NY City show review

I realized that I never commented back on this show. Many of you pushed me to have confidence and try it out. Reach for the stars. Go beyond Ulster County.

I am glad it did it, though the rewards were not necessarily monetary.

The trip was a grueling 3 hours in a rainstorm, most of the delays from the George Washington bridge traffic, and work being done on the Henry Hudson. I was late and had 1/2 hour to set up, but they gave me a fabulous space for fine art, as well as my card racks. It was a bit of a pain loading things on and off elevators, but I survived it.

It was down on Park Avenue and 36th, for a company called Digitas, a well known international digital marketing agency. The employees were young beautiful cutting edge youth--- from 25-40 ish. (the young ones who have grown up practically cutting teeth on computers...)

They loved my fine art, and though I did sell some work, I knew that they too were feeling the crunch of this fragile economy, and were not in the market to drop money on art or anything else for that matter.

Then came the parking bill of 60.00, never mind the gas/toll for the trip.

I may have made 50.00 (am having problems with a paypal payment from one person) after the travel expenses, and it was an exhausting trip back home. I didn't even hang out in the city because..I simply couldn't afford to.

What did I get out of it? The joy and excitement of people really loving my small paintings even more than my cards. The muse whispering "do more art Patti...paint, collage, get going sista!" The bottle of home made Coquito that I bought from one of the vendors that was enjoyed by many over the holiday season.

They want me back in the spring for a "Mother's Day" show. I don't know if I will do it. If I do I will figure out how to pack everything in a wheeling bag and a back pack, take the train, and a cab. Maybe I will do a bunch of small pieces at a price you can't say no to. And people need to see you more than just once so they know you are in it for the long haul and they get to know you.

One day at a time.

In the meantime, I have a few projects I am working on, and Valentine's Day is around the corner!

patti

Photo..handmade 1880's bookmark listed on my Catskillpaper Etsy site.

Another Art Challenge

Today I was chatting with Nancy Donskoj while picking up my art from the show "We're Only In It for the Money". I am glad to have my pieces back as I am in love with them. They elicited many chuckles, and a few people said they would have loved to have bought them "if they only had the money", a sad but true line I heard often this show season.

This year is the quadricentennial of the Hudson Fulton Champlain, and the Historic Friends of Historic Kingston (the city which was New York's first capital) are looking to have an art show at the Fred Johnson Museum. You are invited to view the archives of the 1909 celebration (postcards, prints, buttons, etc), then make artwork that interprets it into the 21st century.

Even though all the application dates are over, I sent off an email with sample of my mixed media pieces which incorporate images from that time period. If accepted, this will be a huge undertaking for me, but an exciting one.

In my quest to "redefine" my art, I have raised the ante. I know I can do the crafts shows and make money. Now I need to aim higher and be seen as something more than a crafts person/designer. Ah...the art vs. craft conundrum.

Photo of a handmade antique Valentine pieces that I have listed on Etsy.


patti

Change of Heart and Art News

Well, I can't completely give up my art blog.

I haven't been blogging much about art on my other blog, and I have some art worthy news to post here, so perhaps I will take some pressure off myself and post weekly or something that works for me. The show season has come to an end, I am going to get into the Valentines Day mode soon, and I will have some more time to chat about art, post events, ideas, etc. Thanks for bearing with this sometimes spastic artist!

Larry gave me three bars of Encaustic Paint from R & F Paintswhich I really wanted and could not afford. He gave me two more large canvases, the same size as the Olana painting I did a year ago. (pictured here) He is encouraging me to paint larger, which is difficult due to the size of my studio and storage. I guess the worst case scenario is I could have a YART sale when it gets to be too much and invite everyone over for a massive Crazy Eddie art sale. I have to do it to be able to be a master painter, so I should not let an over abundance of paintings deter me.....

I also signed up for a challenge....The Arthouse Coop Project: Sketchbook Project. For an 18.00 entrance fee you are given a Moleskine sketchbook with the theme being "Everyone We Know". Each book created and sent in by the due date is displayed in venues about the country. Two of note that piqued my interest were the Museum of Contemporary Art in DC, and the Museum of Design in Atlanta. NOTE: I do not want to discount the smaller venues and gallery's which are visited by those who will examine our art too....it is just nice to have a big name or two.

My mind is already churning with ideas of the direction that I could take this. P political, biological....a book of double entendres or conundrums....oh I feel the muse visiting now. The only thing is, I am not sure if I get my original back...and if I don't,who holds the copyright to all of this? I guess I will have to read all the fine lines on the website. Worse case scenario? I pay 18.00 for a 6.00 book, and do my own art to parallel it.

Off to re size some text on a zine I made to fit the printing margins of my newish printer. Something that I did not even realize when I bought it!

patti

HELP

I am really having to look at my time and make some decisions.

This holiday season has been extremely brutal working two jobs, and there is never enough time anything much beyond work. And when I do have some spare time, I want to be in the studio or with my family.

SO... I am going to stop writing this blog, and keep just my EAT MAN DRINK WATER. blog. I talk about my art life a lot there...which is inevitable as as my art is entwined around my life and vica versa.

And I just can't keep up with two blogs and do both well.

Any thoughts? Give me a shout...but I think I need to shout out in one voice!

patti

Show Number 1 DONE

I just ended such a busy weekend.

Craft fair in New Paltz all weekend.

Two openings last night where I had my work.

Then this Wednesday, NYC.

After that I bring what I have left over from my shows...mainly my cards and crafty things, to school and sell them at a discount. The art hangs out here somewhere, waiting for the next show or exhibition.

The true pleasure is that though I made less than usual, (not rocket science with the economy) I sold higher end pieces that ranged from 16.00-125.00. It takes a lot of cards to make 100.00, and doing it in one sale is so exciting.

The next few days I will try and fill in my card inventory with a few more cards, and perhaps I can pull together a few more collages before I head to the Big Apple.

Right now however I am heading to bed!

xp

Feeling the Pressure

1936 Mickey Mouse Card on Ebay
Vintage Lindbergh Plane Holiday Card on Ebay
Antique Postcard with Star of David on Etsy (Catskillpaper)
Handmade card on Etsy (Pagibbons)

So the flu took three precious days of production away from me. Now I am stressed to produce as much as I can in the next week for my up coming shows. All four of them in a week.

Fortunately one piece is ready to go in the local ASK show, the other two for the DONSKOJ show just have to be framed (blech-did I ever mention I hate to frame even though I know how to do it professionally?) and I have two craft shows.

"It all is what it is" has become my mantra so that I don't get too excited about it all and work myself into a tizzy.

Over the past few days I have put more things on both of my Etsy sites, and have listed some of my specialty items on eBay. Things like rare holiday cards, a magazine with illustrations by Maxfield Parrish. Ebay or Etsy are not great these days due to the economy, but I am not selling big ticket items, just items that someone will indeed want, and if I sell enough it pays for my Internet for the month, or some of my studio heating bill.

Here are a few pictures of things you can find on Ebay (Catskillpaper ID) or from Etsy, but my links for Etsy are located here on the blog.

Looking for something special? Need a special card or collaged journal? Give me a shout.

My mantra is try and give American Handmade this holiday season. Support the economy by supporting the arts.

Patti

Nursery Crimes

Two cards from my Nursery Crime series.

Why do I call it that? Because the words used are from an antique nursery rhyme book. When paired up with the right image, they mean something QUITE different from their original intent.

Somebody will enjoy them. They are posted on my Etsy site!

patti