Wednesday check in

Today I washed and waxed the van.  Packed,
getting ready to leave again.  The plan is to head out
at 6am for an 8 hour drive to Toledo, OH.
Arriving at the show and setting up, then going to our
friends the Woodruffs for our home base.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday we show.  Monday is
our play day and Tuesday we come home.

Crosby Festival of the Arts
Held at the Toledo Botanical Gardens
Toledo, OH
Friday is a private showing
Sat. 10-7 and Sun. 10-4
My booth is #209 (red area)
$8 admission

FREE air-conditioned shuttle to Toledo Botanical Garden
from Meijer located at:
7240 W. Central Ave., Toledo, OH 43617

2014 Landscape #5

4"x 6" Original Watercolor
$275.

A view from my bike ride...
Mt Airy Road, Clay Township, Lancaster
County, PA   I love our Lancaster farms.

2014 Market Series #4

5"x 5" Original Watercolor
 $200.

A scene from my local market.

Saturday was a show day.  Sunday we were off so I got our
tandem (bicycle) out of the shed and did a major tune up.
Then talked Linda into an 8 mile bike ride!  Today our friend
Joan came for a visit.  I managed to get a ride in early, the
lawn mowed, family dinner and some painting.

2014 Landscape Series #4

4"x 6" Original Watercolor

$225.00
Another Lancaster County landscape as seen while
riding my bicycle.

Well our 11 free days are almost over.  They flew by.
Linda is planning a day to Chanticleer Gardens with her
girlfriend tomorrow, leaving me to my own devices...

maybe an extra long bike ride!!

We have a show in West Reading on Saturday...
June 21  ~  Art on the Avenue
along Penn Ave. ~
UPDATED SPACE... #92 between 5th & 6th Ave
West Reading, PA
11am to 6pm ~ FREE!

2014 Landscape Series #3

4"x 6" Original Watercolor
$200.

I love the fields of Lancaster County.

Here's a story...
An artist friend from 30 years ago now living in TX sent me
a message that his wife is reading a mystery book that
mentions me.   ??   Linda looks up the book and it is
by a well published author from OK.  No one I know or
heard of.  So Linda  has it downloaded to her kindle and sure
enough in the first  chapter it says... "Today she'd spent a
mere four thousand for six watercolors by up-and-coming
Pennsylvania artist  Andy Smith."     How freaky odd is that, I
mean Pennsylvania, watercolor artist and my name. So Linda
sent the author an email and she replied that she simply Googled
artists, saw my work, liked it and used my name.  She said
I may tell the story and she is sending me a signed copy.
Death at the Door by Carolyn Hart.   How is that for a story!

2014 Market Series #3

4" x 6" Original Watercolor
SOLD!

Strawberries... I am eating strawberries every day!

Today was spent emptying, power washing and
refilling our pond.  It was in desperate need of attention.

2014 Market Series #2

4" x 6" Original Watercolor
$200.

A crate of oranges...

I managed a bike ride with our local bike club!
Finished my painting, mowed the lawn and finished
drying the tent.  A good full day.

2014 Market Series #1

4" x 6" Original Watercolor
$225..

Tuesdays trip to our local market inspired my next
series of paintings.  I have never painted eggplant.
Great rich color.

Travel Update:
We were home from IL 2 days before packing up and
heading to a 4 day show in Allentown, PA.  Only 1.5
hours from home but too far to commute.  We camped.
Back home for 2 days and then off to Ohio.  An 8 hour
drive to our friends the Woodruffs in Toledo which was
our home base for 6 days.  We did a local Toledo show
over the weekend and then had 3 days to hangout.
There is not a lot happening in Toledo.  We did visit the
Rosary Cathedral known for its fantastic stained glass
windows.  Linda is really into visiting Cathedrals lately
and finds these very special buildings.  We had a few
nice meals out and simply a nice time with our friends.
Then Thursday it was off to Columbus, OH for the next
show.  3 days of very late  showing hours (10:30pm!)
and a rainy Sunday making all the show supplies wet, it is
extra fun packing up wet!  Then a long 7 drive back
home.  Usually Linda loves being on the road and traveling
but for once she was ready to be home.  In fact she
was counting her "at home" days...11.  She announced
she was only working at her desk till noon each day and
then was doing whatever she wanted in the afternoon.
Her garden is getting a weeding!   Leaving me free to ride
my bike!   So this wicked schedule explains why I have
not been  blogging or painting the miniature paintings.
I have been painting large pieces at each show.  I will share
them later.   For now, fresh local strawberries are calling me...

packing...

 Trip update:
We had a long long drive but it was exciting to see the
St. Louis arch!  We had been up in the arch a few years
ago so we decided not to do that again.














We took an excellent Trolley Tour of the city.
And then visited and toured The Cathedral Basilica of St Louis.
Fabulous mosaics from floor to ceiling.













We finished our sightseeing day with dinner at
"Sweetie Pie's"  They have a reality show and
Linda was pretty excited to go there.  She even
got to see Tim.  They were filming while we ate.

Thursday was my teaching day at two elementary
schools in Belleville, IL.  I painted apples all day!

The show was OK.  Not quite as good as I had hoped
but the expenses were huge so it took a lot of paintings
to sell just to turn a profit.  While I was honored to be
accepted (picked only 105 artists/craftsman out of over
1000 applications)  I do not think I will return, but Linda
may have other plans in mind!  I got pretty nervous when
she questioned artists about the shows they do in CO and
Texas!!
So we returned safely with no issues and unpacked, laundry,
repacked and are ready for this weekend.


MAYFAIR Festival of the Arts
Held at the Allentown Fairgrounds
1950 Liberty Street, Allentown, PAFriday, May 23:     
4pm to 9pmSaturday, May 24: 11am to 7pmSunday,
May 25:   11am to 7pmMonday, May 26:   11am to 7pm

I am in the building... demonstrating, stop in and see me.
This show also features great music for only $5 for
a multi-day pass.  Great way to spend the weekend.

packing...

I finished my four painting commission and they

picked them up!  The last painting is below.  So

I am free to get back to my regular work.

Track Update:  Tonight was the Jr. Hi. League Meet.
20 teams...
Our girls took 1st!!  and our boys 5th!
A great season... I love coaching.

Home Update:  While we are ending things like track

and my commission our traveling schedule is wicked.

Linda is busy organizing two shows back to back.

House sitter, framing, parents and cats.  One show is

indoors the next is outside so there is different show

equipment.  Clothes...  Meanwhile I opened up the

camper and bug bombed it, aired out and wiped down

because we need it in two weeks.  I also took down the

plastic walls from the porch, took houseplants outside.

This list goes on and on!

Painting Update:

Here it is... the last one.  

SHOW:

Byers Choice ~ American Artisan Showcase

4355 County Line Road, Chalfont, PA 18914

Saturday, May 10, 2014 | 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 11, 2014 | 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Click on the show for a discount coupon!