well, apropos of the title, things are starting to return more or less to normal around here. i finished all the preparations for art fair on the green and "hung out" for two hot, humid days over the last weekend in july. aside from the two ladies that i shared the tent with, the event was unbelievably boring. i had two or three discussions with fellow artists that dropped by, sold nothing, and found i could drink a gallon of liquid in a day. i can't say that i didn't learn something, because it did. i learned that presenters that are part of a group tent (like our "eastbank artists" tent) are not eligible for any prizes, monetary or otherwise. not that this was a prime reason for participating, but it would have been nice to know ahead of time. from what i could see from my rather limited vantage point and from talking with other painters, there were a dearth of people interested in purchasing paintings. i saw a number of craft items "walking" past our tent having been purchased , but i saw almost no paintings on the way to a patron's home. it almost made me want to suggest that the event sponsors (the aauw) change the name of the event to "craft fair on the green". enough of the critiquing. it was what it was and i did learn that i do not like participating in these large events. if i do show my work in the future i think it will be a private one- or two- person show. it is about the same amount of preparation, but much less work, and the people who come are there to see a specific body of work by specific artist(s). so i am assuming would be more interesting. how would i sum it up? disappointing venture. i cannot leave this topic without a huge "thank you," however, to my two tent mates sherry michaelson and kathy koski. both are seasoned artists and participants in numerous shows and fairs. their insight, knowledge, and camaraderie made the weekend bearable i am indebted to both of them. thank you sherry and kathy.
we have just returned from a technology-free time up in the northwoods of wisconsin where i did almost no painting whiling away the time fishing for bass and sundry pan fish and reading. now that we are back i intend to get back on track and start painting again in earnest. i know that i want to get some more portraits done of people out on the pine ridge reservation but also get back into still lives and continue my journey of trying to learn how to paint landscapes. additionally, i am going to start to explore some non-representational, more experimental themes with mixed watermedia. so, an aggressive agenda.....we'll see if i am up to it. later.
I was just wondering how the Fair went for you. Sorry to hear that it was a disappointing experience. I have always like the Art fair on the Green, but the only time I was part of the fair was through our High School group show, I didn't have to do any of the prep myself. I can see how it would feel like a waste of time after all that work to not have the fair goers really take that much interest. My Mom and Ken are constantly attending small art fairs in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa and they always tell me stories of all the creative folks they meet. They aren't afraid to talk to the artist and ask questions about thier work. They don't usually buy anything, but I think sometimes even knowing other people are interested in your work can be really motivational. What about the Pump House, do they still do art shows? You should show them your work. It seems like you have enough finished work for your own show, but it might be fun to try and team up with another local artist who's work compliments your own.
ReplyDeletethanks for the condolences regarding the "afotg". i'm over it now. the pump house is still having a lot of shows but is booked up for at least a year. joe kuhn and i have been talking about a two-man show before we both turn into pumpkins and leave for the winter. we may put our names into the pump house for a later date and try an earlier show somewhere around town...joe had some ideas. i'll let you know.
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