I will be in downtown Blue Ridge, GA for their Fall Arts in the Park on Saturday and Sunday - October 8-9. The hours are 10am – 5pm on both days.
In addition to the 6 original pieces which I'll have with me, I will also have 16 giclée reproductions on canvas, 1 reproduction on birch wood, and plenty of paper giclée prints with me.
Hope to see you there!
Crazy but true. At each of my last three shows (Cary-NC, Augusta-GA, and Charlotte-NC) I've been chosen for an award. All three were juried events with more than 100 participating artists and the judges are picked because of their experience in the arts over an extended period of time. So I've been so fortunate and I am very grateful. It definitely feels good and also motivates me to push myself. I hope to continue to create pieces which connect with the heart and inspire the mind. Thanks to all who support me...and sorry for bragging :)
Got a few more dates to put up which run all the way through the end of my 2016 schedule. Well, there is still a chance I will do the local Riverside Arts Market at some point but it depends on how crazy my life gets.
Here I go again. Back to Atlanta this weekend. It's my safe place. :)
The Piedmont Park Arts Festival is Sat and Sun Aug 13 and 14. Just got my booth assignment and I'm #51 which is at the southeastern corner of the running track/active oval. There is a map below and I placed a red star where I'll be - my best guess.
The weather looks a little hot but otherwise pretty good. And I am not sure I will be making it back up there until the Spring. So if you are in the Atlanta area please come out and see me !
So we made the 16 hour car drive from Jacksonville to Ann Arbor - and then back again (with some meandering along the way home). And it was definitely worth it!!
We got there a day early so there was time to walk and see the University of Michigan campus some, as well as the downtown area where the festival was held. (I don't always get to do that.) The campus is beautiful and overall Ann Arbor is such a cool place with a plethora of bars, good restaurants and small shops to enjoy. It was fun.
In terms of total $ sales - it was my best show ever. So of course that made me happy! :) Going to a new festival in a totally different part of the country is kinda risky. I knew that no one would know me or be familiar my art so I was definitely nervous/anxious. As it turns out I had nothing to worry about. It was great from the very first hour (actually from before I even officially opened!!). Toby is already looking forward to next summer, and we might even try to link up the trip up with another show in the Midwest. But who knows? Next summer seems an eternity from here to me.
Oh yes, and I also received an honorable mention in the 2-D art category. Given the number of seriously talented artists there, I was very pleased and happy about that!
I am going to be at the Riverside Arts Market (RAM) for the first time ever this Saturday. I'll mostly have canvas and paper reproductions available. I'll have one (maybe 2) reproductions on birch wood - those are so awesome by the way. And I'm bringing the original "Love and Loyalty". It's a ram so of course right?
So come out if you can. It's going to be a hot day but under the bridge with the river breeze it should be nice. See you there!! www.riversideartsmarket.com
I'm going to have 3 pieces shown at CoRK North (part of the Cork Arts District) for the Southlight Gallery show - "Fresh Air". The show opening is June 23rd from 6pm to 9pm and then runs through June 30th. Please come out and enjoy the art! I'm super excited to be a part of it! The address for CoRK North is 603 King Street, Jacksonville, FL 32204. The three original pieces I will have are Steadfast, Love and Loyalty, and Alfresco. (The links there take you to the reproductions available for each.)
So for the rest of June I am just going to be home and hopefully completing a couple of new pieces. Then I'll hit the road once in July, twice in August, and twice in September. Of those five trips three will be to cities I've never been to before. So should be fun and different. Here's where I'll be:
Another update for where I will be the next few months.
Riverside Avondale Preservation - Tour of Homes. April 16-17 - Jacksonville, FL. Two of my pieces will be at the showcase home for the weekend.
Magic City Art Festival. April 22-24 - Birmingham, AL
Artsplosure - The Raleigh Arts Festival. May 20-22 - Raleigh, NC.
State Street Art Fair. July 21-24 - Ann Arbor, MI.
Atlanta is such a wonderfully diverse city. And it was definitely on full display this past weekend in Piedmont Park - families, individuals, couples, groups of friends - they were all there in every possible combination that exists in America today. I loved it. Can't wait to go back - which I hope to be in August.
One of the best pics that came home with me was the parking lot attendant holding a opossum. Talk about a funny moment for sure. :)
Over the past two weekends I was in Fairhope, AL and then the Mandarin neighborhood of my hometown Jacksonville, FL. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had something to say during both weekends!
In Fairhope we arrived late and just as we were finishing up a terrible thunderstorm rolled in off the bay. To give you an idea of how bad it was, we saw multiple tents demolished by the combination of wind and rain. Some were just flipping, rolling and tumbling down the street. Luckily, we were able to secure my tent and my work. My father's tent, which was right next to mine, fared slightly worse but there was no major damage done. So, in the end we survived. The rest of the weekend turned into very pleasant trip. Fairhope is a wonderful little town. Go visit if you can. :)
In Mandarin there was no wind but there was rain followed by stifling humidity. But really, the rain didn't last long and since I am from Jacksonville, I survived the humidity. :) And I must say that it's so nice to participate in a show and sleep in my own bed. Lastly, I'm honored to have won Judges Choice award for mixed media!
This weekend – March 5th and 6th - is the 46th Annual Gasparilla Festival of the Arts in Tampa. Over the last few years it has really become one of the more prestigious festivals in the country. I was thrilled when I received their invitation to participate in this year’s show. It should be a super weekend. :)
The hours are Saturday 9 am – 6 pm and then Sunday 10 am – 5 pm. My booth number is #83 which seems to be pretty central – maybe slight closer to the river that runs along the park. There will be so much good art there I am sure a walk around the whole thing would be well worth it.
Here's my remaining Spring 2016 schedule:
Gasparilla Festival of the Arts - March 5-6 - Tampa, FL
Outdoor Art Show - March 18-20 - Fairhope, AL
Mandarin Art Festival - March 26-27 - Jacksonville, FL
Atlanta Dogwood Festival - April 8-10 - Atlanta, GA
Magic City Art Festival - April 22-24 - Birmingham, AL
Artsplosure - The Raleigh Arts Festival - May 20-22 - Raleigh, NC (tentative)
I've added the Mandarin Art Festival in Jacksonville, FL on Easter weekend, March 26 and 27. The festival is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. I've had to change some of my normal Easter traditions but I am looking forward to being out with my art and chatting with folks who will probably be in a relaxed and happy mood (as Easter tends to be). And it's a hometown show for me which is actually very rare. So being home in the evening instead of at a hotel will be more cozy and nice. :)
Here is their website http://www.mandarinartfestival.org/ and the address of the festival is 12447 Mandarin Road, Jacksonville, FL 32223.
This weekend will be my second annual trip to the Mount Dora Arts Festival. It's a big show and I'm pretty optimistic. It'll be sunny and cool and I'm sure the crowds will be out. I'll give you a report next week on how it went. Here's a link to their website if you are interested. http://mountdoracenterforthearts.org/arts-festival/
Last weekend New Smyrna was great. I more than doubled my sales from last year. That's always a good thing. And since it was my first show of 2016 I'm going to use that result as a good omen for the whole year. Why not right? :)
Oh and I also was lucky enough to win an award. Another good sign. The official name was an "Award of Commendation". I think it was a tie for 8th place? But out of 240 talented artists I will definitely take it. :)
This coming weekend I am heading back to New Smyrna Beach for the Images Art Festival. This is my second year participating in the show which has definitely added to my excitement. There are several reasons for this but primarily it's because of their art patron program. Last year there were so many patrons who came out and who were dedicated art lovers and buyers...many even came out all three days.
Aside from the art I am looking forward to the weekend in this quaint central Florida beach town. The weather should be nice and the venue is so awesome. It's really just a super place to spend a winter weekend.
So I went to post my 2016 winter and spring festival schedule and it made me think back on the passing year. It some ways I can't believe 2015 is ending. In other ways, it was a long year and it seems about right. :)
Here is my 2016 schedule thus far...til summer anyway. :)
Images: A Festival of the Arts - January 29-31 - New Smyrna Beach, FL
Mount Dora Arts Festival - February 6-7 - Mount Dora, FL
Gasparilla Festival of the Arts - March 5-6 - Tampa, FL
Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival - March 18-20 - Fairhope, AL
Atlanta Dogwood Festival - April 8-10 - Atlanta, GA
Magic City Art Festival - April 22-24 - Birmingham, AL
Artsplosure - The Raleigh Arts Festival - May 20-22 - Raleigh, NC (tentative)
I won best of show at the St Augustine Art Festival! It was really such an honor. There were a lot of very good artists there ( all different kinds of mediums) and to be awarded the top spot is unbelievable to me.
The award was presented by the King and Queen of the city, which was fun and memorable. Below is a picture of the royal family in my booth. :)
I am headed to Hoover, AL (just outside of Birmingham) to participate in the Moss Rock Festival. It's another first for me. I was in Birmingham in the Spring for the Magic City Festival and it was one of my best shows this year. So I guess I am hoping for more of the same. :) Here is a link to their website: http://www.mossrockfestival.com/
The Atlanta Arts Festival is awesome. The people, the artists, the venue - it's all great. My favorite artist this year was Sloane Bibb. Very creative work so check out his website.
In two weeks I'll be in Hoover, AL at the Moss Rock Festival. I've heard good things and I am looking forward to it. My last trip to Birmingham was super, so of course that makes me optimistic. :)
Here is a picture of Piedmont Park on Sunday morning at the festival. Overcast and beautiful
