Saturday, July 7, 2012

What is Hot?

I am so tired, I had forgotten how much work these shows can be.  To top it all off I lost a filling and had a toothache from hell.  Over the weekend of course.  Why doesn't Anbesol come with a little paint brush applicator?  Luckily I have a lot of paint brushes!  The first day of this show is over and I made it until about five o'clock before I collapsed and went home.  Nice to be in the "Garden Section", a fenced in section with other artists and not a booth that needs attending.
   The area was transformed overnight and magically decorated with potted flowers and shrubbery.  Seriously, maybe a semi truck load of them, creating wandering paths and encouraging people to investigate what treasures they could find.  I think this is the twenty-fourth year of this event and they know what they are doing.  This garden section has quite a reputation and as people enter the main grounds they head straight for it, knowing if they don't get there soon the treasures will be gone.  I think there were 30 artists in this section and most of us did pretty well.  About a third of the inventory was sold at five o'clock when I was just too tired to continue.  There was an artist there who made globes for candles on a steel frame, all pretty simple and clever.  The globe was from 2 glass light fixtures, one on top of the other with the candle inside.  He had, at the beginning of this show a triple row of these, maybe thirty of them and they were gone by 4 o'clock!
   There was a steady influx of people and it seemed as though everyone was buying something.  The dragon flies and butterflies on a stake went flying out of there and all of the clever creations made from spoons and forks and knives went as well.  Anything at $30 or less disappeared pretty fast.  My little pieces of slate on a steel stake, a place to put your morning coffee all sold also.
    Before the show opened the Art Gallery people walk through the exhibit checking things out for themselves.  When they found my lady holding an easel they stopped and we had quite a conversation about easels!  She is now a permanent fixture at Maude Kerns Art Gallery!  And they are interested in seeing my very best easel which I didn't even bring to this show!
   Someone from California came to the show with a truck.  Seriously.  Apparently they do this every year, combining a vacation to Oregon with a tour of this garden show and they know from experience that they will want to take home some of the bigger stuff.  They bought my bench model easel and it is on its way to California now.  That is such an honor.
    I sold some other bigger pieces too and still have some left.  The glass topped table with vines is gone and the wooden garden table on its steel frame is also.  Maybe I sold about a third of what I brought and for having a tooth I would like to rip out that was not a bad first day!
    It is a different world at these shows.  You would never know that these are difficult economic times.  Thousands of people paid $7 to get in and some bought three day passes for $15.  There must be over a hundred food vendors there and lunch at all of them is about $10.  Nine really but you always put the buck in the tip jar.  I do anyway.  It is hot and nasty in those kitchens.
   I am ready for day two!

5 comments:

Autumn Leaves said...

Did you sell a Sherry Model yet, Jer? I'll bet you are so glad you went, eh? I hope you take some photos!!

Jerry Carlin said...

YES< the bench easel, the "Sherry Model" that tips to the flat position in gone! It went to California!!!
We should go into business Sherry! Did you know that if you :Google" easel/trellis you will only find ME??
I can't believe no one thought of this before!

Barbra Joan said...

Jerry, I"m so happy for you that your doing well at the show.. How I wish I could have been there for it.. BJ

SooZeQue said...

Glad all your hard work is panning out. Sorry about the tooth. Nothing worse than feeling bad at a 3 day show! Hang in there! Let's hope you don't have to haul anything home!

kellylynnecreative said...

Hi there, next time (let's hope there isn't a next time but just in case) forget the anbesol and grab a bottle of clove oil from a health food store/dept, wouldn't hurt to keep a bottle around. It tastes horrible, like that old school clove gum but on steroids! Taste aside, it numbs unbelievably and instantly -and yes, paint it on with a Qtip or the like. It's such a welcome relief when you lose a filing, fracture a tooth, wisdom teeth, etc. -that radiating pain disappears!

Really glad to hear your show went well! When people love the pieces you've poured your heart and soul into it's such a confirmation that you're fulfilling your destiny and really "living", as so much of what artists create is literally an extension of themselves. Bask in the glory, you've earned it!