Time for a break? Nope...

Just settled in at home after the Fayette Fine Art Show... and decided to blog about it while all was fresh in my mind.

I had a great time! It's a spectacularly well-run show with some of the best people around working together to make it all happen. Last night a bunch of the artists went to one of the show organizer's home for a lasagna pot-luck dinner. Homemade pumpkin bread, brownies, cake... oh, almost forgot, yep, there were a few things on the non-sweet menu, too! Watermelon, veggie and meat lasagnas, bread, salad... and more importantly, lots of good company.

It was fun sharing experiences with other vendors while we munched. Pretty much everyone lamented the downturn in the economy and the affect on sales.

Today was a much better day traffic-wise and sales-wise. However, it certainly didn't come close to what I experienced the other times I participated in the show. According to the other vendors that's pretty much par for the course in most shows.

I know I had considered doing the Powers Crossroads show and the Cotton Pickin' Fair in the past. Both used to be excellent shows. However they've let in a ton of buy and sell types and the quality has gone waaaayyy down hill. How do you sell a nice piece of fine ceramic art for $300 plus while in a booth next to crocheted toilet roll covers or mass-produced puppets?

There was a lot of discussion about which shows were doing well, which ones worked for various types of art, etc. I picked a lot of brains this weekend and now have a list of shows that may work better with my kind of art.

I'm too late for some of the shows as the deadlines have passed, but I'm putting them on the list for next year.

No rest for the weary though... and no time to really think much about future shows. Next weekend I'll be at the Buckhead Design Center in Atlanta Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I understand the traffic is up and they're doing extensive marketing to try and keep the crowds coming.

The following weekend I'll be in Hendersonville, North Carolina. I think I may have mentioned both of those shows in here already.

Back to this weekend's show in Fayetteville. I did OK. Not jump up and down great, but good. I learned a lot from artists who've been doing this for many, many years. I really appreciate everyone's openness and willingness to share! Aren't artists a fabulous group???

I got to see a lot of old friends, too. It was fun chatting and catching up with folks I haven't seen in a while. I made a few new friends also.

Overall, it was a good show. I'm hoping that we see an uptick in the economy that makes it a little easier for people to feel comfortable buying some non-essentials... well, in truth, I think art is an essential but that doesn't mean everyone else thinks the same way ;-) However, essential or not, I'm keeping my pocket book snapped a lot tighter, too. I understand perfectly well how hard it is to justify spending money on art when you're concerned about losing your job or have a pay cut looming on the horizon.

Anyone read this far? I'd have probably quit reading about half way through this long blog... or maybe I'd have slogged through hoping that the writer would come to some insightful point sooner or later... sorry, I'm tired and am just rambling. No profound insights, just a lot of disconnected thoughts tonight. Let me stop now before I start talking politics or cooking or something!!! Night all.