By Anna Panunto
Artist name: A.P Giaconda
When I turned 50, (that was a few years ago), I made a promise to myself and that promise was …to never stop creating! I am happy to report that I actually followed through on that promise in more ways than one!
My painting journey began in early Fall 2022. That was when I decided to give the painting a real, hard chance. In a span of almost 8 months, I created over 40 canvases and 30 painted accessories.
Alas, on June 9,10, and 11 of this year, I presented my very first vernissage at a well-established Italian community center located right here in Montreal! Was I nervous? Hell, yes! But, I kept reminding myself that the time was right. I was ready to come out as… a visual artist. You see, throughout my adult life, people have known me as a teacher and writer. You can imagine the shock on their faces when I started promoting my art exhibit on social media and distributing posters! Most were impressed while others were a little perplexed. Mixed reactions, I guess…
A week before the exhibit, I had 34 finished canvases lined up in my 3-bedroom apartment. They were ready to be seen and sold to the community!
So, what did I learn from this experience? Now, the teacher in me would like to share …
A few things learned…
Be flexible with your Time and Space
Creating visual art is a little different than writing. In my case, the inspiration grabbed me and just threw me into it. So whenever the muse hit, regardless of what I was doing, time stopped.
However, I did notice a pattern in my inspiration mode. I mostly painted either early in the morning or late in the evening. It seemed that whenever there was some sort of peaceful silence, this silence calmed my soul and prepped me for divinely inspired art.
Many people have asked me if I rented a studio and most were shocked to hear that I did not. My 3 bedroom apartment naturally transitioned into a partial studio. The kitchen and spare bedroom always smelled of a combination of acrylic and oil paint. I used different brands of paint and so, the scent was quite unique. Paint permeated my apartment in such a nostalgic way- almost reminiscent of a past life or two.
My friends asked me where I paint in the apartment… They were surprised to hear that I mostly painted on the floor. The feeling of cold tiles on my legs and feet was like an awakening – it added to the texture of my created paintings. Then, I was asked which gloves do I use.. Gloves? I could only bear gloves for an hour or so, then off they came! Latex gloves were the most bearable. But, finger painting was my favorite experience… paint on the skin is such a sensual experience. For me, it was like fusing with the colors as the paint embodied my skin. However, the kitchen sink became my best friend as washing my hands every hour or so had become a holy ritual. I had to make sure to cream my hands regularly.
Last but not least, I truly enjoyed painting barefoot for some reason and I took a black-and-white photo of that experience a month before my exhibit. Opening night of my vernissage, I placed this photo right at the entrance and had the photo standing upright next to my short biography. One of my guests commented on it and said,” Anna, you look barefoot and pregnant”. We both chuckled. Indeed, I gave birth, perhaps, a long-awaited delivery… to 34 babies.
Source: Anna PanuntoGiving yourself an Artist Name
I wanted to give myself a meaningful artist name. The name came to me right after I completed my 4th painting. You see, my legitimate name is Anna Maria Panunto but my artist name truly resonates with my soul – GIACONDA. There is a story behind this name. When my mother was pregnant with me, she wanted to name me: GIACONDA. She intuitively knew that I was a girl. No ultrasounds back in 1969! However, her family refused that name. So, she had no choice but to give me a culturally traditional and acceptable name – Anna-Maria. Thank you, mama…
The Setup
In my case, organizing the vernissage was perhaps, the most challenging part. First, I had to decide whether I wanted to music or not. Hell, yes! What is art without music? I put together a 25-album playlist for the curator – it did have to cover 3 days after all! The music covered a wide range of genres of music from blues to Italian pop, from 1980s new wave to traditional oud music. Since my guests come from varying cultural backgrounds, the goal was to make everyone feel at home!
Then, the issue of food. What shall I serve my guests? I opted for something simple – wine and cheese. I also had juice, lemon mint water, and even some Limoncello liquor and Bailey’s. Everyone was happy!
Then, pricing… my curator helped with that. Thank God for that! I decided to be very fair with my prices even though most of the canvases were created in oil. My coming out… as a visual artist was not about money but more about exposure. So, the goal was to cover the costs. Anyone buying any of my creations was a gift bestowed upon me.
The hardest part was setting up the décor. I had lots of space but the vast walls were a beautiful light cream color and some of my paintings were not very large. Moreover, I had about 6 paintings on easels. This is where I needed the most help. At this point, I was utterly exhausted from pricing all the canvases and painted accessories and deciding where they should be placed in the art exhibit. However, I had two wonderful assistants who helped me work out all the details in the setup. The canvases needed proper lighting – some more than others. However, we managed to expose the mixed media canvases as beautifully as possible. As for the décor, it was almost like a part 2 of my art creation. I went to the dollar store, grabbed items from home, and even used some leftover paint to create a proper set up. Each painting told a story or two.
MY GIACONDA PAINTING
Source: Anna PanuntoTo recap, putting together a first vernissage is a lot of work but well worth it. The above are some invaluable things learned during this process, but remember that every artist is different! This was solely my journey. My 3-day vernissage was a success and not necessarily in the number of paintings sold but more in the opportunity of sharing my creations with friends, family, and strangers. Their invaluable feedback has given me the incentive to push even harder.
Never stop creating… Creation is life and life is creation. Pearls of wisdom from GIACONDA!