Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival

We'll be returning to the 38th Annual Lincoln Art Fair in Latham Park, downtown Lincoln, this weekend. Around 80 artists are setting up around the park. The festival also highlights hot air balloons from around the country, stationed and lifting off from the airport. There will be a wine tasting event, and a barbecue cook-off at the downtown location. This link will take you to their program, http://www.lincolnillinois.com/Documents/ABF_Program_Guide.pdf.

The Economy

As we all know, the national economy has been quite slow for a few years. It has been evident in my sales at the Farmers Market/Artist Alley for the past 3 years. I take home around 70 to 80% less each day (with a few exceptions) than I used to. Although it is still very nice to tear down at 12noon, and have the rest of the weekend off. I'm really very tired of the downright hard work of setting up a booth, sitting through the slow sales period of 2 or 3 days, tearing down the booth, with a long drive home ahead of you. Consequently, I'm considering retiring from jewelry making next year. The amount of sales just isn't adding up to the amount of work we put in. We both enjoy actually making the jools, just not the hassle of trying to sell it.

I love to paint. I paint miniature landscapes now, although have painted larger in the past. I've been entering gallery art shows geared specifically towards that niche, and have been fairly successful there, with sales at higher price points than what I would get locally. I've also been awarded 3 Best of Shows, several Peoples' Choice awards, and purchase awards. Those are such a thrill to get! The photos at top are some of my past work. The Barn Owl was posing for us on admission to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum a few years ago. The cornfield is in Dewitt County.

So I'm thinking of just doing paintings, and exhibiting those next year on a less busy schedule. Still not sure about the jewelry though.

The "jury" is still out on all these possibilities! Stay tuned.........

News: Bronze Clay class; The Garlic Press; Washington Art Festival

This Saturday afternoon I'll be giving a Bronze Clay class at the Bead Parlor, 318 N. Main, Bloomington, 827-7708. Register with Di or Jeff at the shop or at http://www.thebeadparlor.com/. Starts at 1:30 pm, goes till we finish off the clay packet, which could run til 4p or even 4:30. Time passes quickly as we go over the fundamentals of working with metal clay, rolling it out, texturing, sanding, adding embellishments, discussion of kiln firing (which I will do in my kilns at home), and how to polish the fired pieces. I will return the fired pieces to the Bead Parlor on Monday, for you to drop by and pick them up. Cost is very reasonable: $40 class fee, $10 kit (clay) fee.

A few weeks ago, during the Sugar Creek Arts festival in Normal, I met Sarah McManus, a co-owner of The Garlic Press, a wonderful long established shop of all things good in uptown Normal. She is the buyer for jewelry and clothing, and is now carrying my work! I have been asked numerous times during my shows in and around Blm/Normal if I had work in The Garlic Press...finally I can say Yes! Please stop in soon...

Next weekend, 8/13 & 14, we will be taking part in the 4th Annual Washington Arts Festival. Following are the directions to Washington Park:

From the Square go North on North Main, turn Left on W. Jefferson, at the stop sign turn right on Lincoln and proceed to just beyond Lincoln School. Park is on the left. Here's the google map: http://www.washingtonfinearts.org/News_and_Events.html

The layout appears to be different this year, in that the booths will be more "together", and not scattered all around the park. Which is bound to be better, as it was difficult last year in the heat wave, which hopefully is over with now.

My eye surgery went very well, the stitches are out, and the bruising is decreasing. I still have some eye "issues", but all in all, it (I) looks much better. Thanks to everyone for their good wishes.

The images above are not of my work: these are Ancient Bronze pieces from the Middle East. I love them, and hope mine look like this thousands of years later!

See you at a festival soon......!