Artist's Review of the 25th Annual Firefly Art Fair - Wauwatosa, WI

25th Annual Firefly Art Fair

This past weekend, August 6 & 7th I exhibited at one of my all time favorite art shows, the 25th Annual Firefly Art Fair sponsored by the Wauwatosa Historical Society in Wauwatosa, WI.

This was the first art show I've done this season and was looking forward to seeing how the economy would have its effect on this particular show.  I've done this show for 14 years and it has always been a top selling show for me.

Below you will see photos, which I took on Saturday during the show.  They are a sad commentary on how art shows have declined over the past several years.  Saturday, at the Firefly, which was always crowded with art goers and "buyers", was down to almost no people attending, which made for hardly any "buyers".

This is a shot from my booth down the isle!!  This was about an hour after the show opened at 10 a.m.!!



Tables set up in the Victorian garden where people can sit and eat their food.  This area is normally crowded with "eating" customers.  Not this weekend!!

The Silient Auction area at one point on Saturday.  There were a lot of great art to bid on, donated from the artists.  Where are all the people!

Other years, people are normally lined up to get into this show.  This is a view of one of the entrances near my booth.  The entrance fee was raised to $4.00 this year from $3.00 in previous years.

This group was part of the entertainment at the show.  They were having a good time singing old time songs!

This is a fun couple we met at various art shows and they always have a great sense of humor!  Beautiful carvings on gourds is their medium!  This is what makes doing shows fun......when you reconnect with other artists which you have met over the years.

OK, here I am....still smiling, even though my sales were down from previous years over $1,300!  Iconsider myself very fortunate in not having to depend on art sales to live!  There were other artists at the show that didn't sell anything or next to nothing.  My sister and I always have a good time and "laughs" no matter what the show is like.  It is always fun to meet and talk to new people and visit with previous customers and artists.

My sister, Dianne!  Can't imagine doing a show without her!  She is so good at displaying my art.  In the past I usually always had at least 80 - to 100 creations to sell, but this year I only started with 22 figures and my fiber jewelry.  Since my husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer last May and passed away in October, 2010, I didn't have the time to spend all the hours I used to in creating.  I truly believe that everything works out the way it is supposed to and that there is a purpose to everything that happens in life. If there were a lot more buyers at the show this year, I could have run out of inventory!!  

The key is to keep on smiling and laugh a lot!!

The FIRELY is still my favorite show, so we shall see what next year brings!  My next show will be the Waukesha Art Fest on September 10, 2011, in historic downtown Waukesha.  If you live in the area.....stop by for a visit!

25th Annual FIRELY ART FAIR - Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

Handknit fiber necklace!

I will be exhibiting in one of my favorite art shows the weekend of August 6th & 7th....the FIREFLY ART FAIR!

It is one of the nicest art fairs around with its setting on the grounds of the historic Kneeland-Walker House and Gardens in Wauwatosa, WI. (7406 Hillcrest Drive)

I will have a variety of my original designed fiber fantasy creations along with my fiber fantasy jewelry!  If you live nearby be sure to visit the FIREFLY ART FAIR.  The grounds are beautiful, food is great, and of course there is a lot of great art to choose from.  My booth # is 89. 

The dates are:  August 6 & 7th, Admission $4.00, Hours:  10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (both Sat. & Sun) 

Fiber Sculpted Rainbow Fairy

Stop by for a visit!

To see some of the creations that will be available at the FIREFLY, click on the word DZFANTASY below the thumbnail photo.

Artist's Review of 24th Annual FIREFLY ART FAIR - Wauwatosa, WI

Photo of Victorian Gardens at the 24th Annual FIREFLY ART FAIR...Just beautiful!

This past weekend, August 7th and 8th, I was exhibiting at the FIREFLY ART FAIR in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.  I've been doing this show for about 8 years, and it still remains my "all time favorite show"!  The grounds are just gorgeous, the environment and vibes at this show are so delightful.  This show attracts a lot of knowlegeable art buyers, which makes for a fun and enjoyable experience for both the customers and artists alike.

I just had a "feeling" this was going to be a great weekend, when I got up Saturday at 5 a.m. to get ready for the show, and when I read my horoscope it said, "you will be surrounded with a flurry of activity today, and you will feel like you are in the clouds"!  Well, that was so true!!  Both my sister and I were on "cloud 9" all day Saturday, as it was beautiful weather, the crowds were good, and people were buying.  Much to my delight I sold $350.00 in the first 1.5 hours of the show, and sales continued all day long!  What a difference from my first 3 art shows this season, where I didn't even make my expenses.

Since I didn't have time to walk the show and talk to as many artists as I normally do, it was hard to get a feeling as to how other artists were doing as far as sales.  I did, however, get several photos of some of the artists across from me, and next to my booth.

Colorful, gorgeous,handpainted windows

by Artist, Dawn Eve Harzheim

I noticed this artist's colorful creations as we were setting up for the show.  Her handpainted glass windows were just beautiful, and full of color!

I just might have to find a place in my home for one of these "windows"!  The colors and detail are wonderful!

If you are interested in find out more about Dawn's artwork, you may reach her at: dawneve9@sbcglobal.net

The next artist, who's booth was across from me, was a metal sculpture artist, who as you can see from the photos below, creates very whimsical, unique creations from different pieces of metal.  He also had tiny little creatures made from spoons, etc.  I always find it fascinating to see what other creative minds come up with. 

Now isn't that an unusual creature!

Artist at work!  Looks like a "spider" is being born!

The FIREFLY ART FAIR is held on the beautiful grounds of the historical "Kneeland Walker House in Wauwatosa, WI.  Tours may be taken of the home when the art show is on.  I'm not sure if it is open for tours at other times.  The FIREFLY ART FAIR is run by the Wauwatosa Historical Society and the people are very delightful to work with and it is a well run show.  The show has good food available, musical entertainment, a silient auction, popcorn wagon, and they also have food for the artists after the show on Saturday, and a coffee, donuts and juice on Sunday morning.

Partial back view of the Kneeland Walker House, with people coming in where the red umbrella is. 

Tables are set up in the center of the gardens so people may sit, eat and enjoy the flowers and scenery.

A portion of the flowers in the garden.  Below are several photos I took of the flowers you see in the right hand section of the above photo.  I can't remember the name of the flowers.  They were exquisite!

Does anyone know what kind these are.  I think it started with an "L", but not sure!

Below is another artist and I've also included her web page link if you are interested in seeing more of her work.  I wish I would have gotten some closeup shots of her work, but I didn't want to leave my booth for long.

EARTH BOUND Fine Art by Dara Chappie

Visit her website to learn more:  http://darachappie.com/

A section of my display.  All the fairies are enjoy the fine day at the FIREFLY!

To sum it up, the 24th Annual FIREFLY ART FAIR was again a great show, even though it rained Sunday morning and we didn't get to set up and start selling until about noon!  The sun came out and I had another profitable day. I is always such fun meeting and talking with previous customers, meeting new ones!

My next show is this coming weekend in Lake Geneva, WI - August, 14th and 15th - ART IN THE PARK.  This show is sponsored by the GENEVA LAKE ART ASSOCIATION.  The hours are 10:00 a.m. - 5 p.m. SATURDAY, and 10:00 a.m. - 4 p.m. SUNDAY.  It is being held overlooking the lake in Flat Iron Park, which is right near the downtown area of Lake Geneva.


If you live in the area, be sure to stop by for a visit.

24th ANNUAL FIREFLY ART FAIR - Wauwatosa, WI

Victorian Garden setting  makes for an enchanting site for the 24th Annual Firefly Ar Fair!

The Wauwatosa Historical Society is the sponsor of one of my favorite shows....the 24th Annual Firefly Art Fair which is held on the beautiful grounds of the Kneeland-Walker House at 7406 Hillcrest Drive, Wauwatosa, WI!  If you live anywhere near the area, be sure to stop by for a visit.

The fair has a wide variety of talented artists, which include painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, jewelry, fiber, printmaking, glass and more.

In addition to wandering the grounds looking at "fine art", you will find a variety of food on the menu...baked potatoes, hot dogs, brats, hamburgers, homemade pies, root beer floats, beer, lemonade, bottled water, popcorn and fruit bars!  Come early and spend the day.  You may also want to take a tour of the historic Kneeland-Walker home.

Hours for the show are:  August 7 and 8th - 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. both days.

My booth # is No. 89, so be sure to stop by for a visit.  I have added my new line of "fiber fantasy jewelry", and I will also be donating item/s to the Silient Auction.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

ARE THERE ANY GOOD ART SHOWS LEFT??

This photo is from an art show I exhibited in last Sunday - June 20th, 2010

46th Annual Art Festival - Watertown, WI

Where are all the people you might ask?  That is exactly the question that was going through most of us artists' thoughts who were in this show!  

This is the third art show I've done this season, and I have to say it was the worst attended show I've been in, in a long while!  It makes one wonder how much the show was advertised.

It is a beautiful setting in a park.  The show is held on an island, and this was the 46th year for this show.  I had done this show about 5 years ago, and the attendance was good.   We were truly amazed at the small amount of people who attended it this year.

While sales have been down to almost nothing for the 3 shows I've done so far this season, I couldn't believe the lack of people at this show.  The other shows had people, but nobody was spending any money.  This show had no people hardly and nobody buying.  Very disappointing, and I know a lot of the artists (46 approximately), probably didn't even make the booth fees.  I just barely made the booth fee of $80.00.

 

This is a photo of the bridge you drive over to get to the island.

Notice...no big crowds walking over the bridge to get into the show!  This is how it looked all day long!  What is really disappointing is that it is such a beautiful setting for an art show....artists get to pick their own spots, and spacing isn't limited to the usual 10' x 10' space.  There are a lot of nice trees and even geese and ducks strolling around.

It was obvious a lot of the same artists aren't returning to the show, as when I checked the number of new artists listed in the flyer....over half were new to the show this year!

Here are me and my sister...still smiling after only 4 sales for the whole day!

(I'm on the left and my sister is on the right)

She is not only my sister, but my best friend and buddy! 

A portion of my booth at the show.  My sister is my "display artist"!

She loves to set all the creations out, which is lucky for me because I don't have the patience for it!  I do help her, but she decides where everything looks the best.  We always get a lot of compliments on our booth.

In all honesty, I really wouldn't recommend doing this show unless you want to have a nice relaxing day sitting in the park.

My next show will be one of my very best shows...the FIREFLY ART FAIR in Wauwatosa, WI.  I can hardly wait to see what the results of this show will be.  It has always been a good one through the years, and while the sale dollars have gone down, they are still really good for me.  We shall see......!

2010 Watertown Art Festival - Watertown, WI .... JUNE 20TH

I will be exhibiting at the 46th Annual Watertown Art Festival being held  in Watertown, WI on Riverside Island Park this coming Sunday, June 20th!.

I haven't done this show for several years and will be looking forward to seeing if it has changed since the last time I did it.  It is held on an island, which is a beautiful setting for the show.  Artists get to pick their own site, and there is plenty of room so one isn't packed one artist on top of each other like most shows.

There will be a variety of mediums....painting, 2D and 3D mixed media, photography, etchings, ceramics, pottery, sculpture, fineglass/metal/wood craft, jewelry and fine fiber art.

HOURS: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. rain or shine, so let's hope the sun is shining brightly!

The last show I was in, 2 weeks ago, had a tornado warning and the show closed down at 2 p.m.

LOCATION:  Waterown's Riverside Park located on Labaree ( Hwy R) & Boughton St.

Click on the link below to get to the Watertown Arts Council's web page.

WATERTOWN ART FESTIVAL

If you live in the area, be sure to stop by for a visit!

34th Annual Madison Audubon Society Art Fair 2010

Lobby at Warner Park Community, Madison, WI

site of the

34th Annual Madison Audubon Society Art Fair

on Saturday May 1st

My first art show of the season is coming up fast!   Next Saturday,  on May 1st, I will be exhibiting at the Warner Park Community Center in Madison, WI.  The photo above shows the lobby as you come into the building.  The artists' indoor booths are set up in the gym, hallway and community room of the building.  There are also outdoor booths, but since one can never be sure of our Wisconsin weather, I always opt to have an indoor space.  This has proven to be a good choice over the years because it always seems to rain or be rather chilly the day of the show.

The Art Fair hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Below is a link to the Audubon Society web page where you can find out more about this organization and visit the links about the show and the exhibiting artists.

AUBUBON SOCIETY MADISON

I'm looking forward to this year's show, and to seeing how my new "fiber fantasy jewelry" goes over, along with my new fantasy figures.  Last year's show was a bit slow, so I'm hoping this year will be a lot better.  I'll be doing a "review" of the show and also have photos, so be sure to stop back for a visit.

2009 WINTER ART FESTIVAL - Monona Terrace Convention Center - MADISON, WI

Monona Terrace Convention Center - Madison WI

I can hardly believe another year has almost passed, and it is time to exhibit in one of my favorite shows which is held in the beautiful building pictured above...the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison, Wisconsin.

If you live in the area, this is one fine art show that you won't want to miss!  There are about 140 exhibitors of wonderful art!

This great show is sponsored by the WAAC (Wisconsin Alliance of Artists and Craftpeople)  To learn more about this group of Wisconsin artists click on the link below:

WAAC

DATES: November  14 AND November 15

HOURS: Sat. - 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Admission Fee:  $3.00

An exhibitor at last year's show

My booth # this year is #42...so hope you can stop on by for a visit!

Parking is no problem, as you can drive right into the Monona Convention Center building and take an elevator to the art show.

REVEIW OF WAUKESHA ART FEST 2009

ALMONT GALLERY

CLICK on the above link to find out more about the Almont Gallery

This past Saturday, September 12th, I was an exhibitor in the 20th Annual WAUKESHA ART FEST, which was held in its new location in downtown Waukesha.  The show, since I 've been in it, was always held in Cutler Park by the library so when I heard that it was being moved to West Main Street in downtown Waukesha I was a bit disappointed.  I thought the park with the trees and bandstand, etc. was a nice place for an art show.

I must say both my sister and I were pleasantly surprised with the new location. 

We thought the new location provided a much more lively atmosphere, and it was laid out nicely on two closed off sections of W. Main Street, with artists' booths on both sides of the street. There wer several bands, and plenty of restaurants!

 All exhibiting artists could drive right up to their spot for unloading and loading.  How great is that!!  No hauling heavy gridwall, canopy and other materials! 

My spot was perfect, which happened to be right next to the ALMONT GALLERY, owned and operated by Lynn Gaffey. 

This gave me the opportunity to take a peek inside and take some photos of this very eclectic gallery.  There were stunning clothes, painted glass items, jewelry, paintings, photography, gorgeous ceramic creations and so much more!  The gallery has a very uplifting atmosphere and a lot of "eye candy", so if you are ever in the Waukesha area, be sure to stop in and visit the Almont Gallery.  There are many more unique shops, restaurants and galleries in downtown Waukesha.  Even though I only live 15 minutes away, I haven't really been in downtown Waukesha for a long time, and was surprised at how much everything had changed.

The people running the show were very helpful, and things went quite smoothly.  I heard from customers and artists alike, that they thought the new location was great.  In fact, many liked it better than the old spot in the park....including me!

While the attendance was good....from what I could see of the people walking around there weren't that many "purchases" going by.  I do believe the economy is still affecting sales.  My sales were a bit down from last year at this show, but were a lot better than several other bigger shows I've done this year.  I'll be looking forward to doing the show again next year!

Sections of my displays at the show

The weather was so beautiful we didn't have to bother with putting up the sides.  What a time saver that was!!

One of my bride fairies enjoying the breeze!

My last art show of the season will be the Winter Art Festival in Madison, WI on November 14th and 15th.

WAUKESHA ART FEST - Juried Show of Fine Art

The 20th Annual juried art show "WAUKESHA ART FEST" will be held in a new location this year. In previous years it was held in Cutler Park in Waukesha, which provided a nice background for this art show.
It will now be held, for the first time, on Main street in historic downtown Waukesha. The artists' booths will be set up in the streets between W. Broadway and Maple Avenue. The festival's hours are from 10:00 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12th.
I've done this show for the past several years when it was held in the park, so will be curious to see how the show goes now that it has been moved to this different location.
The show is sponsored by Lynn Gaffey who owns and operates the Almont Gallery in Waukesha. It is also a part of the Waukesha Business Improvement District of Waukesha.
To visit the ALMONT GALLERY website, click on the link below:

ALMONT GALLERY

To visit the Waukesha Business Improvement District web site, click on their link below.

WAUKESHA BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

This will be my 2nd to last show of this season, so am hoping the new location will be as good as the old one. If you live in the area, be sure to stop by for a visit next Saturday, September 1th. My booth is #11!

I usual, I will be doing a review of the show out here on DZFANTASY.

23rd ANNUAL "FIREFLY" ART FAIR - Kneeland Walker House - Wauwatosa, WI

Saturday & Sunday August 1 & 2
10 a.m. - 5p.m.
Kneeland-Walker House & Gardens
7406 Hillcrest Drive
Admission $4
children under 12 free
Rain or Shine!


Just a "small" section of the gardens!

The breathtaking gardens on the grounds of the Kneeland-Walker House provide the setting for the Wauwatosa Historical Society’s 23rd annual FIREFLY ART FAIR. Featuring paintings, pottery, ceramics, glass, basketry, jewelry, fiber art, mosaics, leather, photography, pen and ink drawings, concrete sculpture, metal work and wood from 90 juried artists. Enjoy the Silent Auction, live music, homemade desserts, grilled sandwiches and beverages.As always, the Kneeland-Walker House will be open, and will feature an exhibit and sale of the Wauwatosa Plein Art Affair paintings.

The FIREFLY ART FAIR has been one of my favorite shows for many years now. The grounds are beautiful, and the Wauwatosa Historical Society people run a great show!

I'm hoping the weather will be fantastic and that there will be a lot of people looking to buy some wonderful art. If you live in the area, be sure to stop by to say HI. My booth number is #87, same as last year.

As in the past, I will be doing a "review" of the FIREFLY ART FAIR here on DZFANTASY with photos.

Last year it was a good show for me, and I am hoping this year it will be the same. We shall see.....!

CLICK ON THE KNEELAND WALKER HOUSE'S PHOTO BELOW TO VISIT THE "WAUWATOSA HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S" WEB PAGE:

ARTIST REVIEW OF 34th ANNUAL LAKE COUNTRY ART SHOW..Delafield, WI

34th ANNUAL LAKE COUNTRY ART FESTIVAL

Yesterday, Saturday, July 11th, I exhibited in the 34th Annual Lake Country Art Festival which is sponsored by the Lake Country Women's Club of Delafield, WI.

Before the show opened

This was my 3rd show of the 2009 season and was looking forward to seeing how this show would go as far as sales, etc., since the first two shows I had done weren't the greatest for sales. In fact, they were way down from previous years.

I had exhibited at the show in years past when it was held on the grounds of St. John's Military Academy in Delafield, WI., but the show's location has since been changed to Naga-Waukee Park in Delafield.

When my sister arrived at my house at 5:30 a.m. in the morning, it was pouring rain, and we looked at each other and thought "oh, no"!! After days of beautiful weather, wouldn't you know it was raining! Luckily, the weather turned out to be fantastic. Not too hot, breezy, and sunny!!

The Lake Country Women's Club ladies run a very organized show. We found our spot with no trouble, and the big plus of this show was that you can drive right up to your booth and unload!! How great is that! Anyone that does shows, and has had to lug their tents, artwork, and other supplies any distance, knows how wonderful this is!

Section of my booth setup

My sister, Dianne,....best friend, my booth layout artist, and firm supporter!

Everything was going smoothly and we were looking forward to a great day! After we had the booth set up, we took a stroll around to see how the show had changed in the 3 years since we had been there. Much to our disappointment, the show had turned into a "craft show".

Now don't get me wrong, craft shows are great, but what had once been an "art" and "craft" show, with the two mediums separated at the old location, it was now about 80% crafts. It has been my experience in the 12+ years of doing shows, that higher end "art" can't compete with those selling crafts. This was proven, as the day wore on and my sales were the worst of any show I've done in say the last 8 years! At the end of the show, I ended up with about $88.00 after the booth fee of $90.00. Hard not to get depressed with those kind of figures. The economy is definitely affecting sales, big time!

The several artists I know from previous shows, with higher end jewelry, metal sculpture, etc. weren't doing good either. The booths that had the more crafty items had more people in them. Even, with that, one didn't see a lot of bought merchandise going by one's booth. Lower end jewelry and yard art, was what one saw the most.

I'm thinking maybe I should get in to selling "kettle korn" at shows instead of art, as that is where people were spending their money! That, and $6.00 bottles of beer, and $3.00 bottles of water.

This artist was the "featured artist" of the show!

This big guy was getting a lot of attention!

His owner said he was a big "baby"!

Some of my fairies catching the breeze!

Here I am all ready for business!! Where is everybody??

To sum it up, I definitely believe that the economy and the uncertainty of when it will get better is making it very hard for artists and crafters, to break even doing shows. My next show will be coming up on August, 1st & 2nd, at the FIREFLY ART SHOW in Wauwatosa, WI. Since this has always been one of my best and consistent shows as far as sales go, I can hardly wait to see what this year's show will be like. So stay tuned, I'll be back with more info on that show. ONE OF MY FAVORITES!

I'd love to hear how other artists and crafters are doing in other parts of the world, so be sure to leave a comment.