Paradise City!

My booth at the show

Well, I am back from my first big outdoor show, and I am feeling happy and successful! Paradise City was phenomenal for me. Five of my paintings sold! I met about a thousand people, learned about a million lessons and had a great, if exhausting, time.

It's hard to believe that I haven't posted since May 19, but it's the truth. I spent 10 very hectic days getting ready for the show, finishing paintings, framing, making decisions, and fixing up my booth. Peter and I spent more time decorating that 10 by 10 space than most people spend on their entire houses, I think.

But it paid off. I had a pleasant, welcoming booth, and it looked pretty good compared to the others at the show. Some of the displays were just astonishingly gorgeous. Some were nicer than any house I've lived in. Most were more elegant than mine, more professional, but I was able to make some adjustments that brought mine up to par - and as always, I am learning. Learning, learning, learning.

It was a joy to show my paintings in such surroundings. Everywhere I looked, work sparkled. The furniture, the sculpture, the jewelry... the glass, the fabrics, the clothing.... and did I mention the jewelry? It was amazing, nearly all of it.

Thousands and thousands of people came through. They were fun, and interested, and smart. They were gracious, and eager to engage. The thrill that I have when people connect with my art, I had that all three days, over and over. It really was miraculous.

And the organization of this show, wow. Everything was taken into consideration. People were waiting for me when I arrived, with information and directions. Help was available. Every day, the carpets were vacuumed, the trash picked up, the porta potties cleaned, the parking lots and walkways washed and watered. Every day, staffers came around to make sure we were OK, make sure we didn't need anything. If there was a problem, it was solved instantly.

But it was exhausting. I woke at 5, made a painting, arrived at 8, worked on the booth, opened at 10, closed at 6 and stood pretty much the entire time. Yesterday, I slept pretty much all day. Today, I feel like myself, but a little farther down the road.

Thanks for reading!