Before I forget, notes from the road that I took and had no real internet access. (who really has the patience to blog on a Droid? Not me)...if you’re ever traveling in an RV on I 10 through LA and TX, there’s a terrific rest area just east of the stateline in Slidell, LA. It’s the Welcome Center available to both east and west bound travelers, set off the interstate, and although it says no overnight parking, the security guard directed us to an RV campground area, separate from the big rigs, where they had a dump station and water pumps available free. Despite the fact it was 23 degrees that night and we had no gas for the genie for heat, we slept very well. It’s all about layering. It reminded me of the show I did in Cape Coral last January, when it was sleeting and dropped to 30 at night. We had just gotten the RV, and checking out the heater was not on the list of priorities. Who needs to worry about heat on an RV when you live in Florida, right?
Today we were able to venture out for pleasure, namely the Carefree Fine Art and Wine Festival, and enjoy this absolutely perfect weather that the Phoenix area has to offer this time of year. The civil engineers/ city planners of Carefree have built a spectacularly beautiful town in Carefree. I am enchanted by a town that does not have those horrible strip mall billboard store advertisements that seem to line every street in America, and concrete laid everywhere. The goal of this city's planning was to blend with the natural desert landscape, and they show what can be done with a little careful planning, more focus on aesthetics, and less on the almighty dollar. And a lot of buckos, too. Framer Dude was a little annoyed that we couldn't see what was in each shopping plaza as we passed, or even if it was a shopping plaza, and I suppose I see his point from the driver's seat of a ginormous dually in a town really geared for Porsches and Mini coopers. But it is a town that is a pleasure to explore, even if we had to turn around once or twice to find the Target to get our wireless adapter. But I digress...
Thunderbird, from what I've heard, is a family-oriented operation that puts on top-notch festivals, and there was great quality art at this show. There seemed to be a good balance of mediums, and in fact, seemed light on jewelry, probably because it was all very high end. I got to meet a few artists who will be exhibiting at the Expo next week, who were taking in a last weekend show before settling down for 10 weeks under the tents behind me. I am really looking forward to this Expo, and confident in Judy, Judi, and Dennis' abilities to attract the buying patrons. I must admit I have a few worries that I am not Southwest enough. But I guess that's the normal jitters when one ventures outside one's comfort zone. From what I've been reading in the AFI discussions, FL's shows have been losing ground for a while, so if I ( as a fairly newcomer to the business) was able to make some profit in FL, then anywhere else will seem like gravy. Right? No? I hear about the artists who did shows in the glory days of the 90's and sold out their inventory, had 5 figure shows, and I can't even wrap my mind around that...
This is an enormous setup that goes on here that even Framer Dude the Pragmatic was impressed by. The 2D artists' booths occupy probably close to 2 1/2 acres under the tent, and I can't fathom the work that goes into putting that puppy up. Then, there is an outdoor sculpture garden of about half an acre, which includes a Koi pond and specimen plants. I can't wait to see it all come together. We've met and broken bread (ok, cracked a beer with) some artists doing double duty and helping to erect this exhibit, and everyone is as nice as can be, which once again makes me glad to have chosen this profession (actually, it chose me). What's also super sweet is that my booth is only 200 dollying feet away from our RV (and bed)!
Tomorrow, I bust out the paints and start some sketching for new ideas. I love the desert and the cactus; it's so different than where I'm from, I'm getting a much needed kick in the pants to try something new! I just have to be careful when I back up while taking pictures: I almost sat on one of these.
