes will be pleasantly surprised and feel their time and money were well-spent.
