Usually I am off to Eagles Mere this week, however I decided not to attend this year. I felt they needed a year to miss me! The original plan was after several weeks of traveling to take a weekend off. But after looking over my financial budget... I signed up to do the huge Lititz craft show. I always felt my work didn't belong at this venue. Oh, how we end up eating crow!! I will let you know how it goes.
The life of an artist: This blog is about sharing. My idea is to give you a glimpse into my life, to keep you updated and give you a greater connection to me and my art. So I will share a weekend story... Linda and I got home late Monday night from the show in Vermont. You may have been thinking I have got it made, I am doing what I love everyday, and I am... but let me share... Thurs. we left at 7am and drove 7 hours. Set up our little camper at a camp site. Our poor little camper was placed aside a big motor home, making me feel that size does matter! I felt small and insignificant. Then we went over to the show and set up my booth. We finished around 7pm. As of now I am out about $800 in expenses (Show fee, gas, camp fee, groceries, and we are not even staying at a hotel.) We fell into bed tired and did I mention HOT! Fri. we were at the show from 7:30am to 6PM. Again HOT, Linda is wilting in the heat but I am in my element. I only sold a little so its back to the campsite for sandwiches and sleep. Sat. again 7:30am-6pm at the show. Decent sale day but I did not want to risk spending it on a restaurant so its a salad. There's not much to do when you camp, and we have been sitting outside in the heat all day. Linda was not seeing the thrill in sitting around a campfire! So off to bed, I had a book on tape and Linda was reading as we watched the flicker of a big screen TV in the big motor home aside us. Trying not to feel envy! Sun. back to the show from 7:30am to 5pm and sold absolutely nothing. Not just us, many artist made less than I did and this was a high quality show. But oh what that does to my artistic ego. All kinds of self doubt creeps in. Even after 28 years I question my talent, my choice of style and subject. The other artist are feeling the same thing, contemplating getting real jobs. Analyzing the state of our economy. How long can we all just barely cover expenses. Commiserating with others makes you feel almost hopeless. And we still need to pack up. We finished by 7pm. Got a pizza but I feel even worse because I can't treat Linda to a good hot meal. We go back to the campsite, where that monstrosity of a motor home becomes a symbol of success and my pop up tests my pride! It started raining during the night and now we have to pack up a wet camper and drive 7 hours back home. Once at home we unpack and start in on laundry and mail and phone/email messages, set the camper up in the yard so it can dry out. Falling into bed in a tired heap. Tues. we start with a business meeting. Trying to figure out if my style of painting is past. Is traditional over? Are all the young couples contemporary and the older clients finished buying? But I just can not make myself paint in a looser contemporary style. Its not who I am. I can't compromise on that. So I just go paint... I lose myself in what I know. And as it usually works out during the week I sell my good Goose painting and take 2 print orders. The blog has been selling and my commission is looking good, I am again optimistic. That's the key to this lifestyle, my cup is half full. I get down to work on my blog and hope for a better show this weekend. I look up and its Friday and time to pack and go set up again.
The show: The HUGE Lititz Rotary Craft Show
Saturday from 8am-5pm. It covers all of Lititz!
My space is in the park, near the center parking lot.
#M52 FYI: Mount Gretna is next weekend.
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