Terry and I had a beautiful Thanksgiving with his family in New Hampshire, as is our tradition. I brought along my magnets just in case anyone wanted to see them in person...and I sure am glad I did, because I sold a whole mess of them! I had a request for two "Old Fat Boy Sign" magnets, which I didn't have on me at the time...more were scheduled to arrive on Saturday so I would (hopefully) have enough to get me through the holiday season.
(So much to be thankful for: red wine, good music, family, and magnets!)
Cat Schwenk's Creative Economy show in Freeport on Thanksgiving weekend was a lot of fun, and I'm really happy to have been a part of it. The show was three days long, and I spent much of Saturday there, helping out and connecting with others. The space was absolutely beautiful, I was able to see my friends Echo and Jesse (and their son, Sy), and I was able to enjoy some of Jesse's delicious wood-fired pizza, baked fresh from the outdoor clay oven he built! Plus, I had a very funny interaction with someone at the show: I was speaking with a woman who recognized me and my work, but she was having a hard time placing me. When I said, "I'm Maria," she said, "Yes! You're Maria Castellano-Da-Da-Da!" I doubled over with laughter and said, "Maybe I should change my name to that!" When I told Terry about it later, he smiled and said, "I guess it is asking a lot of people..." Anyway, I sold a bunch of magnets, and the shipment of "Old Fat Boy Sign" magnets arrived right on schedule. However, that shipment was quickly depleted, requiring me to place a rush order in time for Arts Downtown and All Around, which brings us to this past weekend...
("Buddha To The Maxx", Creative Economy show)
I am thrilled to say that Arts Downtown and All Around was absolutely fantastic! This was my fourth year doing this show, and for me, this year was better than all the other years put together. The musicians I booked to perform were very well-received by both artists and show-goers alike, which makes me very happy. I was in the same room as last year, but this time, I had the space to myself, and I was able to fill it with no problem. Over the course of the weekend, I had at least 125 people come into my room. I got wonderful feedback and made a lot of sales as well...and, as Terry put it, I had a "hat trick": sales on all three days of the show, plus sales of magnets, mixed media, and paintings alike! Some of these sales were to people who have bought my work in the past, including the couple who bought my "Re-birthday Cake" painting at the 2012 10x10 show, and the woman who bought my "Weathervane, Bowdoin College" painting at the 2013 10x10 show. I sold magnets to other artists whose work I respect and admire, including Susan Mills (who has several of my mixed media pieces in her home already), Robin Brooks, Catherine Worthington, and Lee Cheever; plus, one of the mixed media pieces I sold was bought by Natasha Kempers-Cullen! What an amazing compliment: I've got collectors! I am blown away. Speaking of amazing compliments, I received one from Allison Price, who was one of the other artists participating in the group show at 98 Maine. When she walked into my room, she said it was "like seeing twenty-seven sunrises and rainbows all at once." Wow.
(Me in my room, having fun at Arts Downtown and All Around!)
(While you're waiting for your fabulous food at She Doesn't Like Guthrie's, check out my magnets!)
I'm happy to say that my Etsy shop is doing very well, and I now have almost all of my magnets represented there...I think you can guess which one isn't on there yet! Rest assured, as soon as the new shipment arrives, "Old Fat Boy Sign" will join the others (after I set aside two, of course)! If you haven't checked out my shop yet, here's the link! https://www.etsy.com/shop/BrushstrokesByMaria
Okay, I think I'm now completely caught up with what's going on with me! Until next time...
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