How to hang a chair on the wall

I have often been called an idea person. I get inspired by sometimes the smallest thing and say "hey, wouldn't it be great if..." Those around me say "cool," I reply, "it will be easy." Well, it is rarely as easy as I think in that first blush of excitement, but the ideas usually work and are fun for everyone. That's how it is going regarding hanging chairs on walls. It started with an antique chair in an old building in Christiansburg, some photos of same and out popped the words "Wouldn't it be great to have an exhibition featuring artworks of the chair done by a bunch of artists. We could call it 1 Chair, 10 Artists!" Fast forward to now. We still have only one chair, but we have 22 artists signed up to create a 2D piece of art based on one of four photos of the inspiring chair. Rhonda Morgan, director of the Alexander Black House in Blacksburg quickly agreed to the idea for the exhibition and put us on the schedule for August/September. One by one the registered artists (the part of this project that turned out to be that rarely-as-easy-as thing) report that they are finished with their piece or have a brilliant idea for their piece. Some of them plan and plot and do value sketches like seriously organized people. Some of them (me) have only a vague idea of what to do with a toned canvas, suddenly go downstairs one evening, pick up three different kinds of drawing implements, create a reasonable sketch of the chair, forge ahead with still no plan, decide to be brave with color for a change (pthalo blue is gorgeous and scarey), and two hours later with the dark woods looming outside the window, the painting is finished. Did I say how much I like this piece? Sometimes planning is overrated.

(Show opens at The Black House on Draper Road, August 5, 5-7 p.m., first night of Steppin' Out)