An artist's worst enemy is weather!

An artist's worst enemy is weather!
Last weekend started out as a comedy of errors for me - first I accidentally double-booked myself .... Park Point Art Fair in Duluth and the Eagan Art Festival. I did the same with a rental vehicle.
Molly and I were able to make it all work, but the weather gods had it in for us.
The photo was taken Sunday morning at the Duluth show after a Saturday night rain flooded out many tents, and that same evening wind wreaked havoc at the Eagan show.
Fortunately, our tents held up well, BUT many vendors at both locations didn't fare as well. They cut their loses and went home. The rest of us were left with the decision of should I stay or should I abandon ship. Molly stayed put in Eagan until early Sunday afternoon when another storm threatened. I made it through the day in Duluth. Needless to say, our sales were.... shall I say a near washout?
This art fair season so far, the weather has not cooperated. Heat we can deal with (portable fans and lots of water), off and on rain is OK too, but wind? ..... You can do a great job of securing your tent, but if your neighbor doesn't, then your due diligence is for naught as their tent becomes a flying torpedo.
Anyway, let's hope the weather on July 13th for the Anoka Riverfest is better. It traditionally is one of our best shows (saleswise) of the summer.

Whew, wrapping up my summer art show schedule

Just added to my inventory. This hatbrim fits a head 20 inch head circumference.

Whew! I finally finished my summer show schedule ... except for a couple events that I haven't heard from yet. (Look to the side of this blog page to see the list where you will find me.)  There's some new ones on my list, and some that I attend every year.
Art shows are all about LOCAL. And it's such a showcase of artisans and crafters. Creativity just flows - and that's what I love about 'em. I am inspired, and so appreciate the people who turnout - even in the rain as they did last weekend in New Richmond, Wisc. (That was a tough one for us as it just poured. But there were some folks who came anyway.)
So it's back to wrapping rope.

'Potty breaks:' An important consideration when applying for art shows

Artist rendering of my booth

There's an art to deciding which art show to consider for our short show season. I am finishing up the application process now, and I'd like to share with you what goes through my mind as I consider what shows I'd like to see fill my calendar.
When I first started out as a artist/vendor, my bar was pretty low. I was unsure whether anyone would buy my creations. I thought for sure I could get in to flea markets, but was very nervous whether my talent was worthy of an actual art fair. I decided - JUST APPLY and see what happens.
Five years later, I'm not afraid to JUST APPLY, but, I've become more selective.

Photo of my booth 2016

• As I consider the list of potential art shows, I think: "If I am selected, is this really where I want to spend the weekend and will this audience be receptive to my creations?" With most quality art shows there is a jury process, and it usually costs around $25 to $40 just to submit your application. (This money is non-refundable). 
• How are vendors treated by the event organizers? Yup, there are some art shows that are so much fun to participate, that even if it isn't the top sales generator, well, it is a great experience and you look forward to returning. Do they have helpers to assist in set up, if needed? Do they respect your efforts as an artist and participant? It's the little things that make a difference... people to watch your tent when you need a potty break.
• Cost. Besides the jury fee, many shows ask a participation fee of anywhere between $175 and $300 for a two-day event. So with a premium show (such as the Uptown Art Fair), you have to ask yourself can I afford to lose the fee if the show is rained out, for instance. Will my sales justify the expense?
• Inventory. Will I have enough inventory to ensure an adequate showing? For me, that means I'd better not schedule more than two shows a month. If I have a lot of sales at one show, and have another sale the following weekend, I may find I'm at the sewing machine 24 hours a day to replenish my inventory.
• Schedule and location.Two shows a month is about all I can handle - three is a stretch. So I look for shows that are likely to be the -most fun and most profitable. I try to stay within a 50-mile radius of my home in the Twin Cities so that I don't have the additional lodging and food costs. However, I now like to have at least one out-of-the-area show to start building a new audience.

So, here's my show application list for this year:

May

Alexandria Spring Arts and Crafts Show- May 5  - accepted

MInneapolis Art a Whirl-May 18-20-accepted.

June

New Richmond Park Art Fair- June 2 -accepted

Eagan Art Fair - June 23-24 - Applied 2/3/2018 (waiting to hear)

July

Anoka Rivertown Days- July 14th -- accepted

Cannon Falls wine and art festival July 21 and 22 accepted

Loring Park Art Festival- July 28-29 WAIT LISTED

August

Powderhorn- Aug. 4-5 - (waiting to hear)

Lake Superior Art Festival Aug. 11 - (waiting to hear)

Under The Spreading Walnut Tree Aug. 12 - (waiting to hear)

September

Northfield Arts Festival -Sept 8-9th (waiting to hear)

Afton Art in the Park 2017 (need to apply)

Honoring the gift of compliment

Gratitude

How come it is so hard to accept a compliment - feel it right to your bones - take it in, soak it up until it seeps through every pore of your body?

I almost fell over when I was awarded "Best in Show" at this past weekend's Eagan Art Festival. When they handed me the certificate, I could only think that this is a mistake. I don't deserve this. And then they read the judges' comments, and I honestly thought they were referring to someone else - certainly not me!

The attention made me so nervous that I almost threw up! To burn off the adrenaline, I walked around the art festival and began to reflect about how many times I throw away the gift of compliment by quickly deflecting the attention and turning it back on the giver ... "Thank you, but did you see (insert name) work? Her attention to detail and use of color are masterful"

I seek compliments, I really do, but when they come my way, well I just don't know what to do with them.

How can I be a better receiver of this wonderful gift? When I compliment someone - I mean it. So what makes me think that another's word is not their word? Most likely it's because I feel so unworthy.

My internal vessel would benefit if I would learn to soak in this goodwill.

Thank you is a wonderful phrase.

Taking the wind out of my 'sales'

Another lesson learned: The wind can create so much havoc for your tent and display that it literally takes the "wind out of your sales" Saturday was my first experience with just how difficult it is for vendors at art sales when there is a high wind. Yes, it affects the numbers attending the sale as well as inventory placement and racks. The Eagan Art Festival was situated in an open field, and there was nothing to block a gale. As afternoon came and the gusts increased, Molly and I stood, hanging on to the tent frame, trying desperately to keep it from flying away. Our neighbor, John, began to secure our tent down with strapping and screw-in-the-ground stakes (besides just being nice, I think this was an effort to keep our stuff from flying into his wonderful wine racks that also held glasses.) Things seemed to hold, but I knew I'd need more strapping. I made a quick trip to Home Depot; however, other vendors had cleaned out the safety gear. As I stood there, trying to think of what to do, another artisan came down the aisle, assessed the situation and said he'd head off to a different store and asked if I wanted him to pick up a supply of the tie-downs. YES, PLEASE. Saved by the vendors. The festival staff called a halt to the show early on Saturday as we all prepared for the wind and a possible overnight storm. Molly and I joined the group that had decided to tear down their tents and bring home the inventory. The artists, for the most part, came away from the weather event unscathed. We had to reset everything on Sunday, but it was a much better day, sale-wise, too. So what's next for Pure Serendipity? We hope to see you at Art at St. Kate's on July 9.

How to survive the heat and humidity in a 10 x 10 tent

Oh my. I just looked at the weather forecast for this weekend for the south metro: “Hot and humid with strong afternoon thunderstorms.” Well that could be a challenge during my participation at the Eagan Art Festival.

Weather can make or break you – and I’m not just referring to sales. Sitting in a tent on a hot steamy day, is, yes, like being in a sauna. I’m not joking when I say we vendors measure the day by how much water we consume without having to go to the bathroom. Here’s how we make it bearable:

Pray that you are situated so that your tent opening is NOT facing south or west; Put the side walls up so that any breeze can blow through: Get a personal battery operated fan and a big portable fan (be sure to bring batteries, just in case) Water- lots of water- forget the bottles- bring a jug fill it with ice and cucumber slices; Encourage your friends who plan to visit the show to “BRING YOU WATER.” If you have ideas on how to stay cool, please let me know.

It's been a whirl preparing for Art-a-Whirl

Whew. I should have taken a photo of my living room this past weekend. It is my staging area for upcoming art shows - and, oh my gosh, it was like cleaning out the cupboards..... pull everything out, re-evaluate its purpose and then dispose, recycle or put it back with the promise that things will NEVER get that disorganized again! This weekend is Molly and my first "official" show of the season- Art-a-Whirl. Print out a copy of the map of the various artist locations and draw a big circle around 4 Angels Creations - That's where we'll be located. Molly will be in the tent for sure, but, since that is the last weekend of the legislative session, it's questionable whether I can make it. I sure hope so.

Anyway, Molly will be debuting her new line of dish cloths. What do you think? I love her tag name. As for me, well after three years of coiling and coiling, I think I am finally perfecting the method. Here's another new item.

This two-piece creation is adorned with a dry sea fan that Molly picked up in the Caymans. Oh, by the way, please visit my store. I would appreciate your comments as to its ease of use. I'll be at three shows in June - Stillwater, Excelsior and Eagan