1000 Woodcuts: art festivals

Showing posts with label art festivals. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Ahhh, the tingling of waiting...the thrill of victory!

Two for two

Booth at Tempe long long ago

I made it into Tempe! One of my favorite show for sure and also one of the most grueling in terms of set-up and generally, appropriately nicknamed "the zoo."

But it all starts with a delightful anxiety burst. Application process is pretty routine, go to the Zapplication.org website, find the show as soon as it opens and apply as fast as possible. Why? you ask...well, as many other competitive shows, time stamp of application and especially of acceptance and payment are the key to a great location.

So I now have my first Fall schedule of my new and improved life as a festival artist all finalized.

November 23 and 24 ArtFest of Scottsdale
Downtown Scottsdale Arizona

December 6-8 Tempe Festival of the Arts
Downtown Tempe along Mill Avenue, Arizona

Adrenaline rush!

This morning was the acceptance notification for Tempe, at exactly 10:00am Mountain (which by the way in Arizona is also Pacific Time since they do not observe Daylight Savings). Artists are instructed (twice) to await the magic moment while logged in to the Zapplication.org website, accept if invited, pay and fill out an acceptance form with a time-stamp that confirms you are a complete and hopeless art festival addict.

Heart beats just a little faster a the minutes and seconds tick by...tick tock tick tock...10 seconds and I'm feeling all tingly...3...2...1! REFRESH PAGE!!!! Oooh, I'm INVITED! Ooohh, no time to celebrate, click click pay pay click fill SUBMIT!!! All within 24 seconds har har, I'm awesome...

Lest you think that is a bit extreme, within one (1) minute, the much sought out corner booths are sold out. Another 10 minutes and the entire "A" section (most desireable in terms of location/sales) is sold out. Wheew...

Yay me! Now the next rush to reserve a nearby hotel, they tend to sell out within a week and I like to walk or bike to the show. Gotta go!

Beautiful downtown Scottsdale few years back

Stay in touch!

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Monday, November 14, 2016

Tempe Arts Festival one of my very favorite shows! December 2-4

Calendar Shock

Tempe Festival of the Arts

December 2-4 Mill Avenue, Tempe Arizona

Look for me along Mill between 6th and 7th Streets, double booth #1355

Just looked at the calendar and realized I'm on the road in about two weeks! Oh my oh my, so much to do... Arts festivals require much preparation, inventory, mental fortitude, muscle and attitude. The more prepared and flexible artists are, the easier the managing of the chaos that is one of these events.

I booked a 10x20 double booth and, although that means more work in setting up, also means more breathing room inside for me and a chance to really show off all my available matted and framed works.

Favorite!

Tempe Festival of the Arts is a twice-yearly extremely well attended and well organized festivals. Attendance is in the hundreds of thousands, an astounding mass of people walk by the 400+ artsand crafts booths. Madness to set up, madness during and complete chaos to tear down...I LOVE IT!!! Fortunately it is very well organized, has the full support of town, great security, great weather, and I have been there so many times before I am very much looking forward to going back to downtown Tempe, Arizona and seeing all my artists friends and some of my most faithful collectors. Less than three weeks...yikes!

Evolution of the Steed

First and foremost is getting the faithful steed ready for a road trip. Tune up this time, and perhaps the all important brake check. Festival wares take up space and can be crammed in all types of creative vehicles. My own evolution from top rack of the GMC Jimmy to a truck/camper combo has taken me through van and trailer. Advantages and disadvantages to all types of configurations of course, while a trailer was very convenient in that it doubles as storage (no loading or unloading of equipment between shows), the current truck/camper combo is much more flexible and agile to drive around in crowded festival aisles.

Here are som fun pictures of the various "steeds" through my career as an art festival artist.

"Truckie" a 1978 Datsun Galavan,
most of you young'uns don't know what a
Datsun is ha ha

"Tiny Trailer" still serves me well on multiple show trips

Ramps are a secret obsession of mine...

...as are hand-carts and dollies

Always always check for cats before leaving

Current truck "the faithful steed" and trailer

Faithful steed with cargo saddle added

See you in Tempe!!!

Stay in touch!

Monday, February 8, 2016

Festival bugs and wandering artists

One for the Calendar!

Words raining from heaven itself to the ear of the festival artist:

Congratulations!

You have been accepted to participate in the 70th annual Bellevue Arts Museum ARTSfair! We are honored to have you participate in this important community event! The jury was extremely competitive this year due to the overwhelming amount of national submissions from leading artists. In 2016, 840 talented artists applied to the BAM ARTSfair and only 315 artisans were accepted.

Word of congrats, a little flattery and...a precedent to a half-day of filling out paperwork, studying festival maps, making reservations (yes, this early) and a bunch of other work. They say that opportunity often comes in coveralls and in the festival world, this is certainly the case.
The Bellevue Arts Museum ARTSfair takes place July 29-31, which seems so far away at the moment but there is much to do before then.

Work Begins Right Now

For interested artists, an acceptance to a major festival often comes with a dozen or so "little" tasks to do. First and foremost, paying the booth fee (I think this is the reason for the flattery in the acceptance letter) which varies from $200s to $2000 depending on festival, desired location, special requests for my booth, parking (not always included) and a long and surprisingly varied etcetera.
This is a new festival for me so I have no idea where to place myself although the map helps. A little studying of the layout, imagining foot traffic patterns of viewers, making up theories about where the load in may be easier...oh how fun!
After a while of imagining stupid things, I randomly picked a booth or three and paid the 1K for a 10x15' space. Whoooosh, mailed right back along with the registration forms and other disclosures, sign the bottom line, I swear I read every word of the Artist's Guide and a trip to the post office.

Seriously, some considerations for me are space behind my booth and sometimes a corner, although not for an extra $200. 10 x 15 feet inline suits me just fine. I like to be "in the fray" not too close to an exit, not at the end of a row against the wall where people will turn before finishing the row. Long load in/out treks don't bother me too much as long as nobody rushes me or tries to "help."

Booth picked and reserved, now I Google the place in question and make reservations for a walking distance not-so-ritzy not-a-dump hotel. This festival will take me 1700 miles from home and days are long so I will accordingly require a good quiet place to rest. I like walking distance to the festival so I don't have to worry about my big ol' truck and parking every day. I pack a bike if needed. Luxury doesn't impress me but comfort, value and quiet does so that's how I choose.

That's it for now, the quest for the perfect hotel continues, I have a little time although I like to have things settled and out of my head well ahead of time. Head clutter really bothers me so I empty my brain on a daily basis by getting things done.

That's it for now...more as the date nears. Meanwhile, if you are anywhere near Tucson Arizona on April 1-3, drop by my booth and bring coffee or chocolate will ya?

Stay in touch!

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

2016 is Here! Planning, Planning, Planning...

Left Brain Kicks In

This time of the year, I look at my new calendar straight in the face. Looking at the entire year at a glance can be daunting and really drives in the thought that time is short in this life and we may as well live, do, work, travel, and make art!

Being an artist this year began last year when I applied for some art shows and exhibits; the good ones always have applications well ahead of show time.

Like a row of booths at sunrise, the year awaits to open...

And since I enjoyed my residency here so much, I also applied for a residency at a National Park. Applying is a game of chance; jurors like what they like and at any given time, luck may strike. I always tell artists to maximize their chances by putting their best foot forward every single time. Try, anyway. Reading applications and carefully following instructions to the letter makes me squirm, but that's how the game is played.

Frames are on the way and preparations have begun for early March, when I have an opening in Oakland California for a month-long exhibit that promises to be awesome. Here is the information:

Peace Puzzle Print (plus!)

Event On Facebook: Opening Reception for Exhibit

Aside from art festivals and the occasional exhibit, I really don't do much more in terms of art networking. My personal business model is rather simplistic: make art, sell art. Sometimes I like to teach art. All the while my online shops seem to have gained traction at are now producing some (amazingly) consistent sales results. I guess persistence pays off.
Once the applications are out, I don't worry about them too much and crawl back into the magic realm of the studio.

Right Brain Screams!

All the time I spend looking at calendars and filling out applications, my right brain is flying about...sometimes an endless glide over a canyon or an ocean, sometimes a frenzied bouncing like a pinball. Eventually, I have to release the unruly beast and get back in the studio.

Entre Viento y Sol

This year I have some unfinished business with the desert, a set of 8 blocks that have been drawn for years are now, almost embarrassingly demanding my attention. Dutifully, I will carve.

I am also feeling drawn to the figures in nature series again, with my figures reduced to tiny proportions surrendering humbly to the awe of Mother Nature.

Fool on the Hill

Aside from that, planning what art I will feel like making next month is like planning to fall in love--just doesn't happen that way. Art, like love, just appears and flourishes at the will of some unknown and irrepressible force. I just let it take me.

Stay in touch!

Monday, November 16, 2015

Peace out! and a gig coming up

So busy forgot to report

I have been so wrapped up in finishing the Peace Puzzle that I neglected my blog reports, although my Facebook page(s) have been updated very often with all the excitement. Since last blog post, I finished the book, sent to publishers, got it back with posters and mailed out the entire print and books to all the participants. Easier said than done!

I am also very pleased to report that due to the upgrade to Priority International mail seems nearly all packages have now arrived at their destinations. At least I don't have any complaints as of yet.

Here are some pictures of all the exciting mailing and such. First I got the books, and immediately rolled up prints and books and mailed them out. Good thing the USPS sorting facility now accepts many packages straight in their bulk hub.

Gadget I built to sort the puzzle prints

books are here! books are here!

one of several loads

last load! to USPS bulk mailing

Gig alert!

And of course the upcoming gig! Scottsdale ArtFest 2015 is coming up this very weekend and I have been matting and framing and loading the truck. The wind is howling right now and I am hoping for calm sunny weather this coming weekend.

Scottsdale ArtFest is held downtown Scottsdale in the Arts Center/Museum beautiful grounds with walkways, water fountains and the famous LOVE sculpture right across from my booth. Booth number is 158 across from the Arts Center.

Stay in touch!

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

On humans and nature

A Maria Sampler

I was quietly sitting in my booth once, staying well out of the way of browsers so that they may enjoy looking at art without interruptions, when I overheard "she needs to stick to landscapes, I mean the figure stuff is nice but a little weird, the landscapes are really nice."

Maze

I smiled from my little corner and opted for silence as response. Later one of my figurative works, a rather "weird" one, won best of show.

Bajo la Sombra

Artists are many things, feel many things, share many things. We are told to develop a "style" to keep our work "consistent" and to "stick to what works". And yet creativity and pure heart take us down so many roads...

After almost 20 years of seriously making art, I "do" both landscapes and figures. I simply can't decide why I should decide.

Just Walk With Me

Some of the work I like best incorporates both figures and nature. They are both beautiful and a little bit magic for me, we are both nature and human. Trees and tendons, branches and muscles, vast views and bare skin, mountains and body curves, shapes I can touch and feel with my mind and caress with my eyes.

Light Hunter

Light always present illuminating everything. Feelings and music captured with an image, dances and movement and energy swirling through the wind, old scarred trees telling stories, young blooms entering life, loving, hoping. Figures bare as trees, stripped of symbols, status and masks, showing the beauty and magic of the human form, the nature in human.

After the Fire

That's my art.

Uprooted

Like a Drunken Bee

Struck

Spirit Wind

Stay in touch!

Monday, May 4, 2015

Change of pace, the festival life calling my name

Festivaling

Art festivals are the best way for this artist to connect with the largest audience, teach the world about woodcuts, have a bunch of fun, sell some art, and bring forth that elusive creature we call "the extroverted Maria," all concentrated in one chaotic exhausting weekend.

Generally work starts two or three weeks in advance, inventory artwork, check display equipment, panic, memorize festival map, mat, frame, price, pack and go! Since I have not done festivals in a long while, I'm panicking more than usual but it's all coming back to me quickly. I did, after all, write a book full of check-lists on how to sell work in art festivals (no, really!) so I have a refresher course handy on my shelves.

Framing

After a quick check on the equipment, just in case I had to order anything or one of my tent legs was missing (funny story behind that statement), I resigned myself to the task of matting and framing my happy woodcuts.
Why not hire a framer? Cost! 16 x 20 inch frame complete costs around $45, framer charges around $160+. Impossible to make a profit. Besides, with a few pieces of good equipment and some practice, practice, practice, framing is easy.

Here we go...first inventory, then get to cutting. I built some box containers to easily and safely transport my artworks across the country, they are on wheels for easy hauling. I reserve a work table and area for framing (and shipping), which makes everything more efficient. I have to confess I'm an efficiency freak! but anything you do more than two or three times needs to be efficient or time gets wasted...and time is so so precious.