Sunday, September 21, 2014

cool places

WOW! So many cool things have been happening lately! I'm just now getting the chance to sit down and write it all out...of course, I meant to do this days ago, but hey- what can you do?

Second Friday Art Walk was absolutely fabulous! This month, I was the "adopt-an-artist" at Cool As A Moose, and it was a wonderful experience from start to finish! I was able to set up my work right in the front window, and they let me keep it up all weekend long! Caroline and the entire staff at Cool As A Moose couldn't have been nicer. They made me feel so welcome and appreciated, and they did a great job promoting the event (and my work!) on their FacebookTwitter, and Instagram pages! Here are some daytime pics:

action shot!

Having my name on the sign felt very official. 

It was a gorgeous day, and as you know, that always helps the foot traffic at an art walk! Lots of people were out and about in Brunswick that evening, and I am happy that so many friendly faces chose to stop into Cool As A Moose to say hello and check out my work. Not only did I sell a bunch of magnets (including a couple of "Sugar Snap Peas" magnets, available for the first time!), but I got some mind-blowing compliments, too: Michael Gorzka told me that he hadn't been interested in art until he saw my solo show in the Morrell Meeting Room at Curtis Memorial Library back in January 2013 (what?!?!), and Hati Modr told me she pulled up my website the other day in order to show her painting students "what was possible with color and line." WOW! They just about knocked me out with their kind words! Something else that just about knocked me out was an unexpected visit from a very special lady: my cousin Betty, all the way from Long Island! My cousin Frankie, Betty's son, was playing guitar at the Tontine Mall outside of Summer Island Studio for Second Friday Art Walk, and Betty made the trip to see him play (as well as to help Frankie and his lovely girlfriend, Shannon, move from their apartment into a house)! They wanted to surprise me, and boy, did they ever. 

I'm glad I got all dressed up! 

I know I mentioned in my previous blog post that I had gotten prints made up of four of my paintings...well, my prints made their debut at Cool As A Moose, and Frankie was the first person to snap one up! He wasn't the only one, though: as I mentioned, I was able to keep my work up all weekend...when I arrived on Monday morning to take everything down, I was happy to discover that I had sold two more magnets AND an "El Camino" print! Woo hoo! Thank you so much for everything, Cool As A Moose. You really are the coolest! 

My very first print sale! 

So, I took down that show on Monday morning, and on Tuesday, I had my work hanging at a totally new place for me. Do you have time for a story? Here goes: as some of you may know, I have a day job designing closets for Closet Factory. A couple of weeks ago, I was measuring closets at a client's home. At the end of the appointment, we got to talking, and I mentioned that I was an artist. He said, "Oh? Do you ever show your work at coffee shops?" I said, "Sure," and he proceeded to tell me about an open house he was putting on at his shop, St. Joe's Coffee in Scarborough. There would be live music, free food, free locally-roasted coffee, and free "bennies," all to celebrate The Feast of Saint Joseph. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. First of all, my high school was named after Saint Joseph; secondly, "bennies" are known to me as "zeppoles," and they are one of the most decadent, sinfully delicious things I've ever eaten (and I've never seen them outside of Long Island); thirdly, a few months ago, I actually drove past St. Joe's Coffee and wrote the name down with the intent of contacting them to see if they would be open to showing my art and promptly forgot all about it...until that very moment. It all seemed so serendipitous, I just had to say yes! 

All set up and ready for fun! 

I showed up around noon and started setting up as soon as I could. The tent was very roomy and very sturdy (which was a relief...this was my first time showing my work outdoors, something I've always been nervous about), and I had a wonderful spot to the left of the stage. People didn't start arriving until mid-afternoon, but that was perfect: I had a very comfortable amount of time to get my space just right and enjoy some fabulous food and coffee! The musicians arrived just as I was heading inside to get something to eat...and that's when the fun really started. All the way from Philly, it was Angela Everwood and Paul Jamain...and, let me tell you, they were absolutely fantastic! I was so impressed with how good they sounded, and I just couldn't sit still while they were playing. Plus, they were really nice people, too! 

groovin' on a sunny afternoon!

I must confess, I went into this experience with zero expectations. I figured, "Hey, it's free, and it's a chance to get my work in front of a whole new audience; plus, I'll be able to get some free coffee and zeppoles, so how can I lose?" Well, it turned out to be a day full of winning: not only did I meet some cool people and eat yummy food, but my name was drawn in a raffle for a $25 gift card to St. Joe's Coffee, plus I sold a handful of magnets AND a painting! Pretty awesome for zero expectations! 

"Eye Of The Storm": SOLD! 

Thank you so much to David and the entire staff at St. Joe's Coffee for putting on such a wonderful event! I truly appreciate the opportunity...and I will definitely be back for more of your tasty offerings! If you are in the area (220 Gorham Road, Scarborough), stop in and treat yourself. Even if you're not in the area, you should put yourself in the area! The staff is friendly, the menu is creative, and the prices are very, very reasonable. You will not regret it! 

A magnet sale to a very talented musician! Thank you, Angela Everwood










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