The Education Continues

Six hours to Roswell, Georgia, just north of Atlanta, brought me to a lovely, upscale suburb with a surprising number of steep hills. There I participated in the Lavender Fesitval at Barrington Hall, a beautiful historic building surrounded by huge trees and colorful gardens.

This was my second art show as a vendor, and the first one that did not take place among friends and neighbors of many years. I was delighted to have three hours to set up because my trial runs for setting up in the yard were not at the lightning speed that I would require for an hour time limit.

I selected this festival because it was within a reasonable driving distance and it advertised itself as being in the shade. It turned out to be a very local, chill day for people to grab some lunch from the food trucks, buy a small item, perhaps a bracelet, and to stroll by the arts and crafts. It was not a show for art collectors, or even an "art show." All important information that I can now file away.

I sold enough magnet reproductions to more than cover the booth fee, but not the other costs: gas, lodging, food. I did not sell anything else. I do not consider it a disaster, however, because I have been craving data to inform me of both how to make this career a success, and I collected much information that will help me at my next show.

Psychology is in my blood, and it was available and on around me the whole day. I thought that having cheaper items on a table at the front would draw attention. It did, somewhat, but not enough to offset the barrier it apparently caused, preventing visitors from entering the booth and looking at the wall hangings. When I moved the table back, like magic attendees started entering the tent. Keeping the sides open for air and welcoming will also be key, unless the weather is stormy. And I will change out the carpeted counter for a browse bin with some of my smaller works to minimize the crazy, "where do I look now?" effect of the explosion of color in the booth. I am very excited to see it all come together for my next show in New York.

I received another kind of feedback, and that was watching people's reactions to my work as they first caught sight of it. This was gratifying. Art is intimate, personal, and infinitely varied. Many people took a glance and continued moving. Some glanced up, exclaimed with surprise, "Oh!" and kept walking. Some stared at my paintings for a few seconds and left without a word. A good proportion, however, exclaimed with pleasure when they saw my work and appreciated my compositions enthusiastically. I am humbled by the gift I have left unused all of these years and thankful that I have found it again. The trial season continues in Canandaigua, New York.  

In the meantime, I have had some personal success with a lovely 30x40 inch piece that depicts the reflections of trees on the water. Green Heaven is primarily multiple shades of green. I LOVE this piece. I define success in the studio as completing a piece that resonates with me and leaves me wondering how it happened. Even some of my signature pieces, which have the peaceful, serene vibe I create, do not rise to the level of the Ones. Interestingly, the two pieces I have sold were the ones from which I felt the deepest satisfaction. I expect Green Heaven to be one of those pieces.    

See it live if you are in the Finger Lakes region at the end of the month!