I just couldn’t help myself during the Fredericksburg Arts & Craft Faire and totally did what you’re not suppose to do during shows – eat and read!

{If you have to eat in your booth, it’s recommended to take small bites
so you’re ready to talk to customers at any time}

I just couldn’t help eating a delicious (and unhealthy) breakfast in my booth the second morning at the show as Casey wasn’t with me to help cover for me. As you try to make your booth look like a store or art gallery, books and art show people advice you against shoving your face with food as it’s just not pleasant for anyone but the person eating. Boy was it yummy!

{reading in your booth = big no-no}

And then I went on to make the next blunder, on purpose mind you – reading material that is not related to your job in your booth. But man, this book is sooo good. I picked it up (Roses by Leila Meacham) a few days before the show and it’ grabbed me by the first sentence. It’s about two families in a small town in Texas, spanning three generations and nearly a century. The book has been compared to “Gone with the Wind” and the “Thorn Birds” (remember the Thorn Birds? It’s one of my favorite mini-series and books of all times).

I only read when the show was slower but no one seemed to mind, but I think I was just lucky this time around. This was my first and only time that I’ve read a book in my booth.

{Painting “Red Roses” at the Sugarloaf Festival in Gaithersburg, Maryland. You can see the finished version in my booth at the Arts in the Park this weekend (April 30-May 1) in Richmond, Virginia}

I made up for the two no-no’s the following weekend by painting both days. I’ve noticed how much people love it when I paint in my booth. I think it really connects with them seeing my finished work and then watching me create something new. I know I’ve always enjoyed watching people create something right in front of my eyes. People often stops and watch for a minute or two. I think they find it soothing as well as interesting as I often hear “I could watch you paint all day.” It’s a hit with children as well and mothers often stop to share what art classes her children are excelling at.

I finished this painting yesterday and hope to have it up in the gallery soon. It’s much more red than in the picture above as I had forgotten to bring the crimson red paint tube that I needed.

{At the half way mark after 6 hours of painting}

I started another painting during the same show on the third day. It’s harder to concentrate at painting during art shows as you start talking to people and get up to show customers certain things so I try to paint something that I’ve done before or I have photos of. It’s also a bit nerve-wracking as clearly a painting in progress looks nothing like a finished art piece.

You may recognize the above painting as it’s very similar to a sold painting – “Sea of Hydrangeas.” This current one is much softer in color though, almost lavender like, and it’s on a stretched canvas. I’m going to try to finish this one today so it’s ready for this weekend’s show. The other painting is another version of the “Purple Roses.”

Wishing you a creative Wednesday!

xo,
Erica