Busy

We are almost done prepping for The Ely Blueberry Festival.

I just did a "terrible" thing as a pastelist. 
This is a landscape based on a real photograph I took while on Bear Island Lake (would I lie?) in northern Minnesota. It measures approximately 11 1/2" by 24" - I think. No time to find or build a real frame. So.... of to Michael's craft store I go. This morning. And... they are having a sale on these long poster frames. Buy one, get one freee - I think. So.... I am using the frame mostly as a barrier against bad luck. And if the pastel painting is purchased the customer is free to frame the piece as he or she pleases. Whew? Whew.

Here is another view - 

See? There will be options.

Sometimes we have too many.
Sometimes not enough.

Off to Ely we go! Good ol' Booth 15. Next to the main street - Sheridan - so we get to see the world of Ely go by past the back of our booth. Sad that our usual crew to our left won't be here this year. Sad that two of "our" trees blew over just before the festival last July. Made for a hotter spot than usual. Glad that the weather forecast is O.K. But one is never Sure of the forecast. We will see what weather gods have in store for us this year. When visiting the Northland it is best to have a suitcase with a little bit of everything packed. Sandals? Check? Goose-down vest? Check. 

On to the double-checking - 

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Another Thirty Thankfuls -

Today I am Thankful for:

1) Sunlight on yellow lily blossoms
2) The audio book, "Yes, Chef."
3) Friends sending online "NAN/Breyerfest updates last wek
4) A Very Good art fair weekend up North in Grand Marais, MN
5) Folks canceling their motel reservations in GM
6) New ideas for more bears
7) Going to the shore to put hands in Lake Superior ("my" Lake - ha!)
8) The iPod Nano
9) Fast funny chat about Dark Energy with pro Physicist
10) This photo of me and the red bear an excited lady bought at Spring Green Art Fair:

11) Fresh baby dill sprigs from the garden
12) Chard from the garden
13) Basil from garden
14) Kale from.....
15) Baby tomatoes peeking out from lush greenery
16) Todd driving most of the way to and from Grand Marais
17) Goat cheese
18) Beautiful Art Made by Others
19) This morning's low temperature being 54 degrees - because it could have ben COLDER
20) Stillwater Library lending out magazines (pace yourself, Susan!)
21) New Likes on Sue Rowe Studios Facebook Page  - Thank You!!!!
22) Learning yesterday that there are 94 species of fish in the St. Croix River (I will look at this river differently from now on.)
23) People with small bills and coinage at art fairs
24) Quote collections
25) Crow on a mission:

26) A few CLEAN spaces in the house
27) Bluegrass music
28) Stockholm (WI) Art Fair being able to be held in usual beautiful park location instead of alternative
29 Mississippi River deciding to retreat from above park in time for this Saturday's Art Fair
30) Knowing that there are WAY MORE than 30 reasons for which to give Thanks!

On to the day. Some parts of plans are going smoothly. Others - not so much. Life as usual!!

This Saturday, July 19th, holds the Stockholm Art Fair - this well-run show in small town of Stockholm, Wisconsin, is always one of the high points of our season. Great friends, wonderful art, great music, and located near the shore of Mississippi River  are  just a few reasons we love doing this show. Now to cross fingers for a lovely day... If you DO come visit - remember to buy a slice of pie at The Stockholm Pie Company and walk through the other shops and galleries in town. No, I don't know where folks park. I only know and appreciate that they usually come early and in great number.

Then - next week (July 25 - 27)- the three day Ely Blueberry Festival - usually our best show of year. We shall not remember the weather (BAD IN MANY WAYS) of 2013. New year. New bears. New Hope. Old Space: Booth 15 - yay!

Also -  one last bear and our 30 Bear Challenge will be over at long last. Am aiming for TODAY.
Crossing paws......

Fare-thee-well,'
Sue

Art Fairs - Yup

Greetings -
I was a late-comer to the art fair circuit. We missed "the Glory Days" that the old-timers talk of when we gather around on a Saturday evening with a plate of goodies and the beverage that might make chats even more intriguing.

However, in our case, better late then never. It's been a quickly moving time since that first mostly horrible experience in a nearby town. A bad-craft fair. We didn't know. Pitched a booth of some s orts, offered some now-remarkably-semi-awful stuff... and yet... and yet.... the few drawings and words done on cheap paper and poorly-presented resonated with just enough quirky folks that we were encouraged to carry on. Thanks, you few customers of 1998! Without your kind words and chuckles no more bears would have made it on to more paper. All the Bob bears would not exist. The books and teeshirts, and greeting cards and magnets and Real Art would not exist.

Passersby and customers - you never know when YOUR one sentence to an artist might be just the sentence that person NEEDS to hear that day.

We progressed. Whew. The booth grew more colorful, if not the most tidy. The economy changed. Sales of smaller pieces saved the day when maybe only one or no originals would sell. Sigh. Tell us again about the Glory Days "old-timers." Yet  prizes were won, galleries asked to carry our work, and wholesale accounts were created.  The bears, cats, and piggies were starting to move out in to the world! And the chats held in and around that 10 x 10 piece of white plastic ranged from a lady baking banana bread to feed to a DNR-trapped bear to people dying of bear attacks. We discuss cancer & children & politics & religion & food & relationships & philosophy, & of course, the weather. "Sue's Booth of Truth" one woman stated. I try.

An empty booth, though filled with stuff, is gloriously different when filled with People.

This is a tiny part of the crowd at the 2012 Ely Blueberry Festival. At this event our booth, good old #15, next to Al and Shirley, is a destination to many people, and we knock wood and cross fingers that it continues to be so. Having been one of the emptier booths in our earlier adventures it's gratifying to find an often-filled booth on our hands. Some times potential customers give up and come back later or see us at a different show. The difficulty at a busy event is trying to chat with friends, old and new, while conducting business and making eye contact and saying "Thank You!" and "Would you like a bag?"
The current year's comment/suggestion/contact notebook is always open for stories, good words, and the like. Each year's book is a treasured reminder of things to do, places to see, new things to make. And GREAT STORIES. Garrison Keillor said that it's all about the stories, and I agree.

So....  this is a short piece covering a long topic. Even if you don't plan on buying art just go walk around a good art fair. You may find joy in one booth and truth in another. You might learn about a craft you'd never known existed. You might meet an an old friend from high school. We artists will be glad to answer questions and give advice to the brave sorts who might want to pitch their own booths next year.

Summer is almost over. It's been short, long, slow and busy. Soon it will be time to start those application processes all over again. That's never fun - so we will not speak of such right now.

On to September, October, and then resting the tent.
We'll be doing some indoor events, but remembering those sunny days at a good fest.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue