So it rained a bit...

"Dancing in the Dark" (working title at this point)
11x14, coloured pencil on Pastelbord
Copyright Rita Woodburne

Okay, actually, it rained a lot. And thunder... don't forget that as well.

The week-end was a bit of a bust you could say. When you're holding an outdoor art fair at a Provincial Park where people are generally staying in structures that don't have solid walls they're not particularly inclined to buy art.

Lack of sales aside I still had fun and got to see folks that I hasn't seen in awhile, do an interview for a paper covering the show and also got to meet some folks that had seen my work in other venues and proclaimed they were "fans". That's pretty darn neat if you ask me.
The Other Half and I also got to do some camping and get some nice shots of animals and unusual mushrooms. One of them looked like the ones that Smurfs would live in but, alas, I saw no evidence of Smurf habitation in said mushrooms.

After all the excitement of the week-end (and vain attempts at staying dry) I'm very tired and have oodles of laundry to do. We also have to set some things back up, like the canopy, so it can dry out or it'll be growing mushrooms on it... and I sincerely doubt I'll find Smurfs in those mushrooms either.


So stay tuned for later in the week when I get back to van Gogh and Vermeer and why I've decided to study both of these Dutch Masters. Keep on art-ing!

And we're off!!

Well, in the interest of not rushing through my van Gogh/ Vermeer postings I’ve decided instead to do a gardening post. The Masters took their time, I think it would be in my best interests to do the same in studying and posting on them.
Also, the Other Half managed to get home early because we're having/ had some severe thunder and lightning storms come through the area and operating heavy machinery in those kinds of conditions is a no-no.


This summer has been a bit different than we’ve had for the past 2-3 years. We’ve has lots of rain (which is a relief when you’re on a well) and the temps have been erring on the side of cool-ish. My kinda Summer.

With that in mind it’s fair to say that it's been super for the good ol’ veggie garden. This year I decided that despite the Other Half’s distaste for them that I would grow green beans because I sure do love them. I built myself 2 little tee-pees and planted my bean seeds and waited for them to grow.

They started out innocently enough. The little beans poked their way through the soil and their little tendrils started to climb and climb... and climb some more. Then they kept climbing and they didn't stop, in fact, they still haven't stopped. If you don't believe me, look below:

And the mighty bean sentinels tower over their garden keep...

Fortunately, mammoth, out of control bean plants also yield lots and lots of beans just like these ones:

Mmmm, bean-y goodness.

At this point the plants have twined around the eggplant, the zucchini and the sunflowers that surround them. I'm pretty sure if I had planted the tee-pees about 2ft closer to the house they'd have started growing up the walls and by the end of the Summer we would have been held captive in the house by bean plants gone wild.


So there you have it. Me, I'm off to pack up the cooler, finish loading the truck and off we go. Just in case you're hankering for some art though here's the fox kit WIP. I've gotten more done on it than this but I'd like to keep you in suspense, dear reader, until I return from the Bon Echo Art Show. :D

Fox Kit, WIP
8x10, coloured pencil on Colourfix
Copyright Rita Woodburne

I know... you're just dying to see how it turns out.

Only a few days left...

So today’s the week, Bon Echo is fast approaching and I basically have today, Monday and Tuesday to get myself organized. The Other Half figured we’ll have to pack most of the things up on Wednesday since we’re heading up on Thursday after he returns from work... and he’s even so excited about it he’s going to try and leave early from work (a thing unheard of during the busy Summer months!)

Fox kit, WIP
8x10, coloured pencil on Colourfix
Copyright Rita Woodburne

I still have 1 piece I’d like to finish up (pictured above in all it’s WIP glory) and a few ACEO’s I’d like to bring as well. The ACEO’s aren’t a big deal since I can just bring them with me and finish them up at the show which makes for a super conversation starter with potential buyers. I’ve already spent a good portion of the day digging out my display racks, the covers for said racks and making sure that I have all the hardware I need for setting up the racks and securing my work. I’ve also been re-packaging my cards into the outdoor friendly packaging of plastic sleeves. That task in and of itself has proven to be interesting because the sleeves I ordered are a rather snug fit for the package of cards and more than a few expletives have been uttered in an attempt to get them in without giving myself multiple paper cuts.


Trials and tribulations aside I really have to say that I think outdoor art fairs are great because it always seems as though there’s a sense of camaraderie amongst the artists showing their work. If one person’s display topples over there’s always at least a few artists that will rush over and help them. If someone needs to attend to the call of nature their neighbours at the show will be more than happy to watch their booth (and if they’re really good they’ll make a few sales for them too!) Most importantly they can sympathize with you if you’re a newbie to the whole art fair thing and, as has been my experience, everyone is more than happy to share their experiences with you with some of those learning curve stories being very funny.


So with my busy schedule ahead of me (and the possibility of a trip to the store to buy some band-aids) I will have to go. I still have stacks of cards to package up and, of course, the piece above that needs to get done. Throw some housework into the mix and it’s a wonder if I'll even have time to eat or sleep before Thursday arrives and we’re off and running.
In anticipation of the hectic rush I’ve already started to prepare another post on Vermeer and van Gogh that I’m hoping to post on Wednesday evening or Thursday afternoon before we leave, so be sure to check back later in the week for that post and to see if I’ve completely lost my mind by then.

Toodles!

I'm In!

Hi there, dear reader!

Well, after my hectic week of creating artwork, gardening and framing I'm back with a post to share some great news. First, I'm pleased as punch to report that both "Mystic" and "Sun Seekers" were juried into the Quinte Arts Council's Expressions Art Show yesterday. This show can be difficult to get into because of the sheer quantity of entries (Quinte Region being very artsy fartsy and all) and also because of the high quality of work being entered. It's a difficult job for the jurors and I don't envy them one bit.

"Mystic"
8x10, coloured pencil on Colourfix
Copyright Rita Woodburne

"Sun Seekers"
5x7, coloured pencil on Mi-Teintes
Copyright Rita Woodburne

The show itself runs from May 1 - 30 and the opening reception is this Thursday, May 1st, from 6- 7:30. If you happen to be in the Belleville area during the month of May I highly recommend stopping by the John M. Parrott art gallery and visiting the show.


My next piece of good news is that I'm also happy to report that from May 15 to Jul. 3 my work will be on display at Greystones, the gift shop in Bon Echo Provincial Park. I'm very happy about this since my work will be there for not only the official season opening of the park, which happens during the May long week-end, but also for the start of the "summer rush" which happens as soon as kids get out of school at the end of June. Folks that know me are quite aware that I have a long-standing love affair with Bon Echo as it's one of my absolute favourite parks and also where I was inaugurated into the world of outdoor art shows.


So there you have it. I'm still working on my second set of daisies (as well as a host of other work) and later this week I'll be back with an update on that piece. I'll also be doing a gardening post later this week since the weather is getting warmer and things are growing left, right and centre. Until then keep on art-ing!