I think I might have to get out of the habit of writing my posts at night because I can’t think as clearly and don’t always feel like diving into important topics when I can barely stay awake.
This past weekend was my best art show so far. In the first two hours on Saturday I already made enough sales to beat my previous record from all my shows. It was also fun, people were nice, the weather was great except for the wind during setup on Friday, and the artist in the booth next to me was so helpful, she has many years of experience with art shows and I learned a lot from her. Turns out she went to Western State, too, and met her husband in Gunnison, which is where I met Dennis.
Friday was crazy windy for about an hour as I was finishing setting up. When I arrived, I found a high school age kid sitting on a bench in the shade a few feet from my booth, he was on his phone. He looked just like my nephew, Luca. I didn’t have anyone to help me so I asked him if he was busy and he said no, I offered to pay him if he helped me, and he jumped to it. He was motivated and smart and an impressive kid. He didn’t need to ask me many questions, he just did it, and figured things out as we went along. It would have taken me four hours to do what we did in two hours. I gave him some cash for his efforts, and he went on his way.
As we finished setting up the wind came up and destroyed two tents in the middle of the plaza area, very close to my booth. I had 60 pounds of weights on each corner, attached with ratchet straps to the canopy frame, and that wasn’t even enough. Finally this older man showed up and helped us secure the canopy to a nearby planter with more straps, and that wasn’t even enough what saved my tent. Fortunately the wind died down right around 4 pm when I was ready to leave and everything was intact in the morning.
I learned a lot about wind for my future shows. I’ve been lucky in the past, nothing more than a heavy rain or thunderstorm. This was crazy wind. I could have ended up in Kansas. I need to learn how to thread ratchet straps the right way, for one thing. And I’ll be bringing a lot more weight in the future. Most of the shows here only require 40 pounds per corner, but I always bring 50 or 60. Now I’ll be looking at 70 or 80, especially in the spring when it is the most windy.
My hotel room was comfortable and perfect for what I needed. Whole Foods was right next to the parking lot for the show, so I went there in the morning to get breakfast and then on my way back to the hotel to make an easy and quick dinner.
Saturday I sold 6 paintings in the first 2 hours. I couldn’t believe it. Then the rest of the day was pretty slow sales-wise, but a lot of people did come into the tent and looked at my art and asked questions. I didn’t realize it but I was one of the featured artists on their marketing materials. One of the customers told me she recognized my painting “Between Seasons”. People liked my newer work, which is great. They bought some of the new work. My big new pieces got a lot of attention. I didn’t sell any of the biggest ones, but what I sold were good-sized. Some 24 x 30s, and a triptych of 16 x 40s, and some 20 x 20s and 18 x 24, plus a couple of small 8 x 8s.
A buyer for UC Health bought “Incoming” to hang in Memorial Central Hospital in Colorado Springs. I sort of hope it goes in the oncology patient areas. I will have to ask her where she places it. UCHealth is where Dennis works, and I used to work there too, up to a year after they became UCHealth. Big corporate healthcare and I don’t get along. But if you’ve been with me while, you already know that.
Sunday was busy from about 1 to 3 pm, but it was steady all day. I sold three paintings and a lot of cards and prints. I arrived with three boxes of prints and left with two. I arrived with two baskets of cards and left with one. I will have to place an order before my early August show.
We didn’t have any more wind all weekend, just a nice breeze to keep from getting too warm. Perfect weather. On Sunday evening it took me two hours to breakdown and pack up, which I am able to do by myself, and then I drove home to Fort Collins.
I unpacked the U Haul Monday morning and returned it, did some grocery shopping, walked the girls, and slept all afternoon. Tuesday I still had a slight art show hangover, but not too bad. I painted a little, started a new big one, and didn’t need a nap.
My friend Steve came over to chat this morning, we talked about galleries and decisions about galleries, which we have both struggled with. After that I finished up a series of five little florals, 8 x 8s on wood panels, to replace the ones that sold out this weekend. I worked little on some other paintings and then I screwed up one new one, not that big a deal as I can paint over it, but it did not turn out at all the way I hoped.
My next one is June 13-14 in Denver, and Dennis will help me set up since he will be off work then. He’s on vacation starting tomorrow. Our anniversary (36th) is next week so we’re planning to do something. Not sure what, but hoping it will be something different. I’ve been wanting to go to Denver again and go back to the Santa Fe Art District and I want to take him to that Mexican restaurant where I went with Crisann.
I have been too busy to pay much attention to news and politics, which is good thing. Nothing good is happening except there seem to be a few sparks of hope in the judicial system, but not in the Supreme Court. Some important cases have been won regarding elections and civil rights, and Norm Eisen (Democracy Defenders Fund) and Marc Elias (Democracy Docket) are kicking ass in the courts. They’ve won a majority of their cases against the Pendejo administration.
The Pendejo is the biggest abuser of the Supreme Court ever. He appeals everything because he knows the fascist majority on the Court will back him up. That’s one of the things, of thousands, that I would like to see fixed. The Supreme Court is for the people, not a teat for a whiny ass titty baby like Pendejo.
Oh, and the garden is looking good, things are growing and flowers are blooming. That makes me happy.
I’ll be painting tomorrow and then Friday is First Friday. And then I’ll have a little break to hang out with Dennis before the Denver show!
Thanks for reading, and I’ll be back as soon as there’s something new.
