Mountains and Valleys

I’m showing my work a lot these days. Small one-night shows, big shows, dealers, students, plodding public, enthusiastic friends. I’m in a gallery exhibition opening tomorrow night, an installation of my grandmother’s pink lace dress with paintings of me wearing it. Am showing the Greek work in LA. Someone is coming to see my new series tomorrow in my studio.
Still, nothing sells. No one, anywhere, is buying.
I was accepted to a small show yesterday, but my application for a more respectable venue was rejected today. It’s the problem of figuration—still not OK for a serious gallery to deal with the body in SoCal. I don’t know what to do about this. I can’t really paint what is fashionable, or be a conceptual artist and feel fulfilled.
Anyway, last weekend at the big ArtWalk I got lots of comments about my work, people seemed to respond and be curious. Need to follow up on a few cards. Another day. Have houseguests from Austria and Italy here, am busy making coffee and pouring wine. They seem to think I live some kind of charmed life, when I know better.