Going solo (with my Frida tribe)

Going solo (with my Frida tribe)

I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all the wonderful messages, shares, reposts and support I’ve had for my exhibition – Homage to Frida.  It was an amazing week.  From opening night, to celebrating Frida’s birthday with champagne, re-creating our Frida look and doing the biggest, highest most colourful flower crown yet to talks about the exhibition (and my first Facebook live!) – it has been one big celebration of Frida and a whole lot of fun.  My creative cup is overflowing and my heart is full!

To be honest, doing a solo exhibition was a big step for me on my photography journey.  It wasn’t until my sister Meg pointed out that I was doing a SOLO exhibition, that it sunk it.  It was an OMG moment.  If I thought about it for too long, I may never have done it. It was only through the encouragement of friends, family and the three wonderful, creative and inspiring women who worked with me on the project (Carly-Anne Evans, Sabrina Melei, and Meg Ashpole) that I did this.  To them a big THANK YOU!  Thanks for being my cheer squad and for showing faith in me and my photography.  Endless thanks to everyone who came to see the exhibition or who stayed in touch with it through social media – for your generosity, enthusiasm, support and for the incredible comments and good wishes!  It has meant so much to me!

I would also like to say a big thank you to my mentor Carla Coulson.  Carla has been mentoring me for a while now, and it is with her guidance, creative feedback, support and encouragement that has also given me the confidence to put myself and my art out into the world!  I always come away from a session with Carla feeling incredibly inspired and totally energised!

 

Thank you Two UP

 

To celebrate the exhibition, we had two prizes to give away.  The first is a luxury portrait session with me and the second a Frida-esk bracelet by Italian designer Angela Caputi, donated by my sister Meg via her gorgeous shop – AmeBel Boutique in Woollahra.   To choose the winners, Meg and I decided to put a bunch of numbers in a champagne bucket (as you do) and randomly draw a winner out each.  First, we numbered each of the entries – all those received via social media, those who put their business cards in the blue vase on opening night, who signed up on the mailing list sheets or who subscribed directly via my website during the week of the exhibition.  Overall, we were overwhelmed by the number of entries – 156 in fact!  Thank you to everyone to who signed up to be part of this giveaway.

So, it’s my great pleasure to announce the winners – drum roll please:

  • Meagan Keighran has won the portrait session in Sydney complete with hair and make-up with me, and;
  • Elise Jaye has won the fabulous Angela Caputi bracelet!

Congratulations!  Look out for an email from me with information on how to claim your prizes.

To everyone else,  my deepest gratitude and thanks for being involved and sending me so many beautiful thoughts and kind words about the exhibition.  I’m over the moon with happiness that it resonated with so many people.  My hope was that people would like the images – I didn’t imagine for one minute the amazing response I received, net alone how much the images had people talking, thinking and connecting to their own love of Frida as a strong, inspirational woman.  Your encouragement has given me confidence and will spur me on to continue making images and doing another body of work…… so watch this space.

 

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Some of the fun at the exhibition:  flowers, set design, with the gallery owners, creating the biggest flower crown ever, more flowers and at the gallery.

All Photos Copyright Kris Ashpole

 

If you haven’t see the movie Frida, make a date with your bestie or loved one and watch it.  It’s an amazing movie about Frida’s life starring Salma Hayek.

 

“Feet, what do I need you for, when I have wings to fly.” Frida Kahlo

 

Kris xx

PS:  You can see my other posts on Frida here and here.  If you are interested in your own portrait session have a look at my portfolio or find out more head on over to portrait session.

 

Kris
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