Whew! Oh boy have I had a busy week last week getting all my new recent paintings signed, varnished, photographed and framed for a new outdoor art show I was in this past Saturday called “The 2014 Earth Day Art Crawl on West Franklin Street”. It was also Easter weekend and I helped with the spring party and hid eggs for my son’s 2nd grade class on Friday, the last day for me to get anything ready for the show. That’s the way it always goes. I never learn, I am always finishing just by the skin of my teeth. So I was up at the crack of dawn the day of the show trying to package prints and notecards and pack my van and do stuff that should’ve already been done the day before at least. *sigh* Today I can rest, a little.
I really do wish I were more organized. I’m working on it, I really am it’s just not in my nature and I’m fighting a losing battle. I’m more of the frantic chaos type. I ended up forgetting a box of important things due to not being organized. Oh and my tent broke Friday, so had I been organized and put the tent up days before, I would’ve had time to get another one.
Jeesh.
Hopefully this is all sinking in for me especially since I stood under the hot sun all day with not a lick of shade where I was at… with a black shirt on. The little bit of shade that was cast by my booth late in the day was a great relief to my by then pounding head. Oh did I mention I forgot to wear or even bring sunscreen?! After about 2 or 3 hours of scorching myself, I complained to expressed my distress to the right person (a nice guy with the Arts Council checking on all the artists) and he told me there was sunscreen available. He was nice enough to even watch my booth for me while I ran and sprayed some on. Those of you who see me in the winter know that I practically glow in the dark, I was so relieved and surprisingly didn’t burn too bad.
But I have to say I had a fabulous time… Sold some art and met more artists that are fairly local to me. Some I have been friends with on Facebook but hadn’t met in person, while others are brand new and sure to be friends I’ll see again on the show circuit. The creative circuit is a great bunch of people. Always lending a hand to each other and great for getting the scoop on upcoming shows. I love being a part of it. There is just also a great buzz flowing in the air when you get a bunch of highly creative people with all kinds of talents, skills and styles. It’s electric! And I tell you, we couldn’t have ordered a more beautiful day. Perfect weather. Ahhhh if only every show were to have such beautiful weather.
Here’s a few more pictures of my booth, sans tent, for the Art Crawl. I am ready to buy another panel for my display booth. I think I need it!
I do wish I could get my art to hang straight though. Not sure what do do about that.
I may also need to see about another table or reducing the inventory. I think a stand alone flip bin for my prints might be a better option.
I managed to take just a couple photos of some new friends I met. This is Jamie Gish-Bates, an online friend I hadn’t met in person. She makes incredible jewelry made from up cycled things like vintage jewelry, shot gun shells, glass, toys, bits and pieces and who knows what else… just all kinds of cool stuff. Her booth was so creative and so is her jewelry. Just look at that old headboard converted into a display. Her biz is called Silent Salvation and you can find her Facebook page here.
Here is another new friend, Randy Lofthouse. He makes these heavy duty very creative concrete pots. I wish I could show you up close what some of these look like, they were really cool. Some had tiles in them and some had carved out images like one I remember was a guitar! I’m going to ask Randy to make me some kind of water fountain in his style. Randy’s biz for his creations is called BoxPotz and here is his Facebook page.
I met more than this, and my neighbor to my right in this show was so nice. Her name is Morgan Fletcher and she makes zipper jewelry. The jewelry was really cool, but every time I was taking pictures, she was covered with customers! Not a bad problem to have in my book. You can see her and her mother (well the back of them) helping a customer in my 3rd picture down. They had a beautiful booth as well. You can find Morgan’s Facebook page for her business called Zipper Chic here.
After the show was over and I took my booth down, packed it all up and was driving away when I passed a food vendor booth still open that I had heard about but didn’t get a chance to visit. The Pizza Revolution. They have pizza that is cooked in a wood fired oven. I’ve never had pizza cooked that way before. Can I just say OMG?! Maybe partly because I was ravenous from not eating lunch but mostly because it was so freaking good! Look at this! I devoured half of it while driving away. Then ate the left overs last night. All fresh ingredients and no preservatives. This one called “Buzz Kill’a” was a spicy version made with their own homemade dough that they make with flour shipped from Italy and tomato sauce with San Marzano tomatoes shipped from Italy too, their own homemade mozzarella (!) from curds they buy, red pepper flakes, hot chili oil and a drizzle of honey. Heaven. It had a warm heat you noticed after eating it, but not too much. I loved it.
The owner, Aaron Peckenpaugh, was a really friendly guy with great plan and a fantastic pizza. He told me they had in the works a double decker bus being converted into a traveling food truck in London with the kitchen below and dining above. I mentioned to him I had been a vendor that day and had heard all about his soon to be famous pizza but didn’t get a chance to get any. He asked what I was selling, when I told him I sold paintings he said that he planned on showcasing local artists work in the bus as well! How cool is that? I’m assuming it would rotate and be like a consignment gallery. Great pizza and a possible art venue, you can’t beat that with a stick.
Here they are, Aaron and his gang… The Pizza Revolution. They make a mean pizza, best I’ve had for as long as I can remember. I hope his plans work out and he can make the traveling food bus a successful reality. Here is their Facebook page.
So hopefully, I’ve learned some valuable time management lessons from this last show. I’ve got another show in less than 2 weeks. That one is inside in New Harmony Indiana and called Arts in Harmony. It’s another great show, come see me in the Ribereye Gym if you get a chance to visit New Harmony. It’s a beautiful little town on the banks of the Wabash and it’s great to visit anytime, very quaint and unique shopping.
Sounds like you had a fabulous weekend!
It was fabulous! Thanks Terri!
Really interesting post, Jaime! I admire you so much for just “going for it”! You have such a can do attitude and your enthusiasm makes it contagious. I’m inspired to find out about shows in Nova Scotia 🙂
Your booth looked great. I love that you paint such a wide variety of things with different styles but the common thread is *colour*. Vibrant, saturated and really alive colours. I love it!
Thank you Tina! I just know you will do fantastic at shows with your beautiful art! You just gotta take that first leap. I know you can do it. I really appreciate your saying that about my art having a common thread of vibrant color. I’ve wondered about the different styles in my work, but that is just me. I got so many nice comments on Saturday about the vibrancy of the color in my art and that was what the crowd seemed to like most, so I guess it works! Thank you for commenting on it and I’m so glad my enthusiasm is rubbing off on you! I can’t wait to read about your first show 😉
Jaime. Very nice to meet you. Sorry that your tent was down for the count. I can’t imagine doing an outdoor venue without one. My first Funk in the City, Evansville….hot hot! and not coverage! Hard on a fair-skinned being! You are kind to share these photos, info, and links of fellow creative types. I missed out on these Pizza artists! Will have to catch next time. Thank you!
It was great to meet you as well Randy. I’ve done Funk in the City and that would be a bad one not to have a tent for! All that concrete and streets, unless you were lucky enough to get a tree spot. You are so welcome, I’m happy to share links and photos. You really need to try some of that pizza, it was very unique tasting and delicious. Thanks for visiting and your nice comments, I hope you return! 🙂
Jaime, perhaps two hangers would help your paintings hang straight…I’m not sure what you are using on your display, but if you space two hangers almost the width of the painting, the art won’t move around like on one hook.
Great that you sold! Can’t wait to hear which ones sold.
Kathy
Two hangers would definitely make them hang straight, but the purchased frames that the majority of my paintings are in right now, have only a single center hanger. They hang straight on the wall and that’s the most important part, but it doesn’t make my booth look very good now does it? I may end up replacing the center hook, not sure yet. My booth was on grass that was not level, that may have had a little bit to do with it. I’ll be talking to you soon! Thanks for commenting and your tips 🙂
Hi J. 🙂
So glad you had a great show, looks awesome 🙂
Not sure if this would help on the fabric but when I hang a show at a gallery or coffee shop etc., I always use blue tac to keep my artwork in place, you can also use the circular sticky velcro thingys. 🙂
On the table display, you want to create different heights to add depth, an old trick, in the display biz. is to use the boxes you bring your work in, once unpacked, flip the boxes upside down and cover with the table cloth 🙂
Hope that helps 🙂
Wishing you well for your next show, cheers, T. 🙂
Thank you T! Those are great tips. I knew about the varied sizes, I just haven’t done it yet. I agree it would look much better like that and less on the table too. It’s just too much to take it all in, don’t you think? But the velcro or blue tac is not something I had thought of, I’ll be that will work. Thank you so much and I’m so glad you came by with your tips! I’m always up for more suggestions 🙂