Since I’ve made a resolution to write in my blog more often I’ve decided to do a little reminiscing. The above photo is of my first booth ever, complete with plastic tablecloth and WalMart bins. It was at the Deltona Arts and Historical Center grand re-opening and I was so excited and so clueless. I actually did pretty well considering that I was only there for three hours and a lot of that time was taken up with speeches and ribbon cutting stuff. I will always be grateful to Lloyd and Deltona Arts for giving me that start.
Whoops, I’m wrong about that. Many, many years before I did have a couple forays into the art show scene up in Virginia. Now that was comical. Talk about being clueless. The first one wasn’t too bad except for the fact that the show promoter provided pegboard to hang your work and I came with none of the pegboard things that you use to hang things with. I had to scurry around and borrow some. I sold one framed picture for fifteen dollars. I was a little disappointed but I did trade one picture for a nice pencil drawing of an otter by another artist. I still have that picture.
The second one – well it’s no coincidence that I didn’t try to do shows for another 15 years. This was an outdoor show. In those days, no one had the tents we have today. The week before the show I started thinking about how I was going to display my work. Plenty of time right? Since pegboard had worked before I had the brilliant idea of getting two pieces of pegboard and hinging them together so they would stand up. Great concept, if there’s no wind…. I remember leaving my then husband in charge while I went to get something to eat. All the artists were in a big circle and the food vendor was directly across from my setup. I was walking back across with my hot dog. My husband was sitting in a chair reading. The wind started to pick up. The pegboard started to sway. My husband is still reading. I’m yelling his name telling him to pay attention. He doesn’t hear me. I start to run. Too late, the wind picks the display up and crashes it down. Needless to say I sold nothing. The marriage didn’t last either.
I did learn something though. The photographer next to me was selling matted pictures in clear plastic sleeves. He also had a magnificent picture of an eagle sitting on a glacier. He was selling like hotcakes. I resolved I would go to Alaska someday. And I would get some of those clear plastic sleeves.
Whoops, I’m wrong about that. Many, many years before I did have a couple forays into the art show scene up in Virginia. Now that was comical. Talk about being clueless. The first one wasn’t too bad except for the fact that the show promoter provided pegboard to hang your work and I came with none of the pegboard things that you use to hang things with. I had to scurry around and borrow some. I sold one framed picture for fifteen dollars. I was a little disappointed but I did trade one picture for a nice pencil drawing of an otter by another artist. I still have that picture.
The second one – well it’s no coincidence that I didn’t try to do shows for another 15 years. This was an outdoor show. In those days, no one had the tents we have today. The week before the show I started thinking about how I was going to display my work. Plenty of time right? Since pegboard had worked before I had the brilliant idea of getting two pieces of pegboard and hinging them together so they would stand up. Great concept, if there’s no wind…. I remember leaving my then husband in charge while I went to get something to eat. All the artists were in a big circle and the food vendor was directly across from my setup. I was walking back across with my hot dog. My husband was sitting in a chair reading. The wind started to pick up. The pegboard started to sway. My husband is still reading. I’m yelling his name telling him to pay attention. He doesn’t hear me. I start to run. Too late, the wind picks the display up and crashes it down. Needless to say I sold nothing. The marriage didn’t last either.
I did learn something though. The photographer next to me was selling matted pictures in clear plastic sleeves. He also had a magnificent picture of an eagle sitting on a glacier. He was selling like hotcakes. I resolved I would go to Alaska someday. And I would get some of those clear plastic sleeves.
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