I had my first outdoor art fair of the season over the weekend at the 57th Street Community Art Fair.I finished several paintings in a mad rush on Friday prior to packingup the truck. I am a master procrastinator. I love starting new paintings, but the best chance for me to finish them seems tobe a deadline, a commission pick-up or looming show date. The hard part is that it's not just finishing the painting, then it needs to be varnished, titled, labeled, inventoried, hanging hardware attached and packed. On these occasions I dub myself "SuperAnne", as I am able to accomplish a weeks worth of work in a day or two. My studio looks like a disaster area as all of this activity ensues, and usually remain this way until I have a client visit.
It was very hot and humid but sales were very good on Saturday and we actually lucked out with the weather as it rained a lot in some parts of the city. I met some wonderful new customers and heard a lot of great dog and cat stories as I always do at these shows. Two women I spoke with are very involved with Greyhound rescue and told me about GreyhoundsOnly.com - they help find homes for retired and injured racing dogs. These are the kind of groups that I really want to help, I would love to design fund raising posters or tshirts for them to sell. Also met some wonderful artists - check out this great leather and metal jewelry by Molly Bitters. And more press, I was interviewed by the City of Chicago's Streetside Studio, at some point this will video should be viewable online.
Hyde Park is very beautiful as is the drive down on Lakeshore Drive - strange to see it from the truck as only one week ago we were out there on our bicycles during Bike the Drive. We only live about 3 miles west of Lake Michigan yet rarely seem to get over there - it's so beautiful and big sky and water and green space...every time I'm there I vow to visit the lake at least once a week, and of course several usually go by before I find my way back.
I'm now trying to catch up on all the email and paper work that a show brings with it.