Balancing Art and Ralph – Exhibition Preparations
Blog: Balancing Art and Ralph – Exhibition Preparations
As I finalise preparations for my upcoming exhibition, I’ve made a decision that’s both tricky and obvious for his well being: Ralph, my Pomsky, who I rescued at 22 months old and is now 3 years 3 months, will stay home during the event.
Initially, I envisioned Ralph joining me at the gallery. Since booking the exhibition back in April 2023, I’d planned for him to be part of the experience, ensuring we weren’t apart for too long. However, as I’ve gotten to know him better over the months, I’ve realised that even five hours a day over six days would be too much for him.
Ralph is a curious, friendly soul who loves meeting new people, but he’s also cautious. He can become overwhelmed, especially in new situations with unfamiliar faces. While he’s sweet and loving, he has his boundaries. It took over a year for him to fully trust me with things like removing seeds from his fur. Now he only grumbles a little instead of snapping—progress I’m proud of. But an overstimulated, overtired “teenage” dog in a busy environment doesn’t feel fair to him or me.
A Week of Care and Comfort for Ralph
To ensure Ralph’s well-being, I’ve arranged for his dog walker, Natasha from Evergreen Pet Services, to look after him during exhibition week. He’ll have group walks on Friday and Monday through Wednesday, with dogs he knows and enjoys. Over the weekend, Natasha will spend three hours each day sitting with him at home. He’ll get the care and attention he needs while I’m at the gallery, though I fully expect him to pin me to the sofa each evening when I return!
This setup allows me to focus entirely on the exhibition without worrying about Ralph’s needs. As much as I’ll miss him during those five-hour stretches each day, it’s a small trade-off for ensuring he’s content and stress-free.
A New Perspective on Future Events
This decision has also taught me a lesson for future exhibitions: delegating certain tasks to friends or hired help can be invaluable. While I’ve invested heavily in promotional materials and framing for this show, I’ll explore budgeting differently next time—perhaps hiring additional staff so I can focus on building my online presence, increasing website sales, and offering more studio visits.
For now, though, I’m thrilled to have the gallery space all to myself to showcase my work. New painting ideas are flowing, and while I paused for a couple of days to recharge, the countdown is on to complete my pieces. I’ve already handed out 500 flyers and have 500 more to distribute—a task I’ve grown oddly addicted to. Promoting my art feels more natural when tied to a specific event like this, as opposed to simply promoting myself.
watching the world go by during a rest with the ball (was off lead but feared Ralph would run up to the dogs, but just watched)
Ralph’s Role as a Model
While Ralph won’t be at the exhibition, he’s still making an appearance in other ways—he’s featured on the flyers and posters! And for anyone hoping to meet him in person, he’ll be modelling at Kit Form’s Dog Life Drawing Session on 26th January, from 2–4 pm.
That said, life drawing will also be a big day for Ralph, so I’ll keep a close eye on him. Though he loves being around people, he sometimes needs reassurance, especially in busy settings. If I guide him away for some fuss and comfort, I ask attendees to respect his space.
Building trust with Ralph has been a slow but rewarding journey—it took months before he’d let me handle his paws or remove seeds without a fuss. While he adores people, he still has moments of uncertainty, and I know him well enough to notice subtle signs of discomfort.
We’ll do our best to keep him comfortable during the session, and with any luck, he’ll find a natural pose (even if only for a minute!). He’s sure to sleep soundly afterwards, leaving attendees with some beautiful, albeit fleeting, sketches.
Wrapping Up
While I’ll miss Ralph at the exhibition, I’m excited to dedicate my full attention to the event. And knowing he’s happy and cared for makes it easier to enjoy the experience. Afterward, I’ll make it up to him with plenty of sofa snuggles and maybe a special treat or two.
For now, it’s time to dive back into painting, flyering, and prepping. The countdown to the exhibition is on, and I can’t wait to see it all come together.
