24 August 2010

post-Fair recovery...

Two of the six panels used.
The 2010 Yolo County Fair is now done.
 My show there (as a Featured Artist) went well. I spent most afternoons hanging out in Waite Hall and thoroughly enjoyed watching people interact with my art. I've posted a few snaps of the displays at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/loisrichter/sets/72157624774747720/  I did have a mailbox there -- with notepapers and "This I Like!" checklists -- so visitors could either write me a letter or tell me which things they liked a lot. (It's interesting to see what folks checked.) By far the most smiled-at piece was a photo of Sandra's kitty 'Mocha' in her pose as a "SunWorshipper". Framed in brown velvet, I borrowed this from Mom's wall for hanging at the show. (Of all my artwork, this kitten is the only photo of mine that Mom has ever wanted to have hanging in her home.) Now I get to choose which of all my pieces I want to hang on the walls at home now. I had unearthed forty years' worth of stuff while deciding what to put in that show. Now some will go on display in my home gallery and the rest will go back in storage or get put into a box to be donated to the silent auction next year. (The silent auction is where items donated by local artists are sold off and the $$ raised goes to help art programs in the local high schools. I just discovered that paintings/drawings do NOT have to be framed to be donated! So I will pass along a few items. Even some framed photos may go there.)

Preparing for this event, I realized just how much the Fair has influenced what I have available to show. Almost all of my framed photos only exist because I entered them in the Fair some time. A few very large ones pre-date my Fair years (2003 on), but most photos don't get printed -- let alone framed -- unless I plan to enter them. I have a few dozen un-framed photos lying around, and several THOUSAND unprinted images stored on my computer. (I'm starting to put some of my favorites online now in my Flickr account.) 

 'Mocha' in her pose as a "SunWorshipper"
Although I'm apt to be proudest of my computer designs and LineArt (digital photos I've messed with a lot), for many years I could only enter one item in that category while there were a dozen categories in the photo section that I could enter -- SO... My framed photos outweigh my framed computer graphics by about 20-to-1. On the other hand, each PAINTING is physically present to start with; so although I have only ever created a few of them, they take up a large portion of the of wall space. My ATCs, on the other and, are mostly tucked away in binders. Well... I've rambled enough for one day. I hope you-all are doing well. -- Lois Richter, recovering nicely from a wonderful weekend.


22 July 2010

2010 pre-Fair OPEN HOUSE July 30-31

I'm going to be a "featured artist" at the Yolo County Fair in 2010 !!!   Ya-hooo!!!
 
 That means I'll have a show August 19-22 in Waite Hall on the Yolo County Fairgrounds in Woodland, California. (The hall is open Thurs-Sat, Noon to 10 pm, Sunday, Noon to 6 pm). You-all are certainly welcome to come by. I plan to be sitting there Fri-Sun Noon-6:00; ready and willing to chat!

However....
My hallway changes frequently.
This is a little more that just an invite to the Fair; it's an invite to HELP ME DECIDE which art pieces to show! The show is a six-panel area (2 sides of three 4x8 panels), so I can put a lot up. I figure this is my big chance to have a nice show -- and get famous! -- but I'm not sure WHICH of my pieces would be best to hang/display there. Not that I don't have my own favorites! But sometimes I can get so distracted remembering the subject ("that was the softest-feeling kitten") or an emotional response ("M. was so happy to get that one!") that it's hard to pick out the pieces that are "good" in an artistic sense. 

 So, if you live in the area, I'm asking for YOUR OPINIONS
You-all are invited to drop by my house either Friday (30 July) or Saturday (31st) afternoon/eve (2:00-8:00pm) to snack, chat, browse around my art, and pick those items you think I should include in the August show. (I'll have all the likely candidates hung up, leaning on the walls, and filling up the furniture; you'll get a handful of stickies to apply to things you like best; and everyone can stand around eating and schmoozing as long as they want.) I'm extending this invite to lots of people via email & Facebook & a blog. So do NOT feel you have to reply just because you see this! (But, of course, you can always write to me if you really want to.) No RSVP needed. If you don't know where I live, call or email me for directions. 

 Whether you come next weekend or in August, I look forward to showing you my art. 

 -- Lois Richter