Art Festival Schedule Update

Those of you who have looked at my web site have discovered that my art festival schedule for this season is not posted. Don't ask why. Here is my schedule for the next few months:

August 6 - September 13th
NEEDLEPOINT - "A Point to Remember"
Birmingham Public Library, 4th Floor Gallery

August 4 - September 3rd
Hoover Public Library
Bluff Park Art Show Preview

September 5 - 6th
ArtWalk
I'll be located at Brantley Engineering 2401 2nd Avenue North.

September 7th
Montgomery Art Guild Regions Bank Show
Opening reception 12 Noon-3pm

October 4th
Bluff Park Art Show
Always the First Saturday of October!

October 18 - 19th Kentuck Festival of the Arts***
I am on the official "wait" list having made the cut for my category.
Still waiting to be contacted for participation.

November 7th - December 19th
Cobb Lane Art Gallery
Opening reception November 7th, 5-8pm

December 5 - 7th / Linoleum Block Printing Class
Alabama Folk School at Camp McDowell, Nauvoo


That's it for now. Keep checking my blog for updates.

Welcome, June!

I know, I know. It's not June yet. But it might as well be. This holiday weekend is a welcome break from all of my May activities. I've been moving non-stop for the past six weeks preparing for Magic City, painting needlepoint canvases and preparing for commencement. At this moment, I'm sitting in my studio eating bon-bon's and basking in the after glow of my son's graduation from college, last weekend. Friends and family gathered in Atlanta to celebrate and, I must say, a good time was had by all! The crowning moment, for me, was when my Prince arrived at the luncheon that I was hosting for him. He entered the banquet room, grinning from ear to ear, with his entourage of friends. Impeccably dressed in a tailored charcoal gray suit, crisp white shirt, and silk power tie, he stands exactly 6' 5" and uses every inch of his height when "working" a room - charming doesn't begin to describe him. 47 attendees stood and applauded, chanted his name in unison, patted him on his back, shook his hand and kissed his cheeks as he made his way towards me . . .and handed me his degree. It was a Kodak moment if ever there was one. In two months, he'll begin the next chapter of his life as a law student. Yes, his mama is all puffed up and as proud as can be!

Okay, here's the update on the art happenings! The ONB/Magic City Art Festival last month was GREAT! I'm now focusing every waking hour preparing for my next venue which will take place on Saturday and Sunday, June 2nd and June 3rd. It's ART IN THE GARDENS located in Hoover, at the Aldridge Botanical Gardens. I'm posting my mailer. If you're in Birmingham next week-end, stop by Aldridge Botanical Gardens and say hi. I'll be set up in the Pavillion area. Oh, and as always . . . pray for sunshine and blue skies.

I Survived My First 3-Day Art Festival!

I suppose that you're wondering why I must always put an exclamation point behind every title that I post. Well, if you must know . . . I stay excited about all things art and art related (with the exception of my 9 to 5 job). I'm especially excited about the progress that I'm making with my block printing and needlepoint designs! If I knew 10 years ago what I know now, lordy, I'd be sooooo far ahead of the game. But all things in time, I suppose.

My display is very minimalistic because I'm still building inventory. But I'm told that the stark black and white imagery really stands out surrounded by rows and rows of color filled canopy tents. I'll post a corner of my booth. Yes, the framed prints are supported by chicken wire! Before I forget, much thanks to all who stopped by during the festival. I appreciate your support.

The Magic City Art Festival was a great venue for me. I met so many interesting people! You'll remember that this was just my second art festival. I'm now two for two. I've decided that I will continue to apply for future festivals but they will have to be juried and, for now, located within Alabama. I'm not quite ready to travel beyond the state line yet. I need a truck/van, a sturdier canopy tent, modular wall units, a reliable hands-on, can-do friend/helper, etc. Two gallery owners expressed interest in carrying my block prints. I'll drive to Decatur, Alabama, in a couple of weeks for a meeting.

It has taken me all week to recoup from last weekend. I took Monday off but still felt quite tired when I returned to work on Tuesday. I really need to get my tush in gear, again, and start cutting more designs. I have another festival coming up the first weekend in June. It'll be here before you know it. This one will be held at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover. I still haven't figured out how to set up web links (even tho my daughter has explained the process to me twice), but just GOOGLE Aldridge Gardens Art Festival in Hoover and the info will appear. I'm participating in another juried event sponsored by the Academy of Fine Arts, Inc., the 18th Annual SOUTHERN ROOTS Exhibition. The opening day is May 14th. Also, I received notification that my work has been accepted for the 44th Bluff Park Festival which will take place the first weekend in October 2007. Yea!

The next couple of weeks will be busy for me. I'm preparing for my son's commencement. Family members and friends are gathering in ATL on graduation day to honor my Prince, it'll feel like a family reunion. Thankfully, I secured a banquet room at one of my favorite restaurants in ATL. One can't ever plan too early for commencement . . . or for an art festival.

Countdown to the Magic City Art Connection

Okay. We're now at five days and counting. I've done everything that I know to do, to prepare for the festival. This will be my second juried art festival. I'm a bit punch drunk from printing and packaging and pulling all of my inventory information together. I still have a lot of questions about set up and prep, but I suppose that it's now come down to learning by doing. I received my packet with multiple pages of rules and regulations and, oh yes, instructions on how to pay my county, city and state taxes. (groan) Right now my concern is about the weather and like Zora Neale Hurston "My Eyes are Watching God" (okay, so I tweeked the title a bit). Anyway, Zora was a novelist and author during the Harlem Renaissance. For those who want a bit more info just go to Wikipedia, the free on-line encyclopedia and read an overview on her background and career. Better yet, read her book "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and let me know what you think about it.

I've become very anxious about the weather and I've been in overdrive watching the Weather Channel; trying to catch every local tv weather broadcast (as tho staring at the television set will change an upper level high! ha!) Of course, this weekend has been absolutely perfect...slightly breezy, sunny and low humidity. Rain is predicted for Wednesday night thru Thursday, with a varying percentage of rain from Friday thru Sunday depending on which news broadcast you're watching. How can three different local stations have three different predictions??! I'm confused. For those of you who don't get it . . .my art display is comprised of lino prints - which means that all of my inventory is on P-A-P-E-R. PAPER! MOISTURE! Now do you understand? The thought of my prints being exposed to mist or moisture or morning dew is the ultimate death. And, it ain't a merciful death either. I had already decided that I would pack up my inventory at the close of each day and take it home with me. It would mean getting up a lot earlier in the morning to rehang and regroup but that's no big deal. However, if a shower and or storm passes over during the middle of the day . . .canopy tent or not . . .I've got to have a contingency plan in place so that I can get the prints and framed pieces under cover. Geez. My head hurts just thinking about this.

I had hoped to have my painted tiles ready for display but I ran out of steam. Maybe, by the time the next art festival rolls around I'll have them ready. I'm posting a sample of the tiles. I've taken four of them, laid them on the table and I've taken a group shot. Each has a design painted on it with black glaze. I wanted the image to be as black as my oil based lino block prints, so the glaze (which is actually transparent) was painted with about 5 or 6 coats to create the design.

Painting on tiles is a bit tricky. The key is to have a good brush. An expensive brush; one that will hold it's point. Because my work is detailed, I could not have gotten some of the angles to appear crisp had I used a brush from one of the general market stores. These four tiles have been fired. I loved the way they turned out. As I continue to experiment, I may try to create a "mock wall" with the 6 x 6 inch tiles along with smaller mosaic tiles just to see what it'll look like. Okay, there I go again. . .another project. I need to stay focused on this week. Hopefully, I'll have another post tomorrow night along with the weather report. No need for me to agonize over this by myself, right? (smile)

Gettin' Ready for my Second Art Festival!

I am stoked! Last week I received a call from the owner of the 4 Seasons Antiques and Art Gallery in Bluff Park informing me that all four of my linoleum blocks prints had sold. Thank you! Thank you! I'm in need of additional funds to frame nine more lino block prints for the Magic City Art Festival which will be held at the end of this month. There's a lot of truth in the statement that "it takes money, to make money." Framing is sooooooo expensive. I'm still new with the art festival circuit thingy and it always seems as tho I'm rolling pennies to apply towards framing. Why is that?

Hey, I'm posting the front side of my post card announcement that I'll mail out next week. It's simple but it serves the purpose.

I'm in overdrive these days carving and printing lino blocks. A friend of mine has cautioned me to not become too ambitious with cutting large blocks and to keep most of my prints smaller than my usual 8 x 10 size. So this go 'round I'm focusing more on 5 x7 block prints. I trust his judgement. He has a pretty good feel for art festivals. Just that little bit of information has saved me a lot of time and angst.



For some reason I'm in a raven/pumpkin/gourd mode. Ravens are really difficult to cut. One teeny slip of the cutting tool and your raven has turned into a duck! or a sparrow! It's hard to 'splain (Lucy), but ravens are a challenge. Here's the first print of many that I've already printed. What do you think?

My lawn needs to be cut. Once upon a time I was the homeowner, on my block, who set the bar in keeping the yard mowed and trimmed. Neighbors followed suit within a day or two. However, I've had to REALLY prioritize my time lately. And most weekends and evenings, after work, have not included yard work. Geez, it shows. I feel like I need to "keep up with the Jones'." Where are the teens who used to come around and cut your grass for pocket change? Times have changed.

The ONB/Magic City Art Festival web site should be up. If I was as smart as my kids I could add a link here so that all you'd have to do is "click." Obvioulsy, I don't know how to do it so you'll just have to go to: www.magiccityart.com and check it out. I'm in the printmaking catagory.

March Madness

The title of this blog entry has nothing to do with the current college basketball frenzy that has gripped the country. But rather, it has more to do with the frantic, mad hatter's craziness that I'm feeling these days, as I prepare for my next outdoor art festival—the ONB/Magic City Art Festival located in Linn Park, downtown Birmingham. I simply can not believe that this month is almost over!

My art prep time is reaching a critical stage.
I'm not one to do anything at the last minute . . .so I'm starting to feel a bit of (self impossed) pressure to kick it up a notch. I still have a number of lino blocks to cut, print, package and/or frame. Then I'll need to make sure that my canopy tent, table, portfolio rack(s), and additional supplies are all in tip top shape. A couple of weeks ago, I ordered a Director's Chair from Dick Blick. Last October, when I participated in the 43rd Annual Bluff Park Art Festival, I stayed on my feet the entire time. I was one tired puppy at the end of the day. A friend who had assisted me, had the presence of mind to bring a couple of lawn chairs but customers came into the booth, stopped to chat and passed by every few minutes and I just couldn't find the time to sit. The thought of standing for 3 long days, this next go 'round, without a place to park my tush is more than a notion. At least with a tall Director's Chair, if I opt not to sit, I'll have a place to lean against.

In addition to my lino prints (on paper), I'll also offer 6-inch tiles with the same designs and bookplates. The tiles are actually being fired this week and should be ready within the next few days. I'm anxious to see the final product. If all goes well, I'll post pictures.