The Making of an (Art Fair) Artist: Part II – The Start Up

https://templedavid.org/symons/jttjp3oejq This is the second in a five-part series about my first year’s journey on the art fair circuit. Part one described my initial questioning and seeking of answers.

https://thegreathighway.com/mcwwtwa24 It took me two months of questions, answer seeking, and second guessing before I decided to assemble a basic art booth and apply to area art fairs and festivals.

here Interestingly, my biggest concern became not whether my photography was good enough.

https://www.vertaglia.com/pu5m72int38 By this time I had photographed a number of botanical photos, mostly macro shots, and I thought I could put together a cohesive show, rather like a garden gallery. I had photographs I liked, photographs I was proud of. And the botanical theme was a perfect fit with the business name I had registered a year earlier, Seeded Earth Studio.

go here There were other, more difficult hurdles that I was worried about.

Order Valium Online Overnight Uk The first hurdle was putting together a list of what I needed to make a professional looking booth. There were so many parts to the whole, and the list made me dizzy to read. Another concern was the number of show applications I needed to track. Organizational skills were not one of my strong points and the thought of keeping track of inventory, show applications, and supply orders was almost more than I could bear.

follow Another major worry was money. I needed to purchase a basic booth set up and inventory, plus pay for ongoing jury applications, booth fees, and travel expenses.

https://grannysglasses.com/?p=blh6zcyz3xe The first hurdle that I overcame was a big one — the money. By way of a small financial windfall from an unexpected source.

Sherpa and I have been avid fishermen for many years. We were never very successful, but we enjoyed fishing together several times a week.  We had an 18 foot fishing boat, just the perfect size for cruising the chain of four lakes in the Madison area.

But without us even realizing it, our habits imperceptibly changed. We began to substitute photography outings for fishing expeditions. More and more, our evenings and weekends were taken up with trips to the local gardens and parks, or road trips to check out photography locations.

When we re-assessed our leisure time activities, we realized we’d only used the boat once in the last year. It became an easy decision to make. We sold our fishing boat and equipment, and used the profits to start up my photography business. (It helped immensely that Sherpa is my most enthusiastic supporter; he thought it was great plan to switch from fishing to art fairs. We never were very good at fishing! And there is always shore fishing when the urge strikes.)

So now that I had money for the basic expenses, I applied to a few shows in Wisconsin and northern Illinois.  To my great surprise, the acceptances came in quickly. I hadn’t expected such success. In just a few weeks, I had six shows lined up from the end of June through the middle of September.

By then it was mid-May. I had less than two months to prepare for a summer of art fairs and festivals. And I had already committed to take a ten day college-graduation-celebration trip with my daughter to the Pacific Northwest.

It was at that point that real panic set in. So I did what made the most business sense to me – I packed and went on my trip with my daughter and we had a wonderful time. I knew all the art fair work would still be there when I got back. And they were…

Part 3: Learning as You Begin

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. She is living in Tucson for the next eight weeks, exhibiting her photography in art fairs, taking photographs in deserts and desert gardens, and blogging about learning to live on her own. Her mantra is “Bo goes solo!”

The Making of an Artist: Part I – Talking to the Inner Critic

Shadow Tree

Shadow Tree © 2011 Bo Mackison

A lot can happen in a year. A whole lot!

Exactly a year ago, Sherpa and I went to the Tubac Festival of Art with a couple we knew from Phoenix. The woman had been an artist on the art fair circuit for 15+ years, and we asked them if they would come with us to the art fair. I wanted to walk the show, ask questions, learn the ins and outs of being an art show artist from an experienced show artist, from a pro.

I was at the earliest of stages of considering whether or not I might exhibit my photography at outside art fairs. I remember how overwhelmed I’d felt after walking the art fair for several hours. My friend had provided informal lessons on topics such as tent and canopy quality, and on weighting tents for the worst kinds of weather. I’d taken snapshots of canopies and attached awnings for sun or rain protection, of staking systems that held a tent firmly in place. I’d learned about different ways of showing my art — panel systems, grid systems, mesh systems.

I also remember looking at the many kinds of art that were at the festival. I kept looking…and looking…and looking.

Finally I gave myself permission to allow the tiniest thought to spring to life. It said: “I think I can do that!”

It didn’t take long before all the gremlins in my head joined forces and started spitting out their thoughts on the subject: “Ha, ha, ha! YOU aren’t an artist!” “You can’t make art that someone would pay REAL money for.” “You’re an introvert–you could never be a show artist. Why, you would have to TALK to people. Ha ha ha!”

“You can’t…”  “You aren’t…” You don’t…” Oh, those crazy voices in my head were so loud, so persistent.

I did want to share my art. I did want to see if I could sell my photography on more than just an occasional basis. But I had so many concerns, questions, fears, uncertainties. So many questions flooded my head!

Was my art good enough? Did I have what it takes to work the art show circuit? How would I manage the traveling, the overnights away from home, the packing and unpacking, the physical stamina required to set up and take down a booth, and work in the booth for two, three, even five day shows?

The last questions I asked were the hardest. Did I have what it takes to be an artist? Did I have any talent? Could I really be successful?

I returned to Wisconsin knowing I needed to give these questions some soul-searching thought. It would take me several months before I began to answer any of them.

Part 2: The Making of An Artist: Start Up

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. She is living in Tucson for the next eight weeks, exhibiting her photography in art fairs, taking photographs in deserts and desert gardens, and blogging about learning to live on her own. Her mantra is “Bo goes solo!”

Clydesdales at Tubac

Clydesdales at Tubac Festival of the Arts

Clydesdales at Tubac

Today was the opening day of the Tubac Festival of Arts in Tubac, Arizona. After yesterday’s windy day during set-up for the show, the weather for the first day of the five day art festival was mild and warm, and of course, sunny.

One hundred and seventy artists from throughout the country set up their art booths along the streets of Tubac, amidst the artist colony’s galleries, shops, restaurants, and studios.  Clydesdales pull trolleys throughout the town since no cars are allowed on the streets during the fair.

I was lucky enough to get a booth placement near one of the trolley stops (at the corner of Hesselbarth Lane and Tubac Road).  What  magnificent animals they are! (You can see my booth to the left of the horses, look for the the white and green sign.)

Seeded Earth Studio will be at the Tubac Festival of Art for the remainder of the show, February 10 through 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Stop and say hello!

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. She is living in Tucson for the next eight weeks, exhibiting her photography in art fairs, taking photographs in deserts and desert gardens, and blogging about learning to live on her own. Visit as she writes about living and working in Tucson. Her mantra is “Bo goes solo!”

Exhibiting at the Holiday Art Fair

I am happy to announce that Seeded Earth Photography and I will be at the https://photovisions.ca/gumf4aflz 40th Annual Holiday Art Fair, a festive affair presented by the follow link Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and Overture Center for the Arts on this coming weekend, follow link November 19-21, 2010. Over 90 artists will be featuring their art, including ceramics, fiber art, glass, jewelry, paintings, prints, and of course, photographs.

Getting Ready for the Holidays © 2010 Bo Mackison

So hop in your truck (or other suitable vehicle) and come on down to State Street to check out the Holiday Art Fair. It is held at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and the Overture Center for the Arts located on the  State Street mall in downtown Madison, Wisconsin.

My booth will be in the center of the lobby area of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Look for the photography gallery that looks like a garden abloom with botanicals!

source link Holiday Art Fair Hours
Friday, November 19 · 5-8 pm,  Saturday, November 20 · 10 am-5 pm,   Sunday, November 21 · 10 am-3 pm
Admission: $5 for adults; children under 12 free.

If you visit, be sure to stop by the Seeded Earth Studio’s booth and say hello.

Seeded Earth Photography at Waterloo Arts Festival

Grasses on Black © 2010 Bo Mackison

Seeded Earth Photography will be on the road as we start our holiday art fair season this weekend.

Our first show, the get link Holiday Arts Festival, is at the click Waterloo Center for the Arts in downtown Waterloo, Iowa. The show is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both get link Saturday, November 13 and Sunday, November 14, and is free to the public.

If you are in the area, stop by my booth in the main art gallery, booth # 51, and say hello.

I’d love to show you my photography. Not only will I be offering matted and framed prints, but I am now printing many of my abstract and macro botanicals on large scale, gallery wrapped canvas. (The printed canvases are stretched on a 1 inch deep frame so the photograph wraps around the sides. No frame is necessary.) Photo art card sets with holiday, botanical or seasonal themes are also available.

Or if you are in the Madison area, I will be at the Holiday Art Fair at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown Madison on the weekend of November 19-21 and at the Arboretum Local Products Expo at the University of Wisconsin Arboretum – Madison on Sunday, November 28. More info provided as these dates get closer.