#JustCheckingIn, October 2025

Well … things could have gone better!

Things could have gone better in October 2025

October has been a month of failures—I struggled to get back into printmaking, online sales are still non-existent, the financial side of the Queenstown Art Show was dismal, and I might have to push the release of The House out to 2026.

The Queenstown Art Show

I am writing this in a café in Queenstown with rain pouring down, bridging the time until our flight back to Wellington. The weekend still feels quite raw, and I will look back and see things in a more positive light in a few days. Or weeks. Or years.

It was amazing to connect with the community at the Queenstown Art Show, but the financial side was quite disastrous. I lost a few thousand dollars at a time where it starts to hurt. A part of it is the economy, another the venue or event, another, to be honest, my naivety.

Taking part in art fairs is always a risk. The event was well set up, the panel layout generous, my wall was in a good spot, and the extra lighting made the wall shine. There were some very minor hiccups with barcodes and signage, but nothing that affected the experience as such. The VIP preview and the opening night seemed well attended, but the attendance seemed to drop over the weekend. A few artists did very well, but most of my neighbours struggled until very late sales on Sunday. It is unusual for artists to whine about sales publicly or voice disappointment, unless to other artists, but it’s the reality for many behind all the glossy smiles on socials.

Art fairs in New Zealand are commercial, and the art that sells is commercial—birds, mountains, landscapes, colourful pop art, iconic kiwiana, sizeable pieces for holiday homes, hotels and Pinterest living rooms—and there is nothing wrong with that. It sells. Is there envy or pettiness behind that assessment? Not really. It is just not me.

Exceptions apply. We keep going to these shows because we believe we’ll find a hidden gem. But does that hidden gem make enough to cover their costs? Maybe, maybe not.

So, where from here?

I will go ahead with the Wellington Art Show in late February 2026—I have the work to sell, and the costs will be lower. Luckily, I have a few smaller events with Quirky Fox in November 2025 and May next—for which I am forever grateful. After that?

No idea. But something will come up.

Art

This week will be a bit of a rush to get my minis to Quirky Fox in time. I will add the new paper mache critters and new prints in a few weeks once the minis are on their way.

Writing

What can I say? I wasn’t as useless as it might seem, and the latest round of revisions is done. One last walkthrough and the Arc copies should be ready! Having said all that, the deadline to get ‘The House’ out this year is very tight. 

Renovations

The mountain of cut-offs is still waiting to be shredded! So that’ll have to be next.

Onward and upward … I guess

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