Necessary Losses

Long ago I read a book by Judith Viorst called “Necessary Losses”. I don’t remember much of the book except for the knowledge that some things we must give up in order to grow. While the book doesn’t talk about things like this, I think it comes under the topic.

For most of my life I have been a dichotomy. I’ve been the lover of nature, peace and quiet and the lover of American muscle cars. Camaros, Firebirds, Mustangs, and GTOs, I’ve owned and loved them all. A few years back I thought I had found an appropriate compromise and traded my Mustang for a 350Z. Then my husband was no longer able to ride me on the back of his motorcycle so he suggested I get my own. And I loved driving my car and riding my motorcycle. Then I started doing art shows and moving closer and closer to the nature and serenity part of me. While the motorcycle is great for being able to pull over anywhere to take a photograph it was impossible to carry the tripod and more than one camera. And it didn’t do gravel or dirt well. The car didn’t do gravel or dirt well either. The last time I pulled up to a group of nature photographers to go out and take photographs I felt a little out of place. A bumper sticker kind of moment – real nature photographers have 4WD. Or at least vehicles with more than 6” of clearance. It was time. So last week we traded in the motorcycle and the car for a Jeep. It’s not going to be my Jeep. I’ve had the pleasure or driving the “nicer” vehicle for awhile now. It’s Clif’s turn. I inherit Clif’s previous vehicle, the gray box. It’s humbling. I always liked to have a vehicle that stands out. This one looks like every other SUV on the road. But I no longer have to check road conditions before I go on a photo shoot. I can fit framed photographs in it for delivery. And I feel at one with myself.

This past weekend we took the Jeep out on the fire roads of Ocala National Forest. And we saw deer and a bear. We found a lovely park on the shores of the St. Johns River. We had fun.

Thornby

Thornby is a beautiful piece of property on the St. Johns River. It is the remains of an old estate. It is the last undeveloped river front property in Deltona and it has been the subject of controversy for as long as I have lived here. Deltona has many places for kids to be competitive, but no real place for kids to be contemplative. And no real place for us older folks who just like to walk in the woods. Sure there are parks, but no real place for a quiet walk in the woods to get away from it all. And there are no woods like Thornby that I have seen here. Centuries old Oak trees and Magnolias and pieces of old Florida history. I had only heard about it and driven by it until today. Numerous “No Trespassing” signs kept me from exploring although I’ve always believed in saving green spaces. Today the Friends of Thornby - http://www.savethornby.com/ - arranged a tour for anyone interested. The photographs on the blog today are from that tour. I went out with the first tour and they allowed me to stay behind to photograph and experience Thornby. I saw eagles and flowers and majestic trees, too large to adequately photograph. I couldn’t help but look at the overgrown landscaping and know that this place was once loved and cared for by its owners.

Some things are worth tightening the belt for and I believe this is one of them. Deltona stands at a turning point here. I hope we make the right choice.

Art show application time....

It’s that time of year again, the time of year where I puzzle over the spring applications. Fall is fairly easy. There are 9 shows all within reasonable distance. Two of them overlap with another show so there are two decisions to make. All the others are pretty straightforward. The only difficult decision was between the “Downtown Festival and Art Show” in Gainesville and the “Disney Festival of the Masters”. Gators fans are in Gainesville and my photograph “Morning in the Glades” is big with Gators fans. Someone taught me this saying at Lake Mary last year – God must love the Gators, too, because He made the sun orange and the sky blue. And “Morning in the Glades” has got it all, orange sun, blue sky reflected in the water, and, of course, the gator. They would love me in Gainesville, I just know it.

On the other hand, I’ve always dreamed of doing Disney. There’s something about that name, “Festival of the Masters” that just calls to an artist. In order to apply to Disney I have to have won a major award within the past three years. I qualify this year. I can’t always count on that. And on the practical note – Gainesville is further away and I would need a hotel. So Disney it is.

But I was going to talk about the spring season. What a mess! Three top 100 shows all on the same weekend. Luckily they are all on ZAPP. And then every single weekend from January through March has double, triple, and in one case quadruple shows on the same weekend. This is just shows in Florida!

The majority of art shows use one of two methods to receive applications. The first is by mail. You send in the application and two checks. The first check is for the application or jurying fee and the second is for your booth fee. If you are accepted, they cash your booth fee. Unless I’m willing to lose a booth fee should I get into both shows, I don’t double apply. That’s been the story with the three top 100 shows the past three years. Either apply to all three and risk looking at a $1200 deficit before I even get in the van or cross my fingers and pick one. The cross my fingers and pick one method has not worked for me so far.

But now all of the three are on ZAPP. ZAPP is a method of applying over the internet and you don’t pay the booth fee until you get accepted. So I spring for three jurying fees and hope for one acceptance. Of course, the downside of ZAPP is that I am not the only one who is going to do that.

Then there’s the show that I already applied for that I didn’t realize is on the same weekend as another show that I did last year and would really like to do again. The last date for canceling the first show and being able to get my money back is exactly one day before the second show will notify me of acceptance or rejection. That’s got to be a double apply.

The idea of double applying really bothers me. But I’ve learned it is a necessary evil. My first year doing shows, I had the choice to apply to a benefit show for a local wildlife rescue or a top 100 show. Because of who I am and what I stand for there was no question that the choice had to be the benefit show. And being so idealistic I didn’t even apply to the other show. They cancelled the benefit show. There I was, all dressed up with nowhere to go.