Greetings fellow artists! Happy to be a new card carrying AFI member- after years of curiosity breeding interest and ultimately passion to pursue MY own dream, I hope to make 2015 THE year for finally gaining traction toward becoming a bona fide art fair participant. I'm impressed with those who have taken the leap before me and I look forward to eventually setting up a (well weighted) tent next to some fellow AFI member. No real question here, just a warm hello and in introduction from a new member.
I've enjoyed attending the Plaza and Brookside art fairs for years but didn't realize how spoiled I was by their quality until reading AFI. My interest in participating as an artist, however, was sparked a few years ago after buying some inspired Christmas gifts from a metal artist. Though I haven't committed to a specific melieu or design theme (or even business name), I've most certainly been bitten by the concept. I've been an avid DIYer for years, flipped a couple houses and completed remodel/fabrication projects for friends and family. I don't need to explain to anybody reading this that if it's in your blood, it's not something lightly dismissed or ignored. One could do worse than finding a productive, potentially profitable outlet for your passions, no?
So that's the dream- now to make it happen. I feel fortunate that I'm able to pursue this with minimal resistance. The kids are grown, I'm single, debt free and currently deployed with the Army National Guard. When I return I'd like to spend the rest of 2015 pursuing personal projects, including buying/rehabbing the other half of my duplex for long term rental, developing several unrelated projects and settling on an art medium and inventory for my big debut in the 2016 season. I was fairly settled on my thin-gauge mixed metal concepts but lately I've been considering another functional art medium altogether. It all comes down to saleability, after all.
We've all thrown thousands of dollars at one thing or another over time (toys, car depreciation, vacations, hobbies, dumb investments, etc.). I already have the tools that need to earn their keep, so I'm willing to spend (invest) the money wisely up front on a proper tent, etc. as needed. But first I need to get the inventory and photography so I can even apply. I look forward to the challenges and the learning curve. But I most look forward to realizing the dream that people might value my creativity and workmanship enough to make it a worthwhile pursuit. As he said, "hey... I gots to know."
Replies
Hey Joseph,
Welcome to the fold! I'm afraid I don't have any military experience to share or for that matter any real art fair experience, as I too, am a newbie. We're delighted to have you here and hope you'll find the answers to all your questions on this user-friendly site. Thanks for signing up and best of luck to you.
Welcome aboard, fellow national defense guardian! I was USMC, a.k.a Teufel Hunden. Co. A, 3rd Reconaissance Battalion (-) from 1984-1988, and then for three months during Operation Desert Storm. I wasn't deployed in the campaign, just stationed stateside in North Little Rock, Arkansas at Camp Robinson, the Army National Guard base where the Marine Reservists had their post.
You may have seen us in Brookside in 2007 and 2009. We had to cancel 2008 due to hospitalization. Donna Potts, Director, is first-rate and runs a tight ship. Well oiled. Fun show. Just not really very good sales for us at the time. Maybe we'd do better now? I dunno.
We go to Florida, mostly. Do a fall and spring tour each year clocking about 6,000 miles each trip since our home & studio is in Wyoming. We've scaled back a bit since we used to travel anywhere from 20,000-25,000 miles annually. Like back when we did Brookside. 2011 was a real downer and made us reconsider our travels a bit.
Are you a dirty nasty leg? Audie Murphy was a leg. I put my knees in the breeze in early 1987. Here's a photo of the USMC group on graduation day at Fort Benning, GA. That's me, Corporal Bryant, holding the Guidon at right. Look forward to seeing you here on AFI and at a future show. WOOHOO!
Wow, small world, Barry. Would you believe I'm deployed with an Engineer company that's based in Camp Robinson? Too funny. Sadly, I'm too darned old for that high speed stuff, so I'll have to be content as a combat engineer (re-trained as a construction heavy equipment operator for this deployment). But who knows what the future holds...