Springfest, Southern Pines NC

Since you all have been so kind to stick around while I've been consumed with preparing for Springfest these last several weeks, I just wanted to share a few post show pics with you.
What a day! It was a gorgeous but TOTALLY hot day, it got up to about 90 degrees--that coupled with 2 hours sleep really made for a long but exhilarating day!
I'm glad it's over with but really enjoyed the experience because I got to meet people that admire my work in person, I was able to hear what people liked or wanted to see in the future. One of the best things I did was to showcase these two large pieces out front. I think it was definitely an eye catcher to those that passed by. Here is the right side with my 30 x 40 piece Spring Journey ($500.00...available at Swank in Southern Pines)

A peek looking into the booth...

The bright cheery colors seemed to make a strong impact with the customers.

I had tons of great comments on my bird piece, "Friends" also available at Swank in Southern Pines, in fact I may have an order for one similar but in a different color scheme. woot woot!



My Carolina Blue Piece also made a great visual statement when you walked in to the booth.

My wooden hearts actually were my best seller!


I used my art supplies and magazine articles as props and talking points for customers to tell them about my work and what else I do--it was fun to hear from people--oh I saw your articles, we didn't realize you lived in Aberdeen and were local!!

Overall I learned a lot through having gone through this experience. I've also learned that I really need to control my stress levels because dang did I get worked up over getting this thing put together!! I think it was a combination of not having done this before, not knowing what to expect and worrying about how accepted my work would be with the public. I tried to listen closely to what people were saying, what they liked, what they gravitated towards, how receptive they were to my style and who it was that really was drawn to my pieces. It was a great marketing experience if nothing else. It's definitely a fine line between being an artist and being in the business of art, you need to stay true to yourself but on the other hand if you want to make a living off of this, you need to listen and learn!


(you can click on the picture to get a better view of my photo collage)

All in all, I will probably do this again although I don't think I'll do shows all the time, maybe 2-3 times a year as I don't want it to consume me but I do want to get my name out there and be able to have more face to face time with my potential clients. I do need to say a big thank you to all the people that helped me, especially my x husband, Jim who made my walls for me and made several trips up here from Myrtle Beach to get the project off the ground and help set me up, transport my art and give me lots of moral support. Other shout outs to my good friends Nanette and Sandra, also from the Beach who did a 6 hour round trip yesterday to help me set up, sell, and breakdown.....as well as my boys who are Momma's biggest supporters as well. They all provided enormous support. Last but not least, I want to thank all my artists friends who gave me wonderful advice, ideas, and encouragement as I went through this experience!! I couldn't have done it without you all :)

This week, I'm taking off to get my house back in order, relax a little bit....get a game plan going for the next quarter and start working on ideas for my online class. Don't forget to check out my last post to enter to win a $50.00 gift certificate to my online shop!! I'm going to take the shop off of vacation mode later today but will be uploading new items all week to freshen it up a bit. Be sure to stop back and see what new things I have to offer!!

Have a great Sunday!!