Close Meditations of a Visual Kind

Up bright (no, not actually) dark and early yesterday, loaded truck and on the road by 06:30, and about an hour to get to Windsor. Wee bit of grumpiness early, it passed. Probably shouldn't even have grumped then, oh well. Long day, and as far as Studio 318 is concerned no sales. However, the Ranch half of the booth did exceeding well with sales of goat milk fudge and goat milk soaps.

A light steady rain for a short period came along around 15:00, and whump vendors started packing up to go home despite another two hours to the festival. We stayed put; I dropped the outer walls on the two sides with art, and moved the jewelry display under the roof. Ditto for the soaps, and we weathered things fine. I saw several other vendors who obviously do weekend festivals a lot, and come with that underlying philosophy (often stated outright on the application forms) that it's rain or shine the show goes on. You paid your booth fee, you stay.
And while the crowd thinned down some from the rain, sales continued, particularly of the fudge, up to and after the end of the show. Now, by the 17:00 time slot, probably half the vendors had left already.

So we packed up, and covered the back of the pickup with a tarp and put the corrugated board boxes with framed artwork into the Subaru. Herself arrived shortly after the rain, so between 15:30 and 16:00.Good thing, too, because on the drive home we drove into the serious rain, which the forecast said would get to us around 19:00 and it arrived maybe an hour early.

We all went to Las Aviñas in Archer for dinner, not a big decision really since we all live to one side or the other of Archer and so we all were going there anyway. Good dinner, then home, left the truck covered for the more rain through the night and did a hot tub soak and crashed. Hard. Didn't wake until nearly 07:00 this morning.

Luxury.

Now, the Windsor Zucchini Festival is several things. Primarily it is a fundraiser for the community of Windsor to fund their volunteer fire department; besides the vendor booth space sales, they also sell chicken dinners and lunches, all involving a zucchini dish of some sort, and zucchini bread, and there are the Cook-a-Zucch contests, and of course Miss Zucchini. For these reasons alone, being a vendor (very specifically, the fact that it helps this community fund their fire department) is on the list of Things To Do again next year. Even if, again, Studio 318 doesn't make any sales. We did last year, so there.

It is also the last even we've been doing before the Summer Hiatus. Last year we did a brief stint at Bronson's first ever Fourth of July Festival; we may set up the Ranch booth this year if there is a repeat, I won't be setting up the Studio however. There is a reason for the Summer Hiatus here, and that is the combination of heat and humidity. Given time and research and experience, there may be some summer festivals we'll try our Studio booth at. Those are very likely going to be on the coast, where sea breezes help with the heat and humidity.

Here in North Central Baja Jorja, though, it's time to settle in to a more relaxed pace. There are still things to do, and get done, and outdoors, just... slower.

It's time to get moving on a couple bigger projects here on the Ranch. The back deck of Studio 318 needs to be re-planked, and the roof enlarged. That's one of them.

It's also time to review all the lessons learned in nearly two years of setting up the Studio Pavilion at weekend (and some week-day) festivals, and tune things up. During today's drying time, I made measurements of the pavilion for revamping the support system on the Art Display Walls. The walls themselves are made from shade netting fabric, purchased at Lowe's. They're holding up well enough, showing some signs of their use, and we've thought of a couple things to improve them for the next go-around. (That is, if we don't decide we are bringing in enough funds to justify purchasing the commercially available net style display walls... though I'm leaning towards the Do It Yourself variation again.)

The two side walls get the most art anyway, as that is what is most visible when people walk by. The current method of a single schedule 40 PVC tube as the weight distribution member across the top, with the primary anchors being loop and ball bungee cords, will continue to serve. However, the nearly two years of service on the current PVC tubes show a couple small problems.

The tubes are two parts, half the length of the side, so they will break down for transport inside the Subaru. Been using the slip fit which came with the tubing; this works, but it's stiff (supposed to be when using the tubing for plumbing, its primary purpose) and as the tubes aged, one broke. So I'm going to re-do these, still half the length, only with a male/female threaded coupling at the half-way point so they will thread together. Should be easier to both put together and break down for both of us, primarily Herself.

The back wall needs a revision. We knew other artists used a partial wall on the back side of their pavilions, and now from the three bigger art festivals we did we agree. Need that 'back door' to get out that side, as the place where most the extra stock and our lounging area is. So that wall will get a frame to tension the wall onto, rather than going to the poles of the pavilion itself as it has been. The tension is necessary because that's an important part of the weight distribution in our hanging display system.

I may also look at that experiment as a means to provide our own free-standing walls if we need them. So the frame will be something heavier than the 19mm (3/4”) PVC we're using for the top bar. This piece may not break down, or not the same way, so it's going to take a bit of thought. To convert it to a free-standing wall, I plan on using the same male/female threaded coupling to attach the feet.

Along with the redesign of the back wall art display, we're also figuring a means to support the back weather wall as a shade fly when we're set up at festivals. Get some rain and overnight, things move inside the main cover and the back wall comes down as the weather wall again; most of the time, however, it can provide shade for us sitting out back as needed.

Most festivals stipulate that the booth space is it, and the artists displays need to fit within the space. A lot of them, though, provide enough space behind booths for a bit of stretch. When we need to live within the space, we'll have a full wall. When we can stretch a bit, we shall.

If I call my Festival Year starting in September after the Summer Hiatus, and counting the con art shows, we've done seven shows, and sales at five of them. Counting just from New Years, we've done five shows, and sales at three. Two of those shows we made expenses, one we also made some profit, and one we didn't make expenses even with the sale. If we figure how well the Ranch Booth half of the show did at Windsor, than we made expenses and some profit at two, expenses at three, and et cetera. Not too bad, overall.

There is still a stack of prints which need mounting and matting, however tomorrow I should be clearing the decks in Studio for a session. After that session I will re-set for matting until I get that stack done. Meanwhile, in between all this I'll continue working up the greeting card ideas. May be able to offer those as a test via the blog, if anyone is interested.

Now, it's getting on evening here. Evening Rounds are done. The Bros got a flea bath today, which they tolerated because hey, it also involved several rounds of Hose! Chase the Wet! Amazing how inexpensively one may entertain themselves with a couple of Border Collies. Also useful to use their pleasure at playing a game where they chase the water coming out of a hose to tire them out.

I'm working on two applications for Autumn weekend festivals. The lead time for most of these is such that yes, in the Autumn I'm working on the Spring, and in at least late Spring I'm working on the Autumn. At any rate, after going through the process for one of these in the Spring entirely on-line, I'm perhaps a bit jaded. Or some other word. Anyway.

Both Autumn festivals are juried, as in they want to see samples of my work and of the Booth before inviting me in. For one of the two Autumn festivals, those samples may be submitted on a CD, the other however needs hard copy prints. And I'm... Hard copy? Really? And, I sell hard copy, folks, so you're getting potentially sell-able examples of my work (not that on a CD, or e-mailed, or via the web isn't as well).

Still, they're printed from the JPEG versions I use to put on-line for this purpose, so in one sense quality is limited. And, it is practice figuring out how to print using the new Mr. Printy which is important for other Studio 318 Booth related projects, so hey, all good, yes?
Still, there's that interesting, curious feeling. Hard copy? Really?

The other project is printing and packaging for sale Art Greeting Cards, which Herself and I started discussing about this time last year. With a year under the belt of Thinking About It, seems about time to actually be putting together some product and part of the concept is we can put together product pretty much all from here in Studio. No need to hire out printing, we can print our own.

The size prints that the one Autumn Weekend Festival want is on a par with the larger size greeting card we plan to offer. Basically, take a 21.6 by 27.9 cm sheet, fold in half on the shorter axis, and one now holds a 21 by 14 card. Print appropriately and the artwork is on one face of the fold, and information/credits on the opposite face, outside surfaces. Package this with an appropriately sized envelope and price accordingly and c'est voila, an Art Greeting Card.

I doubt we'll put much into Inventory by the next weekend festival (not this coming weekend, next after that), since I also want to replace matted inventory and we've more material on hand for that than we do for the cards. Still, it's good to see that A) we selected and purchased a good printer for the project and B) it is going to pan out, at least the production end.
Prices per card will be on the order of $2-$5 US, with the higher end price being a limited edition run as well as larger cards. Some of the pieces we've photographed will work quite well for smaller cards. Figuring out the printing logistics is not difficult. However, it does open a window on another problem, do I need to re-invest in an application or am I going to be able to do this with current applications.

Current applications does not include software that is so old it no longer runs in the current operating system. That's a different rant, however, about planned obsolescence and all, and I'm not going there today. So far, what I'm working on uses one of the sub-portions of Open Office which is free software, and I do recommend it after using it for a couple years now. At least the word processing and spreadsheet portions, and I use them a good deal. There is a drawing program as well (haven't opened it at all), a presentations program (vis-a-vis Powerpoint® from the Evil Empire) and a data base. I've studied the latter a bit, and the presentation program as well. It's been a while since I've done any public speaking or other teaching using a presentation. However, I think this one does a good job as well.

On the other hand, while it contributes a bit to the ability to print images, it isn't, per se, the best manner to go about document creation and printing. Based on past experience, neither is a word processor, believe it or not. Even though most word processor applications do provide a means to organise and print a document in a manner reflecting a published work, I've found that moving to applications that specialise in document layout is a better route for that.

Which is why I am considering should I upgrade one of the few applications from Microshaft I've ever felt they did a good bit in providing. Powerpoint®, Excel® and Word® dominate the market, though current news indicates that lead is slipping. I've little use for Word, in fact I use it so little and mostly work (as in Hospital) related that it is easy to dismiss on my part. The word processing in Open Office much more meets my needs and expectations, which are based on another major word processing package, WordPerfect®. And it's free (Open Office). Ditto for Excel®.

I got much better with Powerpoint®, and still see that as being one of the standards to reach for. Doesn't mean I like it. Nor did I ever purchase it; again, a big portion of my using this application related to Hospital.

I've very little use for Access® and I've also used that fairly extensively (guess where? Clues above!) and again, not on the planned purchase list. The data base app in Open Office is more akin to dBase® for those who've worked with such applications. I cut my data base teeth on Paradox® which originally Borland published, then sold over to Corel to include in Perfect Office (their response to Microshaft Office).

Publisher® from the Evil Empire, now, that one they did some good. Much more affordable than the Big Name in Publishing Software and with pretty much all the features of that BNiPS and even a few more that it didn't include. However, I'm not sure this Spendthrift Offspring of Unmarried Parents is in the mood to provide any more funding to the Evil Empire.

Not when there are (still unexplored) alternatives currently here on my PC.

Meanwhile, the metal is going up onto the roof of Big House. We are closer to the new roof being done, and it is good.

This past week felt slower, rather delightfully considering the build-up to the Spring Arts Festival. Mostly I've covered some of the Ranch things which need covering and which we postponed temporarily for the Arts Festival. One of those items didn't occur this week, it should though tomorrow. We both helped out some friends who need it, our partners in the Farmers Market booth. And other routine chores around the House.

Today with the weather being rather wetter, I worked inside Studio 318. Matted two of Herselfs pieces for inventory, framed another for her personal use, and framed up a piece which sat there waiting for quite a while, I am ashamed to admit. It is a piece from the Healing Art series and this particular copy goes to the friend who helped create it. In the long run, this is part of the plan, that this one copy, in the frame specific because it hung on the wall for the making of the original source, would go to her to hang in that same place.

Now it can. Tomorrow, though, since it's raining now.

( Recursive Series #1 )

( Because This Got Long - Framing and Packing )

( On the Subject of iPhones )

And we'll see how that goes.

I've been thinking, in the back of my mind, based on previous experience with my earlier Epson ink-jet printer that printing our photographs would take some learning time on the new Mr. Printy (name stolen shamelessly from Ursula Vernon, known as ursulav over on LJ. Stolen because hey, I like that name.)

Three copies printed, didn't take long, spent time after starting to print getting the Border Collies dinner ready... probably done printing long before I fed them. The last one I sat here while it printed. This is from the Open Office Presentation program, since I put text onto the page as a flyer. I still want and need to try printing from, say Gimp. To see what the difference may be. However, as I said, that was easy.

So yes. I am going to need to acquire more paper. Only down side, this won't print big prints. However, on the other hand, some of the Epson paper (the paper I'm working with now) might work for the greeting cards, sized and oriented appropriately for the page to allow folding.

In other news, we felt the Big House shake briefly yesterday evening, the sort of thing a large explosion or a sonic boom (such as when the Space Shuttle would land, eh) might do. Or, yanno, big thunder, but we didn't hear much, certainly no thunder. Multiple possible explanations on the local news today:
- A sonic boom produced by a meteorological phenomenon involving the fronts moving thorugh
- A sonic boom possibly generated by military aircraft conducting maneuvers over the Gulf. The local TV channel contacted the military about this, and the answer is yes, no details, classified.
- An astronomer associated with Local University says it may be a meteor breaking up catastrophically, as same astronomer was looking out over the Gulf last night with telescope and did see a flash.

Take your pick. However, today Houdini wants very much to be under my feet as much as possible, and didn't eat all his dinner. Both behaviours are consistent with him feeling an incoming storm. And our weather forecast for the next couple days includes storminess.

Nude Nite the Show proved not terribly hard to fine, though not terribly easy either. I used the Maps on the iPhone, pinned the location, then guessed at an exit which didn't exist. No matter, off at the last exit before the I-4 to I-275 interchange and south some blocks, and lo the street to which the address belonged, turned left and progressed and knew I'd found the place when the traffic stopped waiting for parking and the picketer preached the Gospel at those who walked past to gain entry or leaving.

I availed myself of Valet Parking, and am glad I did.

( The Short Version, a Really, Really Awesome, Delightful, Elaborate, Sensual and Artistic night, after which and while I slept a monstrous human idiocy occurred )

Here is when I really appreciated the decision to use the Valet parking; they'd already pulled the vehicles for those who had, and were clearing their work, out and ready for us. Into the car, and onto the road, back to the hotel. Slept fairly well, totally through the Monstrous Human Idiocy that transpired at 02:00 wherein DST: Daylight Stupid Time 'Sprung' ahead.

This is the first Show, as opposed to Weekend Art Festival or Con Art Show in which I've been represented since my freshman and sophomore years in college when I put pieces into the Aquinas College Spring Arts Show. Will I try again next year? Oh hell yes.

This is a follow-up post to earlier today, about the GFAA Winter Fine Art Fair, wherein I mentioned five pieces sold. But, which pieces?

( Read more... )

Summer Tea is from my series on the Fae, specifically the Four Seasons in One Fae. Though there are two in Summer Tea.

( Saturday, Mitre Peak, Milford Sound 2001 )

One of my favourites from our trip to NZ.

Sunday Morning, Two!
( Foggy Morn )

This is the same one which received the award this year at Necronomicon's Art Show.

( Basket, Bench, Bucket )

From Dudley Farm State Historic Park, though the print which sold is done as B&W. I am not at all sure I will continue to print this one in colour; I think it is much better in B&W.

Sunday Evening, One
( Balance... Potentially NSFW )

Balance is a light painting. This is a technique I am not done yet, though the last time I tried the results proved not so delightful. However, I am quite sure I've figured out why, and need to do this again.

More Flickr
Thursday past I started that bit about re-organising the Collections and Sets. The collections part makes things a bit easier, cleaner looking on the Photostream view. I've got five parent Collections: Idunkno, People, Places, Sketchbook, Things. Other sets and some Collections are moved into those. Collections may hold Collections, or Sets, so some of the parents hold collections to further move things along. Places, for instance, holds collections with state names which hold sets of photos in those states.

On Friday during some slow points at Hospital, I further moved things along, moving sets at that point. Looks fairly good this morning. Yesterday (Saturday) not any time at all on line other than via Smartphone so no work done at all. This morning, I worked on the Mosaics (thumbnail preview) for some of the Collections.

MarsCon
The first show of the year to which I submitted works took place last month in Williamsburg, VA (link to site? As I write this I can't connect, not sure or the problem MarsCon). Been following the FB group on this, even though as I said my attendance proved more in spirit than flesh. Friday my package of art arrived home (pre-paid self-addressed). Glad to see it, since this grouping may simply get re-packaged and sent off to another Con art show.

Thought to myself when I pulled the box out of the mailbox that this is the second year I've sent work off to MarsCon so if the trend (based on a statistical sample of one Con) holds true it will be next year if I do sell something. I'd read in the FB group that the Art Auction did well this year, with a lot of pieces going from Silent to Open Auction. Cool, great, and I still figured trend, three years, no sales.

This proves not to be the case.
The package came home one print less and with a check.

::Does the Happy Dance::

Mind you, still not covering expenses here. Not counting the expense of printing each piece, as that comes out with the sale of any individual piece. Counting Art Show space fee, and postage/shipping there and back. Still running in a hole on that measure.

But (and grammatically, But nearly always negates whatever someone stated immediately prior)...

I made a sale!

::Does the Happy Dance::

For those interested the image which sold behind the cut; I was asked recently why someone wouldn't be interested. Well... dunno. Obviously I am. However, some folks I know who read here, their children were quite young when they started and they appreciated the cut and notice about nude art. Some folks read at work, and work may not be totally friendly to such. So, that's part of why.
( Dryad Blessing, Not Safe For Work Depending on Various Definitions of Safe and/or Work )

This week is a preparation week for the coming weekend. The GFAA Winter Arts Festival at Tioga takes place Friday evening and Saturday/Sunday day. Preparation involves setting up the pavilion and checking on pieces and parts, and I need to add grommets to all the fabric display walls since that will help support the framed artwork hanging to entice people in. Some of the longer term projects won't be anywhere near ready, and that's OK. I also hope (not counting on) getting some more pieces matted and mounted and sleeved for the general inventory.

GFAA Winter Arts Festival at Tioga Link provided tiogawinterartfair.org in case you're local and coming, or not local yet interested...
This weekend coming up, I've taken time off from Hospital to do this, and we'll see how it goes. A few people I've talked to who've taken part in this show in previous years said they did well in it. I feel I'm falling a bit short on inventory, as Ranch related work seemed to pre-empt time to mat and mount over the past couple months. We'll see.

One framed piece probably won't go for display, as that's somewhat promised for the March show I talked about in a previous post. Otherwise, I'll likely pack up as much as we've got ready and take it along.

On the Ranch Front
We've now caught up with light shelters for several sub-divided goat paddocks. Wind in some recent bad weather had torqued the frames so much they wouldn't work. These shelters are 'temporary' in one sense, and work for us because we move them around. They are made from chain-link fencing top rail tubes, and corner joints made. Herself calls the usual structure one sees with this system a red-neck garage, and there is some truth to it. We do need to provide some rather more sturdy shelter in one or two spots, that's a project for this year.

So. Summarising, I'm four for four getting into shows for the first four months of 2013. Already this is off to a good start, since two of those shows are juried entry, and one is invitational for members of GFAA. Adding to that good start, the first show provided a sale. Lets hope the trend continues.

I mentioned I've not been doing much creative work on new pieces recently, what with the end of year push for shows, and start of the year push for shows, and... anyway. Some time ago (like, '01 or '02 no later than '02) I acquired a copy of Adobe Photoshop® 7. Initially this came my way as work-related software, so purchased by my employer (Hospital) related to my Perioperative Nursing Informatics work (as in working with photographs made at work, to be included in Doctor's Preference Cards, something that doesn't matter to anyone else here and apparently not much at Hospital just at the moment either).

When the software became officially outdated (as in newer, shinier versions released) Hospital surplussed it off to me as used software. So it's all official, and registered, and such. Over time the software quite happily contacted the Adobe website when I started it up, and over time Adobe quite happily provided version-specific updates. Until recently. As in, the past five to six months. Aha, said I to Myself, Myself Adobe will soon stop supporting this perfectly functional but industrially old software and then it will suddenly stop working so well.

Yup. Yesterday. Today. Opened up two files...

This is sort of a sidetrack, and yet it's something ysabetwordsmith posted that got me working on this specific image. It is another composite piece, and part of it is provided by NASA via the Hubble Space Telescope. ysabetwordsmith was talking about stock photo sites (this link opens another tab/window), and mentioned NASA as one of them particularly for science or science-fiction related images because it's really hard to beat real space photos or real spacecraft photos.

And I went to one of the sites I use to get Hubble Space Telescope photos and discovered a couple other things (Google Chrome® doesn't handle downloads from that site so well, Safari® does, I've got no idea what micro shaft IE would do with it), and started working with these two image files. One from NASA. One from my Studio.

And Photoshop® 7 didn't even burp when it tried to find download update site, just said couldn't find it. Then, while working on the layer mask to reveal layers behind (non-destructive editing of an image is a good thing, and subject for a different post), I interrupted myself to go attend to laundry. Saved the file before leaving, came back after about a half hour pause and...
Photoshop® 7 couldn't reveal on the mask any more. Instead, it drew on the mask.
Reboot the application. Same problem.

Reboot the PC. OK, now Photoshop® 7 could reveal on the mask again. Until after the next laundry break. And again this morning.

::sigh::

Version 7 is actually a perfectly good bit of software. And it worked just fine until it could no longer talk to the Adobe site. AND, I am just cynical enough to think that possibly, quite very possibly, there is a connection there.
So I opened up my shiny new copy of GIMP (Free Gnu IMage Processing) and started working. Took me a brief bit to remember exactly how to establish a reveal mask, and so far things are ticking along well enough. Though it will be a couple more days (at least) before I can do much more work on this image.

And did I mention GIMP is Free? As opposed to new Adobe Creative Suite® (Includes Photoshop®) which is several hundreds of US $$$?

Since I've not made an entry about this for a few weeks, it is about time.

State of the Artist is Better. As in I felt much worse last week. Sunday evening a week back, started feeling a sore throat. Monday, some coughing and feeling a bit dragged out. Started on Sunday evening right off adding echinacea and additional Vitamin C to my daily supplements (morning & evening for the additionals). During the night I woke up and checked my temperature, and upon getting back to bed and phone called Hospital and told them I would not be coming in to work. Spent Tuesday and Wednesday enjoying the surreal universe that involves a core body temperature of 39.0 to 39.5 C.

Fever broke late Wednesday, and my feet felt cold all day Thursday. My feet rarely feel cold unless I am doing something like walking through frigid water (with or without boots). I did get back to work at Hospital on Friday and did my weekend shift on Saturday, good thing because that being my last scheduled shift before tomorrows Holiday I would not otherwise of been paid for not working tomorrow.

So I am better, which is not to say quite up to snuff yet yes, much better, thank you.

When we last discussed the State of the Artist subject I recounted completing the Six Show Goal for 2012. I will not say (at least not without tongue in cheek) that I'm glad I planned on completing that goal before the Mayan Calendar Brough-ha-ha. Wait, I just did say that. Tough. One of the other things I learned from the Goal List is that the list requires Advance Planning. That means despite the remote possibility, since proven to be miss-interpreted by the Doomsayers, of the World Ending plans must be in place and working for the 2013 Show Goal List before the first of the events.

Long before, in some instances. Here is the list, and this year it does say Eight Shows:

Title: Show Goal 2013
Details: 8 Shows
Due: Tue Dec 31, 2013
Notes: Each Individual Show to get own To Do list
- 01/18-20/13 Mars Con (01/12/12) App Deadline Nov 2012
- Another Con (Oasis?) (More Cons?)
- 02/15-17/13 GFAA Tioga Art Fair
- 03/7-9/13 Tampa Nude Night (02/14-16/13 Orlando) App Deadline Nov 2012
- 03/23-24/13 Kanapaha Spring Garden (03/15/12 & vs Spring Arts? Booth fee $150)
- 04/6-7/13 Santa Fe Spring Arts (deadlines: 12/31/12 $20 app fee $250 reg if accepted!)
- 5/??/13 Windsor Zucchini Festival (5/12/12) App Deadline Jan 2013
- 06/??/13 Chiefland Watermelon Festival (bkmk $75 by May 5+/-)
- 06/??/13 June Yulee Railroad Days (Happening?)
- 07/04/13 Bronson 4th of July Festival (07/04/12 short notice)
- 10/??/13 Williston Peanut Festival (10/01/12 Booth fee $100! App Deadline in Sept)
- 10/18-20/13 Necromicon (10/21/12) App Deadline 06/2012
- 10/26-27/13 Micanopy Fall Festival Oct 26-27, 2013 App Deadline ? (Does not conflict with Con!)
- 11?/??/13 Autumn Downtown Art Festival submit 5/1 (2012 In October! Pricy for booth space)
- 12/??/13 Blue Oven Kitchen Winter Show Downtown App Deadline ?

Astute observers will note immediately that there are 15 shows listed (16 if one counts both venues for Nude Nite). One of the things learned last year is some of these shows will not happen for me, either the show itself not happening or something else will interfere with the show. Two of them, to be discussed in a bit, are Juried Shows, which means apply first, the Jury reviews work submitted, and then notifies me if my work is Selected or Not Selected or Alternate If Someone Else Cancels.

On to the Shows.

Mars Con (MarsCon 2013 - Rebirth! - January 18-20 2013 I hope this link works, copy & pasted from my bookmarks will happen on the dates listed there in Williamsburg, VA. I won't be attending, however some of my artwork will be. On the individual To-Do list, the artwork is already boxed with return postage, shipped, received, and the display place fee is in the mail as well (it was a wee bit delayed due to that two day Core Body Temp incident). The show itself isn't 'checked off' yet because it won't be until next (year) Month!

If you are in the area, and the link works to get you to the additional information, please do go!

The second Goal is Another Con (OASFiS?) (More Cons?) Yes, I should like to be doing more Con art shows, on the one hand, and on the Other Hand OASFisS Orlando Area Science Fiction Society's major event in May would be a good one to try, close enough to be attending. On the Gripping Hand it remains to be seen what the budget is like, and so we shall see.

02/15-17/13 GFAA Tioga Art Fair is the Gainesville Fine Arts Association Spring showing (Winter, still, really based on the dates). It is a sort of juried event; members of GFAA submit that we are interested in taking part, with some samples of our work, and then we get space or not. This is not a 'general' show in that sense, one must be a member of GFAA. As of now, we will be attending and showing.

03/7-9/13 Tampa Nude Nite is one of two Nude Nite events I've known about for a couple years now. Last year I'd contemplated submitting, didn't due to budgetary considerations, and did this year. I'd thought about doing both (each show venue is a different application) and opted for only one due to both budget and the Orlando show is in February and I'm not quite sure I'm up for more than one show a month just yet. This is a Juried Show. The subject is pretty well stated, and the show takes a moderately hefty commission from any sales (60/40).

04/6-7/13 Santa Fe Spring Arts (deadlines: 12/31/12 $20 app fee $250 reg if accepted!) is a show I've known for decades (literally, because it's been going on longer than I've lived here in North Central Baja Jorja and I've lived here for decades), and which long ago I decided I'd like to be one of the attending/displaying artists, and is a Juried Show. Since I put it on my list that long ago, I've been watching it off and on anyway and looking at number of artists displaying, crowd attending and such. My first thoughts when I ramped up on Start Showing led me to think by oh, say, 2015 or so I'd be applying.

There were probably a dozen empty spots this year when we walked through. I've discussed this here before. So I escalated the priority on when.

Both of these shows use an on-line application process. Both require samples of the artist work, and the Spring Arts also wants a photograph of the Artist Booth to be sure they are looking a a professional display. Nude Nite the two images on the application are the two which will be in the show, if accepted. Both applications require a non-refundable application fee; the show fee if applicable (while heftier) is not due until the Artist is notified they are accepted. Nude Nite does not appear to charge a fee, they do charge the commission. Santa Fe does charge a booth fee.

Both applications are submitted, and I am now waiting to hear back. That gets us through the first four months of Next Year, with two definite shows, two potential shows, and We Will See.
May we are looking at the Windsor Zucchini Festival again; we all enjoyed doing that one-day festival and we all made at least booth fee for it so for now it's simply keep an eye on their site for the application! We didn't do the Chiefland Watermelon Festival, found it after the fact so put it on the calendar for this year, and watching that site for the application as well. If Yulee Railroad Days happens this year (this one the organisers took 2012 off) there could be two events in June, both of which are one-day events so long as they aren't the same weekend, fairly easily do-able.

What remains for this year, then, is inventory to match against Start-of-Year for the Tax Man, and any routine maintenance and restocking needed.