Hurray for art collectors!
You might remember one of my collectors (I love that word) fell in love with "Greener," the artwork based on stories about my mother. Let's call him the mysterious Mr. T. (That's him painting a sketch for the Sketchbook Project.)
Mr. T and I worked out an installment plan to purchase "Greener," and recently he just delivered the final payment! Whoo-hoo! He just graduated college, so his funds are a bit limited, but art is important enough to him to include it in his budget.
Speaking of collectors, I also want to thank two other collectors: Janine Shea and Glenda Hoagland, who between them added four smaller pieces to their own collections. Hopefully they've received their thank-you notes.
Speaking of collectors, I also want to thank two other collectors: Janine Shea and Glenda Hoagland, who between them added four smaller pieces to their own collections. Hopefully they've received their thank-you notes.
Artfest: Lessons for the future
Artfest has been such an important part of my artistic development that its end almost feels like I've lost an eye I didn't even realize I had.
It gave me a new way of looking at my world and my art, even when I wasn't surrounded by my Artfest peeps.
A few valuable lessons I've learned from four joyously creative Artfests:
Ask for help, early and often. Of all learning environments, this was the place to ask for help when I needed it, but no. When I fell behind, I panicked and made things worse by not asking for help. Not this year. And voila -- no meltdown. Only took four years to learn that one.
No one can buy your art if they don't know you're selling it. Each year, I'd brought art to sell in the Artfest gallery/showcase; each year, I brought it home when it didn't sell. So I assumed my friends knew I wanted to sell mini-collages there this year... and didn't tell anyone about the artwork. They only found out when I mentioned I'd have to take the unsold collages home. One person bought a mini-collage right then and there. Another bought three more later that day. [holsters gun to stop shooting self in the foot]
People will find money for what they really want. See that piece above? A recent college graduate -- and budding art collector -- is purchasing "Greener" on an installment plan. No, he's not making a lot of money right now. But he decided he wanted to have "Greener" because he liked the story behind it, and because it will remind him of me. Well, that's ten different kinds of awesome right there.
I once read when you create a piece of art (visual, written, or otherwise), the work will reveal things about you that you'd never intended to show. The prospect of that kind of exposure is still unnerving. But you know... Artfest also taught me those revelations are valuable to others as well as myself.
I once read when you create a piece of art (visual, written, or otherwise), the work will reveal things about you that you'd never intended to show. The prospect of that kind of exposure is still unnerving. But you know... Artfest also taught me those revelations are valuable to others as well as myself.
Artfest, night three: Show & Tell
It's great to be so absorbed in your own Artfest classes that you barely notice the time flying by. But it also means you have no idea how other people have been slinging paint, soldering metal, and generally getting their art on. Hence the Show & Tell gallery on the final night of Artfest.
Another doll from one of my Clarissa Callesen's "Steampunk Sally" classmates...
If I hadn't taken "Under Your Skin" with Erin Faith Allen, I'd have asked for the Soul Portrait Empowerment class. (Really, pretty much every photo I took was of classes I wish I'd sent my clone to take.) This piece was by Lili McGovern.
OMG. This one by Rita Roman, from Andrea Matus' "Dorian Gray Portrait" class. (The "sun" is a mirror).
Michael deMeng's Eye of Fatima class...
Clarissa Callesen's Wild Things...
Those were just a few of my favorites. Tune in tomorrow for the final wrap-up.
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| Tally Oliveau with her Jesse Reno class pieces |