Workshop in Porterville

What a strikingly beautiful weekend! This type of day is why February is my favorite month. This is the depot where the workshop was held:

This is the mirror so I could show the massive crowds my work and they could watch me produce it. Nice idea, but there were about 9 folks who braved the storm Friday night, so I was able to pass around my examples and let each person examine them closely.

These are the folks who decided to return on Saturday for the hands-on workshop. There could have been a crowd of 30, so this small group was almost just like my regular drawing lessons. It was a real  treat to get to know each person a little bit and spend more time helping each one.

Baxter was my host on Friday night. Terrific dog!

Demonstration and Workshop

On February 25 and 26, I will be giving a demonstration and workshop in Porterville for their very active art association. There is still space if you’d like to register. The cost is $30 for members of the P’ville Art Assn. and $35 for non-members. I may have mentioned a time or two that I love to draw, and pencil drawing will be the subject of the events.

Everyone likes a freebie – door prize, raffle prize, pick-a-prize, silent auction, live auction, buy-one-get-one-free. (I like free stuff too, particularly consumables, specifically dark chocolate.) This is what I am donating to the Porterville Art Association – not sure how they will turn it into a freebie. Guess we will all have to attend!

Forgive Us Our Trespasses

This is 16×12″ oil on wrapped canvas. It represents 2 days of exploring Yokohl Valley last March at the height of wildflower season. I spent an inordinate amount of time on it, and almost had to break out my blow dryer to have it dry in time for the show! “Yokohl Valley Revisited” at the Tulare Historical Museum opened last night.

The title of this paintings has 2 meanings: a fair amount of trespassing was involved in gathering my photos. Number two: in the Bible “trespasses” means sin; I think it would be a sin to turn this gorgeous place into a city. I can just hear my Very Wise Dad saying in his overly calm voice meant to soothe but also a bit infuriating, “Everybody has to live somewhere.”

Yokohl Valley Show

Next week I will deliver a new painting to the Tulare Historical Museum. They are having a themed exhibit entitled “Yokohl Valley Revisted”. If you are a follower of this blog, you may recall a photography trip I took through the Yokohl Valley last spring – see the April 2 and April 3 postings. (I thought I was gathering info for a show in the Bay Area, but it turned out to be for plein air painters, which I am not.) There were so many beautiful photos from which to choose – I carried the best ones around to several spring shows and also polled my students. The view with the highest number of votes is the one I chose to paint. Out of respect for the Tulare Historical Museum, I won’t post the painting here until after the show opening. The title might pique your interest – “Forgive Us Our Trespasses” popped into my mind as soon as I began the painting, and it can be interpreted in two different ways. The opening reception is Thursday, January 13, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. No admission is charged (hmmm, can we peek into the museum during the reception??) and there are refreshments. Depending on the number of paintings at the show, they might also accept this painting that I did for an earlier Yokohl Valley show. (popular subject – go here to learn more: Save Yokohl Valley)

Behind Rocky Hill, 16×12″, oil on wrapped canvas

Here is something rather astonishing that I discovered on a blog I read from time to time called “Abby Try Again” – in her January 3, 2011 posting this interesting and creative photographer with roots in Tulare County showed her favorite photographs of 2011. Look at this list, and tell me what you think about the last photo. Abby Try Again

Sundries

Not “sundried” but “sundries” – it is a word that means “various items not important enough to be mentioned individually”.

Sometimes the sun is so good coming through the windows of the workshop that I can prop small paintings on the door for photography purposes. Kind of handy to not mess with the tripod!

This was the Stocking Stuffer boutique. It was more of a girl-hang-out day than a work day.

Presentation is Everything

Having just finished another weekend show and sale, I’ve been thinking about the truism “presentation is everything”. During set-up, I was done quickly so I had time to help Ginny Wilson, photographer extraordinaire. She brings so much inventory to shows that it takes 2 vehicles to transport all her support materials and the merchandise. Together, we hauled tables, scooted display screens, unpacked boxes, and constantly discussed which pieces should go where – both the display pieces and the photographs. There was a great deal of adjusting and stepping back to survey the scene from a visitor’s point of view. Her space looked bright and inviting, and a side effect was that I brought lights for my own area the next day.

On Friday, my fellow artisans told me that they had been studying my work and decided the ice cream cone (called “Worth It!”) was in the wrong frame AND should be displayed at “lickable” height! I pulled it from the frame and replaced it with the wreath painting. BOOM, the wreath sold!

On Saturday, I rearranged my paintings. This time, instead of isolating the bright little fruit/vegetable/leaf squares onto one screen, I clustered them in groups and used them to surround some of the scenery. This is how it looked partway through the day:

Those bright little squares began selling themselves. I rearranged several times, trying different groupings. My hope, of course, was to sell scenery AND little squares, but sales are sales. If people want those little pieces of fruit, I want them to have those little pieces of fruit. There is no photo at the end of the day because I hadn’t planned on writing this post and the screens looked too bare to bother photographing. Bottom line: presentation is everything. There is no One Right Way, but there is definitely something to that arranging thing that causes people to notice and be drawn in.

Another Perfect Gift Boutique for the Record Books!

Janene lives in Three Rivers and makes all this wonderful natural skin care stuff.

Ja Nene Natural Body Products – for the whole family

Nikki is a Master Weaver who also makes soy candles – and she draws beautifully too!

Handweaving by Nikki

Marn sold poppy seeds for the Three Rivers Arts Alliance.

Arts Alliance of Three Rivers CA

Wendy is a versatile artist with a terrific studio/art shop in Three Rivers called Colors.

Wendy McKellar, Three Rivers artist

Perfect Gift Boutique

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Three Rivers Arts Center

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Here is a look at the building and some of the vendors and merchandise:

my space

some of Ginny Wilson’s photography (it will make you want to travel!)

Homepage

Sam McKinney’s Gourd Art (you should see her miniature ornaments!)

We  pierced women can always use another pair of earrings from Tina!

Tina St John Designs – Home

The painting of the wreath sold but there are plenty of other items from which to choose!

Show Summary

Shows take a ton of work:  gather the work, package it, price it, load it, unload it, set it up, and THEN sit there for a day hoping people come, hoping they buy, hoping they buy lots of things and mostly big things.

It rained hard the day of the Senior League Bazaar.  There were hardy vendors who set up outside the Memorial Building with canopies. My space was dry inside the building, this year near the windows for better lighting (and a beautiful view of the Chinese pistache trees). Some neighbors of mine had no canopy for their outside space, so I squished my stuff and myself over. Who knows if it enhanced the visitation to both our spaces or if it diminished each of us?? I just know they needed to be dry in order to sell their wares. (Where is that dad-gum crystal ball???)

The show seemed crowded and noisy, always a good sign. It is always a bit surprising that I can walk great distances at a fast pace and feel fine but talking and listening in a noisy room for a day wipes me out. Felt as if I talked and listened to a ton of people but wasn’t selling much. When it was time to pack up, it seemed as if I was taking the same amount of merchandise back to the studio that I brought. Funny thing is that I made money – an average amount for a 1 day show. Go figure! And, I picked up a commission and perhaps another drawing student. Shows are about marketing, exposure, and public relations just as much as they are about sales.