Etsy shop

I now have an Etsy shop, please come by! I have some jewelry offerings, some photo prints, and some digital art available. Please visit some of my favorite vendors, and view their stuff as well!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5076194

More are available on my website as well.

Scotland photos

I realize I never blogged about my trip to Scotland! Bad artist, no cookie!

Here is my website trip log and photos about Scotland. Enjoy the trip!

http://www.greendragonartist.com/BI/BItripreportScotland2008.htm

Catching up... again!

Once again I am playing catch up. I think part of the reason I feel so reluctant to add to the blog is I figure no one is watching :)

I had my first pretty terrible quarter in art shows this year. The only bright spots were Dragoncon, which was a 50% increase in sales over the previous (already good) year, and the Micanopy Fall Festival, which increased 40% in sales. All the other shows were barely break even, if that at all.

I think the economy is really beginning to tell in art and jewelry sales. Luxuries are the first to go, and art truly is a luxury to most people. Yes, to you and I, creators of art, it is a necessity, but to those that are buying pretty things to wear and look at, it's not as important as gas or food, or even a roof over their head. One must cut back somewhere. The trick now is to hold on until the economy starts picking up again.

I did hold my first ever Open Gallery Day at my house yesterday, and it was a success. I had three other artists bring their work as well, had 15 guests, and we all had a good time. My husband was kind enough to provide food, as well as a fabulous crab dip :)

I plan on doing more of these - one each July, one each early December. I think it will do well to invite other artists, and make it a tradition... spreading the cheer!

Some of my more recent jewelry projects are below. Without sales to pare down my stock, it's piling up! But I can't stop making stuff... guess I can't display it all at once any longer. Ah well!

Here is my Celtic Dragon necklace - all done in delica beads. Boy, this was a pain to map out! But it was fun to make.

Some photos from Maine and Nova Scotia

I thought I'd post some of my favorite shots from Maine and Nova Scotia this summer, while I was catching up :)


The misty morning here is one morning when I woke up at 4:30am to go find some moose to get photos of. No luck with the moose - they may have been hiding in the mists!

Then there are these two boats from our trip to Nova Scotia - I loved the rusty colors of the beach next to the bright blue of the boats.

The verdant green vista next to it reminded me of the epitome of summer. I took this in Maine, not far from Dexter, where my in-laws are from.

The next two photos are sunsets, from different places. The boat is from Pictou, the night we arrived there was a wonderfully peaceful sunset with gorgeous colors. This fishing boat was just sitting there, contemplating the night. The other sunset was in Dexter, Maine, across the street from my Uncle-in-law's house... didn't he pick a beautiful spot!

Playing catch up

I've been a bad blogger once again! Let's catch up?

I had two shows in December. One was the O'Connell Center, which was not as bad as I feared in setup, a bit worse for tear down. Sales were down slightly from the year before, but I had my good friend in the booth next to me for HER first show. Yay!

I also did a first time one-day show in the Town of Tioga, and while sales were low, I still made a decent day. I also sold a necklace/earring set to Joe Clark, the man that the movie Lean on Me (with Morgan Freeman) was based on. It was a thrill not only to meet the man, but to know he bought my jewelry as a gift for his wife :) He was a very dynamic, strong man.

The rest of December brought some much-needed rest and reset from the circuit. I got to move into a new room of the house as my office/studio, one that I didn't share with anyone (but the cats). My husband moved out of that room and into a smaller one, but one without cats :) So all are happy!

In January I did the Crystal River Manatee show, same spot as last year. Sales weren't bad, but rain was bad on Sunday, and they shut us down at 2pm - the first time I'd seen that happen yet. Still, I won an Award of Merit for Jewelry, as I had last year. Money without having to trade it for stock is always nice! Also, I discovered a neat little tea shop just across from my tent :)

I then did the two-weekend Hoggetown Medieval Faire, which I've done for several years now. I did better in sales than the previous year, saw lots of old friends, made new ones, and got to talk in an Irish accent all show. Fun fun fun! I always look forward to that show. Despite a rainy first Saturday, I did well.

After that I had a show in Lady Lake, the first time for this. Sales weren't bad (a little below average) but the show itself is nice and set in a tree-lined park. The promotors (TNT Events, Inc.) are always friendly and out to help. I am doing another show with them this weekend in St. Augustine.

On the way back from Lady Lake I passed through the Villages - and saw a herd of buffalo. Yes, buffalo. Pretty sure I have not seen a buffalo in real life before. Got a picture, of course!

I've also started experimenting with RAW format photos, so I can experiment with different levels of exposures within the photo. Also, I've started bracketing exposures to play with HDR photos. Definitely will need a tripod for this - the combinations photos are blurred if you don't, I've learned.

I also got some decent shots of the lunar eclipse the other night, including a couple shots that showed Saturn and Regulus (I think that was the star that night) that formed a triangle with the moon.

Tonight I'm off to St. Augustine, and the prospect of rain :(

DeLand Fall Festival - Justice!

This weekend I participated in the DeLand Fall Festival, which is a fine arts show. Now, I've had mixed results from DeLand this year - the March show was great, the September show was terrible. So I faced this show with great trepidation. However, my fears were to be unfounded, and how!

There was no Friday night setup for this show, and if it hadn't turned out good, I would never return, as that is almost a dealbreaker for me. Who wants to wake up at 5am, spend 4 hours setting up, getting all sweaty, and then deal with customers all day? Not I! However, I got in very early, set up without mishap, got breakfast, and settled down to a delightfully cool and clear day filled with crowds. My neighbors were neighborly, I was within sight of my trailer (parked in a nearby alley) and all was good with the world.

Near the end of the day (around 4:30) I was approached by the organizers. Evidently only my jewelry had been juried in, and i needed to take the photos down. Huh? I went back and looked at all my paperwork (I always bring it all along) and none of their letters to me indicated that I was anything other than 'accepted'. No restrictions, explanations, etc. I would have set things up very differently if I knew it was just jewelry - made up photos of my jewelry for the walls, etc.

So, I went to the artist appreciation dinner Saturday night, armed with my letters, to see if I could argue my side. Luckily, after a bit of searching, I found Brad, who talked to Dorothy, the lady in charge. Since it had been a communication error on their part, Brad graciously told me I could leave my stuff up. I thanked him profusely, and asked him if he was sure? I was willing to be gracious at this point as well, since they were so kind about it. He said he was sure, and that he knew next year to make sure the letters were more precise.

Good thing, too - I sold about $400 worth of prints the next day! The show ended up being 3 times my average show in sales, and I had a great time. A bit worried about clouds on Sunday afternoon, but it didn't turn into anything rainy. A breakdown coordinator came by and asked me what my arrangements were for breaking down - he was glad to hear my trailer was close by, and no traffic need be blocked :) That was the first time I'd seen one of those - great idea!

Definitely a show I will be doing next year, it was a well done and well run show.

Next up! O'Connell Center Holiday Craft Show in Gainesville.

Oops, catching up!

Well, it's been a while - I've been busy busy busy and sick sick sick. I got a cold over Thornebrook weekend, and it ended up being strep throat by the next weeks. But I get ahead of myself:

Butterfly Festival

The weekend after Thornebrook was Butterfly Festival in Gainesville, Florida. It was a small, children oriented affair, second year, but nice and local. I verified that someone would be there Friday evening until 6pm, so I could complete my setup the night before. I had a generous 10X20 spot, so I carefully planned the space using a spreadsheet. That's AR for you!

When I got there around 4:30, they said the gates closed at 5pm. 5~! I was told 6! ARGH! To top it off, I was still sick from earlier in the week, coughing and such. I was also without help, so I did my best to set up quickly... then they relented and said I could stay til 6. Thanks!

Then I discovered that my 10X20 was really more like 10X15 - because the person pacing out the areas didn't do it right... well, no big deal, they just sort of moved the tents over, since I was second to the end. That worked! I set up what I needed to, and went home to be miserable.

The next morning, bright and early, off to finish setup. It was actually a glorious day, bright and sunny, not too hot, lots of people. I did good sales, and got some lovely shots of the swamp/bog in the middle of the field, and some waterlillies. Even got a shot of a butterfly (they released several groups of Monarchs during the festival). There were lots of hippies there due to several 60s era performers, and evidently hippies like my stuff. :)

Sunday was a little more hectic, as it rained three times throughout the day. Short rains each, so I just sort of took in my prints, and waited each one out. Didn't seem to affect the crowds much, and all was well. Did a good weekend total, met a lot of people that wouldn't normally come to art shows, so great exposure. However, the next week I was sick bleh. No rest means no healing.

McIntosh 1890s Festival

The next weekend was a one-day show in McIntosh, about 30 minutes south of me. It's a quaint country craft show, and I did well last year (about $450 for a day). This year my booth spot had a bush in the middle of it, so instead I chose a spot on the main drag - but it had quite a lean to it, dipped back in the back of the tent. I had fun setting up the night before, including dropping my box of beaded ornaments (and breaking some) :( However, I got it set up and went home for more rest. I got up super early, as I knew from experience that folks went in early to shop, even though the show doesn't officially open until 8am. Sure enough, there were shoppers around at 6:30, in the dark!

It wasn't as good as last year, but still an above average day. I despaired for a while until one girl came by, and purchased three prints, as she just moved into a new apartment and needed to decorate the walls :)

Breakdown was fairly easy, but the walk to the parking was very far...


Mount Dora Craft Festival

Now, this was supposed to be a great show - 300,000 attendees, 350 vendors. From all accounts, though, it was rather disappointing. I barely covered expenses (including hotel and gas) with my sales, and it was gloomy all weekend. We did have a lovely meal at an Icelandic restaurant Saturday night, called the Frosty Mug. However, Saturday morning Vicki was ill, and Sunday all day I was feverish from the onset of my Strep Throat. I laid in the back for a while, while Vicki saved my butt. She also broke down the majority of the tent for me (in the rain!). Ugh that weekend sucked. I don't think I'll be doing that one again - if FOFA (Ocala) is that weekend next year, I'll try it instead.

The doctor visit Monday told me I had Strep, gave me antiobiotics. It cleared up the infection, but the cough won't go away!

Micanopy

Last weekend was Micanopy, and that was a much better show than the last! The weather was beautiful, it was homecoming weekend for the Gators, and we won so the alumni were in a good mood. I did better than last year, and it was a good year last year, so things are looking up. I sold two prints of Celtic Fire, when I had sold none previously. Still coughing, though!

This weekend, there are no shows. I am relaxing, healing, and hopefully, not coughing. I have ordered some more prints from WHCC, as I ran out of one print (Repentance) that has been selling well. I added four more prints that are new, one from Nova Scotia and the others from local shots, including the waterlillies from Butterflyfest.

Hectic, hectic, hectic!

Thornebrook Village Art Festival

Well, this weekend was interesting to say the least. The fair was great, but the weather sucked. It rained on and off all weekend, keeping attendance down much more than it was last year. My sales were half of what they were last year as well.

To add to that, we had the music right in front of us, and with the amplifiers, it was loud enough that I couldn't hear my customers talk. I knew they were saying something, but couldn't figure out the words, even with lip reading. Very annoying! Also, the lady set up next to me had a very unprofessional setup (some pegboard and a card table), and talked very loud, with curse words and ghetto slang, the whole weekend. She could also have used a good scrubbing.

The other artists were all very friendly and helpful, though only a few that I spoke to did well. The chain-smoking ladies across from us looked like they did a constant business in their scupltures from pipes, but Bob (does great black & white art photography) sold nothing. Go figure.

Also, I found out I had been classified as a photographer, instead of jeweler/photographer. It may have cost me an award, as the judge said I had the most exquisite jewelry he had seen. Damn it!

I did sell 4 more of my books, and I have several on consignment with Books, Inc., and Crystals & Crates. I'm waiting on copies of more calendars so I can bring them in as well.

The Psychic faire two weeks ago did pretty well, including one guy who bought 5 of my prints.

Next weekend is the Butterfly Festival on University of Florida campus, near the Harn Museum. This is a first year show, so my expectations are cautious. However, I'm increasing my stock of gator-colored jewelry in honor of football season. Should do well!

Back from vacation!

After taking some time off this summer to Maine and Nova Scotia, I'm back and working strong. I have my trip report available online for all to see, complete with pictures:

http://www.greendragonartist.com/BItripreportMaine2007.htm

It was a truly inspiring area, and beautiful to visit.

When I came back I went to a different type of inspiration - Dragoncon! Dragoncon was, as it always is, a blast. It was great to meet up with old friends, make new ones, and see all the eye candy. I had an artist's bazaar table in the art show for the first time this year, and did great. And I won a prize for my jewelry, woohoo!

Now I'm back in the saddle, and have come out with four calendars from my photos on vacation. They are available at www.lulu.com/greendragon or on my website at http://www.greendragonartist.com/Calendars.htm

Also new is my book! I finally did it, I wrote a book about my travels to Ireland. It is mostly photos, with some commentary and reflections.

http://www.greendragonartist.com/book.htm


I did my first art show of the season last weekend, and boy did it suck! It was the Rivertown Craft Festival in DeLand, Florida. The heat was incredible, the crowds didn't exist, and there were so many buy/sell vendors (selling other people's junk) that the true artists got no sales. I spoke to about 15 other artists, and only one even made his expenses back (barely!). Not doing that one again. I think it's too early in the year for an outside Florida show.

This weekend I have a Psychic Fair in Gainesville (indoors!) and will hopefully do a bit better than last time. Then my show season gears up in October for back-to-back shows. Hopefully I will have some time to create more art! I'm also keen on starting a new book on American Dreams.

Irish Rose

So it's been a couple weeks - but I haven't been doing shows, so that's understandable. No shows in the summer in Florida! It's just too bloody hot, humid, and rainy.

However, between working full time and part time teaching, I've managed to create another piece. This is a part of a series, started with Desert Rose. This one is called Irish Rose, and a third, Red Rose, is already begun.

Since the colors of the Irish flag are orange, green and white, I decided to use these colors in the piece. The theme of the series is to have some part of the main figure blend into the background - in this case, her dress into the trellicework. On Desert Rose, it was the fabric into the desert sand.

No new shows until Labor Day (Dragoncon), but I do have some exhibits this month. I have a piece of jewelry on display at Central Park Medical Plaza in Gainesville until September, and 11 pieces of digital art on display at Books, Inc. in Gainesville for the month of July.