Blog

I couldn't find a Forum category for this so I came back to the more familiar Blog Spot. (LB feel free to move me...just tell me where.)

On the Committee thus far are Annette Piper, Larry Berman, Phil Crone, Lynda Wallis, Collette Zilka, Geoff Coe, Lauren Lasa and myself. I am publishing names because my mailbox went to OVERFLOW and I received those lovely ADMIN messages. So it is possible that I have missed someone whom I apologize to, if you sent an email and it was lost. Please, recontact me. lshields@wi.rr.com

Any AFI member who still wishes to join the committee, please, email me as well.

All members will receive an email this week as to how we'll proceed, timelines and early expectations.

I think it is a good idea to post the progress here. We need logical, creative and helpful comments from everyone.

Thanks,

Linda

July 2 & 3

St. Helena, California
100 Artists 

St. Helena Rotary is proud to announce a call for artists for our inaugural Napa Valley Art & Music Festival to be held July 2-3, from 10am-6pm.  There will be a Gala Preview Party on July 1st from 5:30pm-8:30pm.  Best of Show prize is $1,000!

St. Helena is in the heart of the Napa Valley, one of the country's most regarded travel destinations.  The area is best known for its world-renown wine making, but our region is also known for its fine food, beautiful scenery and upscale lifestyle.  The average visitor to Napa County is more mature, better educated and command a much higher income than the US or California average.

This year's festival is being held on the beautiful grounds of the Trinchero Family Estates, a vineyard and production facility. This is located right on Highway 29 for easy access by both artists and patrons.  The booths will be set up on the well-maintained grass, with trees and vaneyards surrounding the space. 

Event Features:

• 3 live bands each day playing original music
• Gourmet food trucks
• Children's area
• Local, regional and national advertising campaign

Artist Accommodations:

• Artist break area with volunteers to cover your booth space until you return
• Close to lodging and amenities
• No commission fees
• Inclusion in festival program

Visit www.nvamf.org/artistresources.html  to apply and view all of the resources for artists.  The lowest booth price is only $400.

Or Apply Today: www.juriedartservices.com 

For more information, please contact Sandy Durden at applications@nvamf.org or 707-603-2675 

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Looking for even more events for your 2011 art fair season?

Visit www.CallsforArtist.com for a great list!

 I just ran across this old blog entry as I was working through my comments section.  Interesting enough, there was a comment from a Connei Mettler there.   

This post is still relevant today as it was in 2009.  May I wish all of my friends a great continuing year!

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Friday, January 30, 2009

Support Your Local Artist

Metal is heating up at the Clifton homestead, and Mackie is getting ready for Superbowl Sunday. Interesting enough is that she is the football fan in our family. She's a Steeler's fan and I'm doing the typical male thing and picking the Cardinals....I like the bird....OK.

Back to more important things. Arrrrt! It's crazy the ideas that are running around in my head. Is it the new year? How about challenging times for the country? Hmm. I believe that it's my inner child. Yeah. I never wanted to grow up anyway.

I've read lots of articles lately that art shows are struggling to attract artists. Some have even resorted to reducing their booth rental rates. Don't buy into all the negativity. If I had a nickel for every negative thing I heard on a news forecast, I'd be a rich man. Matter a fact, just quit watching the news, and I believe you will be a lot happier.

I remember meeting a Russian woman that told me about her son and how they made it in America. Unemployment was high and major industries in the area were not hiring, and I was very fortunate to land this position.

The lady told me how they moved to the US with nothing and started a sandwich shop near downtown and now had five of them. They were moving into a new house overlooking Lake Washington and while gazing over the lake said these words I'll never forget. She said, "it's a good thing that we did not have time to watch tv or read the newspaper. Otherwise, we would have heard that it was a terrible time to start our business and would have failed." And then she laughed and said that she loved America.

The moral of the story is to buy art.

hi all,

im a mixed media functional artist. wholesale for 20 yrs, now retailing at shows for 5 yrs. did tempe ariz recently. disappointed. lots of people, not spending as i had hoped. wearables were doing well.

we need more quality artists to apply to our small local Taos shows.

re promoters - Blue Skies productions

and     Taos Chamber of Commerce.

you wont get rich at our shows, but you ll have a great time if you add a mini vacation!

What a fabulous show we had in Marco Island this past weekend! Richard Sullivan made sure that we'd lots of advertising, support, great venue, space, easy set up and breakdown, and even provided am snacks and coffee! Our sales exceeded any of the 35 shows that we do in a year!

Even though we could simply depend on each promotor to provided customers, we always do our own email and postcard promotion for an additional incentive to our former customers. It would be fabulous if all artists could be sure that their former customers knew when they were exhibiting!

When one of our customers wanted to find a particular product, Richard Sullivan was on hand for a recommendation . He knows his vendors well and personally brings customers to them. We've done numerous shows with Richard Sullivan of Boulderbrook Productions and have been thrilled with every experience.

Sincerely,

Loren and Kathy Bell

I am proud to be the Chairperson of First Huntley Artfest

Our fair will take place on August 20 & 21st in Huntley, IL.   

Artfest is a Family Festival featuring Fine Arts & Fine Crafts, with a Stage Area of hourly entertainment, concessions, and FREE on site Parking to all Artist.

Visit First Huntley Artfest at: http://www.firsthuntleyartfair.org/

contact me at  theling@firsthuntleyartfest.org

PDF application is on the website.

Thought you may be interested in this article :

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2011/04/06/157711_local-news.html

You may have heard that we had a cyclone hit the Queensland coast a couple of months back.  This is how one community is adding some life back into their town - with art :)

OK, I keep running into this.  It says under media categories...watercolor...reproductions of all kinds prohibited.  And then in another place it describes in detail what kind of repros are allowed (ie limited edition prints).  Well, are they allowed or not?  If they aren't allowed in watercolor what are they allowed in???  That is just stupid.  

I applied to a show once that said this and when I went of course 90%of the painters  had reproductions.  I like following the rules...BUT

I am thinking repros ARE allowed, does anyone know for sure?

Are you an Artist?

I just attended an exhilarating conference in Detroit hosted by the Detroit Creative Corridor Center, titled: Rust Belt to Artist Belt III. This conference originated in Cleveland and we were fortunate to have it here in the Motor City this year.

I am not writing to tell you about the conference but about the attendees. There were approximately 300 people in attendance representative of all mediums such as: graphic designers, landscape designers, architects, photographers, fashion designers, sculptors, painters and at least one jewelry designer…me!

I had the opportunity to mingle at the parties and during the breaks and I came up with an ice-breaking question, “Are you an Artist?” It was a simple enough of an inquiry, so I thought, but it provoked an emotional response that I did not anticipate.

“Me? An artist?” most replied with a look of confusion and self-doubt. One woman, in particular who held a Masters Degree of Fine Art, could not answer yes to this question.

Wow! This made me realize that most artists lack confidence.

But why?

If I ask my seven-year old niece if she is an artist she would say yes. I think the difference is, in her mind, she believes she is an artist. I am not sure if adult artists have lost that confidence along the way or if external forces like juries and judges have intimidated their beliefs. Or, are they comparing themselves to the esteemed and extolled?

I do not have the answer to why but I do know that if you want to succeed as a creative individual or own a creative business you must be shameless in announcing to the world that, you, are an artist!

My kindergarten teacher told my mother that I was going to be an artist when I grew up.

So I kept drawing. Then I painted. Then I was an advertising artist. Then I became a video producer. Now I am a jewelry designer that primarily beads with a little wire wrapping thrown in for fun.

Maybe it just takes one person to believe in you even if that one person is yourself.

In my heart and soul…I have always been an artist. Are you an artist?

As I sit here busily creating surrounded by mess (strands of pearls, piles of gems, pieces of silver and a myriad of tools) that steadily closes in on me in an ever decreasing circle, so that I'm working in the most ridiculously tiny amount of space ... I need to know does everyone else find their work area getting chaotic too? Or am I just a messy worker?

Obviously this is my "process" as I love what I make from my very messy bench, but I'm sure my friends are shocked when they see me at work for the first time wondering how I could possibly work like this (they're not creative types) and are happily surprised when they see what finally emerges.

I must add that I DO periodically put things away and make the circle bigger, but a big tidy up leaves me bereft of creativity for a days if not weeks.  Once I sit down and start 'playing' (my precursor to creating) it rapidly gets chaotic again.

Please tell me I'm not alone :)

October 8 & 9
Houston, Texas

• Best in Show - Kevin Peterson - Painting/ Acrylic or Oil
• Second Place - Signe Grushovenko - Painting/ Acrylic or Oil 
• Third Place - Theresa Honeywell - Mixed Media 3D  
• MFAH Curatorial Award for Excellence in Sculpture - Tiffany Ownbey, Sculpture  
• Best Booth - Tiffany Ownbey, Sculpture  
• Cadillac Best of Show Houston Artist - Steve Harris - Mixed Media 2D

Applications currently accepted viz ZAPP:

www.zapplication.org  

For more information:

www.bayoucityartfestival.com/artist-information  

Contact Info: Kelly Kindred

kelly@bayoucityartfestival.com  

When you work hard with special care or effortlessly from some kind of pure place of personally unique concentration then the art you are creating is precious and unparalleled in value. That this is true whether or not a juror helping assemble a show thinks it's a good fit or not into that show doesn't take away from any of this value. Ever. Can't happen. Good work reflects unique vision. And unique vision operates quite beyond the financial realm. Mind you, most of us can't afford to lock into pure Vision and pay our bills so some commercialization or popularization of our artistic voice has to happen in order for it to relate to the hearts of the people who will eventually connect with and even buy our work.

That's ok, that's just us interpreting our unique Vision for the outside world. Part of the education process we artists offer the world at-large.

Ain't no jury gonna tell you otherwise. What's yours is yours and rejections can't take that from you.

Don't absorb whatever energy you think might be contained in a non-invite to ANY show. Chances are it's not the integrity of your work, your images, or your booth that done your chances in this go round - more likely it's just a plethora of entries bouncing off the eyes of well intentioned jurors who must stay somewhat mindful of the potential of the local populace to embrace the work they're choosing. As much as not being included into a show shouldn't hurt is as much as being included in a show shouldn't make you feel good!

Don't absorb any of that noise. None of it's healthy. Stay pure to your Vision, your process, your optimism and know that what happens next is perfect and right - no matter what.

Figure these shows are all moving targets and the best way to catch the ones you need are to:

• apply to multiple shows with an open mind
• stay true to you vision but
• be willing to grow and adapt when doing so serves you
• Big shows aren't always big shows and neither are little ones always little ones

When you don't get into the shows you hoped for log into this site to semi-privately blow off steam so you can go back to your drawing board and design or re-do the work you feel reflects the world you care to illuminate. Because no jury's decision is going to help you do that, yea or nae. That's not their job. That's your job. And you do it well. You do it so well you're unstoppable!

2nd year exhibiting in Marco, Very successful both years !  Richard always do extensive effective publicity in all local news paper.  Also always have media exposure during the show it self.  I have exhibit in Boulderbrook Art Shows for now 3 Years and from every show, I have been featured in the news paper with pictures, article etc...    All Boulderbrook shows for me have always been very very successful.

Small, quaint, very high end Artist and very high end & educated client. 

Its not the quantity with Richard Sullivan its the quality!

Looking for any info on the Collingswood Crafts & fine art fair in Collingswood, NJ oon Aug. 20 & 21.

Has anyone done it or have any info on it. T

Collingswood is across the river from Philiadelphia.

Every year one of the committee asks me to do it(or rather apply).

It's a 10 hr. dr. (not that the distance would stop me.) Thinking about it this year.

Thanks, Toni

It was 1998, metro Detroit, Jon Witz was encouraged by Brooks Patterson, the Oakland County Executive to challenge Ann Arbor by bringing traffic to the gallery and restaurant district in Pontiac, MI. How about a new concept: art, music and food? Arts, Beats & Eats was born. The first year we rounded up 95 risk taking artists who listened to our pitch that promised large crowds brought in with excellent PR.

(Sonny Dalton sells a big sculpture to a customer - ABE 2009)

In subsequent years Arts, Beats & Eats' successes rolled with the economy. Over 800 applications for the 2000 show. As the years went by the application would go out in late January and by the end of February Lisa Konikow, my art fair director partner, would be wailing that no one was applying. I would say "wait until the last week before you start despairing." In the last few days the mail bags would be full and we'd be swamped with paperwork. Every year she would call in February, March and early April and be worried, then the mail would roll in.

(Painter Bruce Holwerda, happy in Pontiac)

Then bad things happened to the Michigan economy and subsequently to the rest of the nation. Detroit was especially hard hit and the applications were hard to come by. One year we had hardly enough to fill the show (unless you wanted to have 85 jewelers in a 150 booth show, that is.) We both watched the dribble of applications heading our way. We just had about hit rock bottom, so many artists saying they wouldn't be back to Michigan for a long time. We lost our Chrysler sponsorship, heck, we almost lost Chrysler. We got through 2009, barely. Many thanks to the artists who stayed with us.

In late 2009 the city of Pontiac was asking for much more than the event could afford to hold the event on its streets. Then a white knight came to the rescue. The upscale trendy hip suburb of Royal Oak was willing to pay to have the event come there. Can you believe artists held back and didn't apply last year? I mean more than the year before, yes. Who didn't believe in this event to bring in the people, people who love events, people who live in one of the wealthiest counties in the country?

I told my friends to apply. There was no doubt in my mind that this was the ticket. Then Ford showed up to sponsor. Bills could be paid, staff could hang in another year. Did anyone come to the 2010 Renaissance of Arts, Beats & Eats? Well, yes! On Sunday it was so crowded that twice we had to close the gates and make people wait until some people left. Did any artists make any money? Like everywhere some didn't make booth fee, some made a little, some were happy and some more were really happy. Lisa and I received love letters.

(Dave Piper regales Linda & Rick Bachman in Pontiac 2008)

A couple of reasons why this event can work in the midst of food, a carnival, huge crowds and lots of stages is that it is held in an affluent area where people have always loved the art fairs and have good jobs. Add to the aficionados people who don't give a lick about art but come for the top bands and the fine restaurant food, but as long as they are here they'll look at the art, they find something they love and they buy it. So it is an audience building event. It converts new people to being buyers.

Then this winter the Art Fair Sourcebook published its top 2010 shows. In 2009 ABE was ranked #321, or something really bad like that, in 2010 we were ranked #4. What?? 

So we go back to the drawing board.What does this mean? Between the word-of-mouth (the most reliable information) and this rating surely we would have more applications than last year. "Thousands," says Lisa. "800," says Connie.

(Detroit area clients love Allan Teger and his Bodyscapes))

Cut to the chase. Application online with Juried Art Services in early February. By the end of February we had around 100 applications. Lisa is in despair. What do I say? "Wait until the last week." End of March we have around 150 applications. Last week we had crossed the 300 mark. Still, don't you always hear shows get thousands of applications? Listen, Virginia, there is no such show that gets thousands. Since we are all insiders here, let me tell you, even the very BEST show tops out around 1500. Most shows are well under 1000 and even under 500. Heck, you can put on a very classy show with 500 applications, as long as 400 of them aren't jewelry and photography. (not dissing those categories, I'm sure you know).

(Don't even try to be in a hurry to get through this scene, relax and enjoy the ambiance)

So we are heading to tomorrow night's deadline (looks like I have the wrong deadline on the front of this site) April 12 - midnight. Have we gotten any more applications? Well, yes. In fact 25 on Saturday, 32 on Sunday and today it is going mighty strong. So the next time any of you see Lisa, please tell her to be patient. No matter what you do the artists wait until the last minute.

Many, many thanks to the artist community who have participated in this show. Will we make 1000? please ... 800? nope, not even near. Enough to have a fabulous show? You bet!

Excuse me now while I refresh my browser...

After several positive posts in a previous blog and after discussing this issue with Connie, we have the go ahead to form a committee for a FAQ tab on this site.

Here are Connie's exact words: "I would be very pleased to have you and some others put together an FAQ about the site. It would be a good community building activity. Do you think you can line up some others to help you with this? I would support this and help get it published and available, blog about it, etc. "

This is a great opportunity for YOU to have your opinion heard in the questions that will be included in the link.

It can help us organize the site neatly, stop repeat questions and draw the outside surfer to our ranks if he has some help getting oriented.
 

This will be a positive, proactive, non-partisan think tank  fueled by a great group of modern-day designers: US!

Please, email me at lshields@wi.rr.com to get started.

Thanks 

The 4^th annual Celebration of the Arts was put on by the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. Wesley Chapel is in Pasco county about 25 miles outside of Tampa and 94 miles outside of Orlando. The show was located at the Shops at Wiregrass which is an outdoor mall with widely known chain stores, great restaurants and bars and a new night club. The show was lined along the main street with about 100 artists displaying their art. It was $165 to be in for both days.

For me, being relatively new to the art show scene, this show was great . They offered a Friday night set up. Since the show takes place at a very busy mall, they could not close the streets until after the mall closed. We were allowed to set up at 10:30 at night. Usually I set up by myself, but with this being so late at night, I bribed my husband with a few margaritas and he agreed to help me. We arrived to set up at 10pm and the show promoters were ready to go. We were handed out spot assignments and were free to set up. We were able to pull right up to our spot and take our time. So nice.

I arrived on Saturday morning at 8:00 am and the show started at 10 am. The parking was close to my tent, so it was very easy to cart my art without much hassle. Saturday started off extremely slow. Surprisingly, there were not many art patrons or mall shoppers that day. Maybe because it was the hottest day of the year so far. It really felt like the middle of July in Florida. That being said, the promoters helped us make the best of it. They had volunteers in golf carts continuously driving up and down the strip offering us free water and snacks.

Saturday was a slow day for me. I make mixed media wall art that ranges from $70 to $500. I had one good sale in the morning, which automatically covered my costs plus some. So I was happy. But the rest of the day, nada. I did see some other sales though. Many lawn ornaments (it is Florida after all), a few small watercolor pieces, really anything you could fit in a small bag. If you are like me and sell items that are big and require a little muscle, it just wasn’t happening.

That night, there was an awards ceremony at they new club at the end of the mall. They had 6 awards with $2000 being the top award. All of the winners were very deserving. The top prize went to a mixed media artist. Beautiful work.

Sunday was a different story. The mall was packed. Sales were not huge in price but they were plentiful. The show was from 11-6 that day and I had 1 sale every hour. For me, this is fantastic. I wasn’t able to talk to many of the other artists because I was surrounded by car dealers and newspaper vendors, but the few I did talk to (a jeweler and a leather craftsman) did well.

Closing time was at 6pm. We were asked not to bring our cars to out tents until our space was completely broken down. As I was breaking down at 6:12pm, I look behind me and there was a caravan of cars lined up to get close to their tent. I guess some people missed the memo or just chose to ignore it. After the caravan moved along, I was able to pack up my stuff, get my car and call it a day.

All in all, this was a really enjoyable and profitable show for me. It was my last show for the season before I pick back up in October. Free water and snacks, really good live entertainment that was going on all day, events for kids and the awards ceremony. I think it was the little touches that made it more enjoyable. And for the Chamber, who has only been doing this for a short time, I think they did a really great job.

This is my fifth or sixth Hyde Park show, run by Howard Alan Events.  It's a twice-yearly event: The fall show, held (if memory serves) the second week in October, is my unofficial kickoff to the fall season; the spring show is timed to follow the seasonal migration of artists northward out of SW Florida.

Hyde Park is a lovely urban setting on a street lined by majestic live oaks, upscale shops, and quaint frame houses turned into cafes, botiques, and the like.  (For more background on the area and the demographics, see my earlier post.) To this former Denver, CO resident, it reminds me of Cherry Creek. 

Alas, if only the sales did, too.  Although Hyde Park produced dependable sales for me in my first four visits, last fall's sales dropped about 50%.  And this past weekend dropped right off the edge of the table.  I left with barely enough to cover expenses...and that only because I opted to save one night's hotel stay by driving up early, early on Saturday morning from Fort Myers, 2.5 hours to the south. 

Arriving a bit late at 7:20 AM (note to self: fill up the #%*@ van on Friday night when leaving at 4 AM Saturday), I was cheerily greeted by Pia and quickly found my booth space.  This show has a notoriously tight layout, so you have to work efficiently and cooperatively with your neighbors.  And that's when the bad surprises began:  One, the new owners of a yoga studio behind me requested that the sidewalks be kept clear.  Bye-bye, storage space...or so it seemed, but I saw the owner sitting out on the lawn.  So I fluffed up my aura, introduced myself, and asked if I could stow supplies on the side of her property, out of sight.  Sure, she said.  Problem solved.

More problematic was the parking situation: Alan has always arranged artists to park on a grassy lot about six blocks from the show entrance.  And according to the show literature, it would be available again.  But as I set up, I learned that the city had withdrawn permission for the space, and a school, considerably farther away, was the only alternative.  Then I was told that if you just had a minivan, the rooftop level of a  parking garage just across from my space was available.  Then, after I parked there,  we were told the owner withdrew permission and we would have to move.  I solved that problem by returning to my van and removing the artist parking pass from the dashboard. I'm not sure how other artists managed. 

But then, there was the weather to contend with: Unseasonably hot and humid, with a largely cloudless blue sky and temperatures that broke 90 both days.  And that, my friends,  I had no solution for.  Crowds were sparse on Saturday, and only somewhat better on Sunday.  And whether due to the heat, the looming tax deadline, or the departure of snowbirds, buyers were few and far between.  Although I rarely left my booth all weekend--thank God I was under an oak tree, or I'd have been parboiled alive--I did have time to speak to about a dozen artists:  Most did no better than I, although one of my neighbors sold two large paintings at the close of the show to rescue a nice profit on the weekend. 

As I always do, I asked visitors where they were from, and nearly all were year-round residents from the Hyde Park area.  Only one snowbird...and they were flying out Sunday night.  So, despite the late Easter weekend, it seems like all the snowbirds have flown the coop.

There ARE some kudos to hand out, despite the poor sales.  Dan, one of Alan's new hires, did an especially nice job controlling access to the area during breakdown and directing artists to pull-in spots that kept the streets clear for the next guy.  Authoritative, but pleasant. Much appreciated!  And the local police were very helpful in directing me around the winding streets surrounding the show venue so that I could pull up close to my spot without driving through the entire show venue. And the yoga studio owner was a real sweetheart.  I gave her a print for her new studio as I left the show.

Overall, this is an event I'm going to be scratching my head about for some time.  It's always been a favorite, but I might have overstayed my welcome in Hyde Park.  We'll see. 

2010 Festival Poster by Michael Madzo

The staff at the Atlanta Arts Festival hopes you've had a wonderful start to the new season of art fairs! As we send out the application and information for the 2011 Festival (available on ZAPP)
at www.zapplication.org

or AtlantaArtsFestival.com, we wanted to recap 2010.

2010 was a great year. Our media sponsors provided approx $105,000 worth of radio and print marketing and advertising. This, along with an extensive PR campaign, gave the Festival very broad coverage in Atlanta and the Southeast region.

You, our Artists, gave us great feedback. We had a return rate of 38% on our surveys, and we sincerely appreciate you all taking the time to complete and return them. One point of interest, the average sales figure was over $2,200, with a high of nearly $12,000!

We also received feedback from Festival visitors as they were asked by Jackson Research to fill out surveys. There were 1033 surveys completed, providing some excellent demographic information.

What does this mean to you? Better marketing from AAF for 2011! We heard your suggestions, and are currently dedicating additional budget for a variety of new and expanded marketing and advertising initiatives. We also understand that the "down" economy has negatively impacted you, so we are pleased to announce reduced fees for corner and electrical booths. While we wish we could help out further in this area, our permitting and productions costs continue to rise while our revenue stream also declines, therefore limiting our options. We all look forward to a better economy in 2011!

As always, this Festival wouldn't exist without your support and incredible talent. We look forward to making the 2011 AAF the best year ever!

-Atlanta Arts Festival Staff

Ok, my last post on this, probably.  I just wanted to mention that it seems some folks believe that those of us who print on canvas do so to emulate painting.  For me that is certainly not the case.  Especially in the outdoor art fair environment canvas has several advantages.  The image can be displayed without putting it under glass.  Of course this in itself has several advantages, (much less weight, lack of breakage, and most importantly from the standpoint of quality of image one doesn't have to look through glass.  So the image can have a more immediate appeal.   If it gets dirty or wet, it can be easily cleaned and not simply thrown away.  I won't argue about the quality of canvas vs. paper.  I will admit I slightly prefer paper for quality of print and lack of surface texture.  But the canvas' available offer incredible quality and where digital printing has surpassed film in range of tone (not in capture, in printing) I believe the canvas I use equals the range of traditional film printing at least.  Adios, off to fold notecards (reproductions, it says so right on the box) and watch the last holes of the Masters.  By the way, canvas or not, I wish I could sell a lot more work.  The only way I continue to justify trying to sell at fairs is the pleasure it brings taking it to the few who get it and meeting fellow artists and craftspeople. 

A personal note to Michelle:  I spent many great years as a child in Florence KY. Lived on St. Judes Circle when it was only a semicircle!  The last time I was there, the remains of our 3 story treehouse still stood!  It's all good.   Schlomoe Lipschitz once told me,( he was sitting in front of walls of electronics to be repaired,) when I asked him how he faced this mountain of work he was hired to do, he told me "Jerry, when you enjoy what you do, time is of no consequence"