Gone for a good cause though... arts and crafts shows every weekend. I really don't do many, especially compared to some of my neighboring exhibitors. One couple told me they do at least 35 shows a year. Wow! That's a LOT of work! The whole setting-up-and-tearing-down thing can really wear on a person. Taking the RV does make the show itself much better, not having to drive anywhere and waking up on the show site.
War Eagle, AR, the mill pictured above, was my favorite show. It was also the biggest and longest at four days. I thought the four days would be killer, but I enjoyed it. I set up on Wednesday and then got to "people watch" until Sunday afternoon. I saw more people in those days that I see the whole rest of the year since I live in the middle of nowhere.
I took this photo from on top of the RV. Would have taken panorama to get all the camping and exhibition tents, not to mention the exhibitors on the other side of the river.
The location is somewhat off the beaten path, which meant no city traffic noises overnight. Even though it isn't the most convenient thing for fair visitors to get there, crowds were really large; fields were packed with parked cars. More than one booth visitor said it had taken nearly an hour from the time they had left Arkansas 12 Hwy to getting parked, a distance of under 2 miles. Maybe that's why each morning on Thursday through Saturday there were people milling around already at 7:30 A. M. Guess they wanted to beat traffic and get parked!
My booth was kind of in the middle of the exhibitors, with all kinds of offerings in wood, leather, metal, clothing, antiques, etc. It's quite a mix of stuff; definitely not a strictly "fine art" show. Suited me just fine since I'm not really a "Serious Artist." I really enjoyed the comments (ego boost!) and liked talking to people, some of whom told me about their own artwork.
I sold a total of 22 art pieces this fall, many of them small. Neighboring exhibitors said the economy has really affected sales. I was pleased. I got ideas about what people liked best, and, since I enjoyed painting all of them, I have something of an idea of what to paint this winter. Fine art definitely does not sell like crafts. Makes sense. It's not a piece of clothing or jewelry that will spend most of the time in a closet or jewelry box. It's not a seasonal piece that will spend most of the year in storage. It's an element of your surroundings that you'll see every day. It has to speak to you. It generally has to match an available space, color scheme, and style. Many of the works I sold went to people who came back to the booth, some the next day. The painting had called to them. Many struck an emotional chord, evoking memories of places, people, and pets not actually in the painting. It's gratifying to me that I created things that bring enjoyment to others.
Well, no more shows till spring.....back to painting!
