The odd thing is, it has been over 5 years since I was last in an outdoor show, and we have gotten a new vehicle since then. And (of COURSE), what fit nicely in the back of the old vehicle didn't quite fit into the back of the new one. (Why was I surprised?)
Many people don't realize that it takes two or more hours to set up for a show. Erecting the canopy, setting up the display racks and screens, arranging the art, making sure everything is labeled and priced, it is all a LOT of work. The big trade shows that folflow conventions will take longer, since their booths are much more complex, but for a local art show, two to three hours is about right. And having help, especially help that can take direction, makes the job shorter and simpler. And having a plan in one's mind makes it that much simpler. And, Trust Me, a show that opens at 10 always has people wandering through an hour early.
We were fortunate to be able to erect the canopies the day before -- took a good hour off our set-up time on Saturday morning. And we were blessed with beautiful weather! Warm and breezy on Saturday, and definitely hotter and more humid on Sunday! By the time we were breaking down the show, all of us were wilting.
The yART Show is small, as shows go, limited by the size of the courtyard of the private home where we set up. There was face-painting and art for the kids, music, lemonade and Boy Scout popcorn for everyone. No one asked me to tango (can't imagine why . . .) but the music was fabuwous.
Outdoor shows are always iffy -- we are so dependent on the vagaries and whims of the weather. Being near the ocean does allow us a modicum of cooler air, but it always depends on which way the wind is blowing.
Since the last show, I have added watercolor sketch-books, journals, a new line of notecards, glicee prints, and NEW WORK. I'm attaching photos to give you an idea of where Artistic License is taking me.
This one is Five Condos. It's 24x30", and you can see some of the collage underneath the color. This second one is North Sea, same size as Five Condos, but a portrait format, rather than landscape.
I have finally gotten everything unpacked and back into the studio. And I have been laboring to put things away. Don't remember whose Law or Paradox this is, but "things expand to take up the available space." And the studio looks like it! New projects and canvases seem to proliferate at night, when no one is looking. And, I SWEAR Hub is lurking, and looking at shiny pretties.
Summer is the biggest season for outdoor art shows; yART was the only show I did this summer. I have to honestly say, I don't know how artists manage when many shows involve travel and back-to-back weekends. I know how tired I was with just one show! As artists, we tend to work in the solitude of our studios and sketchbooks. A show, especially one as welcoming as yART, is an opportunity many artists need, to visit with people and get feedback. True, we tend to listen to the little voices in our heads, but occasional reality checks (especially from children) can send us in new directions. And I've got a bunch of new ideas fermenting.
