Rain, rain go away. Come again when I'm not trying to sell my art! This weekend's Greenwich Artisans' Faire was a success despite the weather's attempt to dampen spirits. Friday in the drizzle and wind, Dot and Alex Alampi showed me how to get to the grounds and helped me set up tent. They were a well oiled machine with their display, whereas I was just a fumbling newbie with mine. Taking down the tent was far easier and Joel and the kids made that chore a breeze. Yes, I've been painting nearly 3 decades but this art booth gig is new to me. Without everyone's assistance I would still be there trying to get my act together.
Saturday started out wet but the weather improved enough for a few rays of sun to peak out before the showers showed up again. Sunday wasn't much different. However, Team Alampi showed me by example how to keep my chin up and hopes alive during imperfect conditions. You can see in the above photo how happy Dot Alampi was to be in period clothing with the wet weather and humidity. Frankly, she said she would kill me if I posted this snapshot but we all know I live dangerously. Sorry Dot, I couldn't resist.
Yours truly did not wear an apron but rather her favorite pair of jeans to greet her many wonderful customers. Soulful Studios had a steady flow of interested animal lovers requesting information about pet portrait commissions and purchasing greeting cards. I learned so much from the people that told me about their pets and how they came to be partnered with them. It was very eye opening and inspiring.
As you can see in the photo of my booth above (I moved the paintings around later for a better display), I showcased "Partners" at the entrance and was shocked by the emotional responses from viewers. Most passers by stopped at least for a moment to mention how touched they were by the image of the man and his dog. One woman actually cried real tears and thanked me for the moving experience. A mother wishing her son would consider a service dog also thanked me for my painting and purchased prints and cards as well. This experience reaffirmed my mission and vision for my art.
I did learn that my booth needs to be more centered around the art of pets and pet portraits as it was a mixed display. It is clear to me that people love their animals as I do and want to see more art showing that connection. I've been blogging for a long time now that this is what I'm after in my work. Now I know I'm on the right track and that feels really good.
Thank you everyone for your support and kind words. Next post will show my progress on the golden retriever custom dog portrait. "Buster" is starting out great and is a lot of fun to work on. Stay tuned.
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