Spring Bloom Art Fair

This Saturday starts the 2012 art fair season for us.  The McLean County Art Center's Spring Bloom Art Fair is held this year at the Interstate Center, also known as the McLean County Fairgrounds, at 1106 Interstate Dr., Bloomington.   At this point I don't know the booth location, but I'm sure it will be easy to find.   Hopefully.  This is a very nice facility with great parking.  But it's a drive for those living in East Bloomington/Normal, but not a particularly hard one.  So I hope we have a good crowd.  There is a $5 admission fee.  
http://www.mcaart.org/mcac/html/springbloomartistinfo.html

We have some great new jewelry pieces, and Steve has really gotten involved with making bronze sculptures.  I think everyone will love the spaceship, the rocket, and especially a great sounding bronze bell.  I will have my miniature oil paintings also.  I love to paint, and have so many ideas and photos, but not enough time to get everything done.  I envy Dylan Punke, photographer, who will be at Spring Bloom also.  He's heading out northwest, on his bicycle, for a summer road trip, leaving in June.  How nice it would be to travel and collect photos and ideas for months at a time, with no worries as to having to set up for an art fair.  Or worries about the competition and worries of am I going to sell anything.    It gets to be pretty stressful during Art Fair Season!

Spring is here, and shows are starting!

It's been so beautiful this spring, and now our shows are starting in just a couple of weeks. I've been enjoying the pressure-free days, but now this is starting to change. Beginning April 28, our art fair season begins. Once again every weekend something is planned. Many will be the half-day markets in downtown Bloomington, which is really nice let me tell you! Most of the time those markets are great, enjoyable, and profitable. But, always there's the threat of weather related problems...which does put a dent in the pleasure and profit column. With the weekend long events, one hopes for at least one day of good weather with a good outcome.

I took part in the DBA market's application review board meeting this week. A group of the vendors and myself and my husband, the lone artists, met with the chairwoman, Marisa, to decide particulars for the market. One great result was that we now are going to be located on Jefferson St, about mid block pretty close to the band. This is where I started 9 or 10 years ago, and am thrilled to be back there! It will be great to be in a spot sheltered a bit more from the wind on Center Street.

I also have a Bronzclay class scheduled next Saturday, the 14th at MCM Designs Bead Shop in Decatur. They are located at 2885 N. Oakland, Decatur, IL. Contact Diane at (217) 791-5169 to sign up...as far as I know there are still openings.

I had some jury photos taken by a professional artist in March...hoping to get accepted into some "higher end" shows this year. I don't know if this will be of any help, but it's worth a try. I have heard of many, many artists being rejected or placed on waiting lists by show coordinators, even though their work is outstanding or that they have taken part in the show before. There are sooooooooo many artists that it is becoming an overwhelming task to get accepted anymore. I wanted to retire last year. I know I will at the end of this year!