ART SHOWS, ART SALES....REVIEW OF MADISON AUDUBON SHOW...FIRST SHOW OF THE SEASON

View of the Community Center Lobby

This Saturday I exhibited in my first art show of the season, at the 33rd Annual Audubon Society Art Fair in Madison, Wisconsin. This was the first year the fair was being held in its new location at the Warner Park Community Center.

I was up at 3:30 a.m. to be sure I had time to get our lunch packed (my sister goes with me to all my shows), and the rest of the things packed in the van. My sister arrived at 5:30 a.m. and off we went! Since this was a new location for the show, we weren't quite sure where it was, but felt confident that we would have no problem finding it as my sister brought along her new GPS system. We programed in our destination address and away we went! Well, all went well until we were just about into Madison, when a bunch of construction barrels threw me off and I went "right" instead of going straight. That was when the GPS really came in handy, ( I especially liked how it talked to us) and it kept "reevaluating" our directions. After a lot of laughing and "reevaluating of directions", we finally arrived at our destination.

Before the show opened.

My booth was on the left side, with the black gridwall

Our booth ended up being in the gym, and the grey plastic they had covered the gym floor with didn't make for a very appealing atmosphere, but we could understand that they didn't want the floor scratched or ruined from all the different booth setups.

There were about 60 indoor booths and about the same amount of outdoor booths.

My sister, Dianne, my display artist!

She is really good at finding just the right spot for each creation!

Jungle Spirit in her display!

Were the sales good.....NO! This is probably the worst show for sales I've had in over 5 years! I just barely broke even with the show fees and gas. YES, the bad economy is truly affecting artist's sales at shows. It was a far cry from shows where I have sold as many as 30 creations. At yesterday's show I only sold a total of 7 pins and two fairies!!

While there are always a few exceptions, the general mood from artists at the show was that sales, if any, were way down!! There was a lot of grumbling going on behind the scenes.

A very talented artist across from us, who designed the most exquisite glass mosaic pieces sold a very expensive piece of art and several lesser priced pieces, but a jewelry artist friend of mine who always has done well at whatever show she was in, said she also just barely made the show fees and expenses.

The picture above doesn't reflect the gorgeous work of this artist. The designs of flower, birds, and more were fantastic. My sister purchased one of her smaller pieces...a beautiful robin scene ($195.00).

If you'd like to see more of the beautiful mosaic art of Laura Harris, pay a visit to her web site below:

MELONHEAD GALLERY

Both Laura and her husband, Jack, were delightful neighbors to have at this show. Both my sister and I enjoyed being able to look at such beautiful art all day! Very inspiring.

These delightful, colorful creations are the designs of Mary L. Hager, a 3-D Mixed media artist. Mary's work is some of the most colorful, whimsical, work you could ever hope to see! I will be doing a "feature" on Mary in the coming weeks, with more photos of her enchanting figures, from seahorses, to flying frogs and more. In the meantime, if you'd like to see more of Mary's art, visit her website below:

MLOUHAGER

While it was a disappointing show for "sales", we still had a fun time talking to people, meeting some of our old customers, and artist friends.

I'm still smiling, and looking forward to seeing what the next show brings! One never knows....it could be a good one!

FEATURED ETSY SHOP - ART BY SARAH PITTMAN

Pegasus, Original Fantasy Art in Coloured Pencil
by
SARAH PITTMAN

WELCOME, Sarah Pittman and her Etsy shop which she calls ART BY SARA PITTMAN. Being a fantasy artist myself, I'm always fascinated how other fantasy artists make use of their creativity, and what mediums they use to express it. Sarah has some truly fantastic, colorful work, so be sure to pay her shop a visit. First, let's learn a bit more about Sarah.

I’m a fairy, fantasy and animal artist based in the UK, I work for the most part in coloured pencils, Faber Castell Polychromos pencils being my pencils of choice, although you’ll sometimes see other mediums pop up, and occasionally other subject matter too, because although most of my pieces are fantasy or animal related I do go wherever my muse drags me. I’ve been drawing seriously for around six years and started selling my work in 2007 and I always find it a little hard to part with originals (but I think most artists are the same) but on the same note I’m obviously pleased when somebody likes a piece enough to buy it, so I know its going to a good home and will be looked after. Im currently selling my work through Etsy and Artfire.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I think I got the art bug from my parents who were both creative, and I grew up watching films like Labyrinth, Dark Crystal, Legend etc., which are still some of my favourite films to this day, and we always had pets around, so really its not much of a surprise that two of the main subjects in my art are animals and fairies. I can't remember a time that I haven’t loved both.

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

About six years ago, after having done nothing creative whatsoever for a year or two (and before that only sketching and doodling really), I started drawing again. It was around this time that I came across ATC’s and joined a few trading groups, which I think really helped me get back into the swing of things. ATC’s were perfect because it meant I could experiment with lots of different mediums on a smaller scale, plus I had other artists to talk to for advice if I needed help with anything in particular. I think I first picked up the coloured pencils because I had some cheap ones laying about the house, and I liked the way you had a lot of control with laying the colour down. Shortly after that, I started looking for tips and advice about how to use them, but found I had a huge problem with layering and certain techniques because of the quality of the pencils - so as soon as I could, I invested in a set of artist quality pencils, and I haven’t touched others since. I could tell the difference as soon as I started playing around with them. The colours went down so much smoother and the colours themselves were much richer. I think I just got hooked, because even though I do use other mediums occasionally, coloured pencils are still my favourite.

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?

I’m not sure. I find the whole process equally enjoyable, but I think I probably find it most satisfying when I finish a piece I’m really pleased with and I can look at it and say I wouldn’t change a thing. And of course its always exciting when somebody comes across a piece of your art that they love just as much as you do.

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be, and why?

I think I’d choose oils. They’re something I would like to practise with and start using sometimes anyway, but I love how oil paintings can be so full of texture sometimes, you just want to run your fingers over the picture.

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

I draw things that make me smile, things I like or enjoy, so I haven’t really got a message behind my art, I just hope people find it fun and enjoy it as much as I do.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

I think its important to make sure that you don’t fall into the trap of trying to create art that you think other people will want rather than what you actually want to do. Also, I think its always good to stretch yourself sometimes, or mix things up a little, it helps keep things fun and fresh, so set by some time to create things that nobody else is going to see and just have fun experimenting with different techniques and styles.

Gorilla, Original ACEO in coloured pencil

by Sarah Pittman

(I had to put this "big guy" out here as I love gorillas)

Sarah, thanks for not only sharing your wonderful art with us, but also your thoughts and ideas. If you want to learn and see more of Sarah's work, be sure to visit the links below.

BLOG

WORDPRESS

LIVE JOURNAL

FLICKR

ARTFIRE

TWITTER

FEATURED ETSY SHOP - ALL KINDS OF ART

SUNNY, THE GIRAFFE

by

GLENDA

ALL KINDS OF ART is the perfect name for Glenda's shop on Etsy! This delightful, talented artist has just that....all kinds of beautiful art....in her shop, ranging from fine art prints such as Sunny, the Giraffe shown above, as well as jewelry, fiber baskets, and a lot more. Be sure to pay a visit to ALL KINDS OF ART. I've been browsing through Glenda's shop and am amazed at all the areas of creativity.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

My kindergarten teacher told my parents to encourage me in art and I knew I wanted to teach art by the time I got to 6th grade. I wound up teaching art to middle school and high school kids for 31 years.

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

I liked drawing and painting really well in my college years, but when I took a workshop with Vera Curnow, who founded the Colored Pencil Society of America, I got hooked on colored pencils! They are SO wonderful, especially when used with a solvent and watercolors.

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?

Getting the IDEA for an art piece and working out the logistics---what surface, what size, what colors to use, how to create the focal point and contrast. When I'm making craft items, like my facepins, it is the decorating that thrills me. Sometimes I am having so much fun I will sit there and just cackle---some items just seem to create their own personality.

If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable to describe your art/craft, what would you choose and why?

Grapes. I love so many different mediums that they are the grapes that make up the "bunch" in my shop.

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your "creativity", what would that be, and why?

Gardening. I love to grow flowers but I am not very good at it. I admire those who can grow a lovely flower garden full of color and scent.

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

Color and creativity can enrich anyone's home and life.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Sometimes your best rewards can come just from the art of creating. Whether you sell the item or get an award for it or not, you learned something new just by creating it.

GLENDA, thanks so much for sharing all your creative talents with everyone, and for giving us a bit of an insight as to what makes you "tick" as an artist. BEAUTIFUL WORK! To see more of Glenda's work be sure to visit the links below.

GALLERY OF PHOTOS

FEATURED ETSY SHOPS OF ANITA BARNARD

Original Abstract Painting - Natura

by Anita Barnard

I'm happy to have Anita Barnard out here on DZFANTASY as a featured artist. Anita is a very multi-talented artist. She not only creates beautiful jewelry, mosaic creations, but is a "fine art" painter as well!!

Here you will learn a bit more about Anita and her multiple talents. Anita has two shops out on Etsy....her fine art shop is entitled ANITA BARNARD GALLERY, where you will find her abstract paintings and collages, and 13 MOONS ART, where you can see her jewelry designs and mosaic mirror creations and more.

Eve of Saint Agnes Mosaic Mirror

On the Eve of St. Agnes, young girls would look into the village well hoping to see their future husbands.With its rich colors of ruby and garnet, this mirror gleams with its own romantic spirit. The iridescent pink petals of a flower bloom in the bottom left corner, and a strand of deep red faceted beads runs down the right. This piece was designed to be slightly asymmetrical; the angle of the mirror reflects the slant of the left side of the wood base.The mirror measures 14 7/8 H x 11 to 11 3/8 inches W. The mirror is wired with heavy picture framing wire and ready to hang.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I have always created something: Paintings, quilts, murals, mosiacs, miniature environments of dirt, leaves, toys and twigs carefully placed in my little red wagon. I started making jewelry about six years ago after receiving a pretty little beaded bracelet for Christmas and thinking: I can do that!

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

I didn't! My first shop on Etsy http://www.13moonsart.etsy.com/ features jewelry, fused glass suncatchers and mosaic mirrors, and I just started a new one http://www.anitabarnard.etsy.com/ for Fine art: paintings, collage and art mosaics. Right now I have a painting to finish out on the deck and an unfinished mosaic and all it's little pieces of rocks and tiles spread out on my kitchen table.

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?

I love envisioning and planning and sometimes actually dreaming about designs and images of things to make, and then seeing them begin to come together. I also have a secret fetish for graph paper...but often pieces veer off from the plan and take off in their own directions during the actual creation process.

If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable, to describe your art/craft, what would you choose, and why?

A pomegranate: It's very red and lush. There are all those seeds, like the many little pieces of separate materials that make up a collage or a mosaic or a beaded necklace. It has that tough skin and isn't always immediately accessible, but it's worth it when that tart-sweet burst of juice hits your tongue.

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your "Creativity", what would that be, and why?

I quilted a lot a number of years ago, but just standard quilts, baby quilts. I see so many beautiful, intricate and intriguing art quilts, and they tempt me to get out my fabric stashes and set up the sewing machine again. But I'd have to pack away a lot of other art supplies to make a spot for it.

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

I don't think I'm trying to send a certain message. If I could cause world peace and eliminate hunger with my jewelry and art, that would be wonderful, but I'm really just trying to create something beautiful or intriguing or thought-provoking or just pleasing...I think that's a good goal...to just please someone, even if it is mostly myself, by the process of painting or turning what I've envisioned into reality. I also like the idea of another person looking at my work and relating to it in his or her own way and attaching his own meaning and connections to the piece. This is why I always have a hard time writing artist statements for exhibits; I hate the idea of having to explain a piece of art.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

"Let the beauty we love be what we do." -Rumi Enjoy what you are doing and don't give up.Connect with other artists and craftsmen. A local as well as an online artist community to share your ideas and work and concerns with is a wonderful thing. They will understand and support you.

Anita, thanks for a very "insightful" and "delightful" interview, and also for sharing all your wonderful artistic creations with us. Be sure to visit both of Anita's Etsy shops by clicking on the photos or links below.

ANITA'S BLOG