Last weekend, I participated in another art fair. Those of you who came by for a visit were greeted by clear skies and moderate temperatures, which was a welcome change from past years. September seems to be the traditional month for outdoor fairs, in our area, and the weather can often turn freakishly hot or cold, making it an unpleasant experience for fair-goers. So, luck was with us this time.
It was a pleasure to see some old friends, and interesting to make the acquaintance of some other artists, for at least one more time, in an outdoor setting. But my future participation in outdoor exhibitions, remains a question mark. There comes a time in life, when we must recognize our diminishing capacities to cope with several days of preparation and then installation of a heavy and complex, art, display-booth. Usually at these fairs, by the time late Sunday afternoon comes around, my energy level has dropped so low that I am only still moving and talking out of force of habit, rather than with genuinely, thoughtful communication. Fortunately, I have some wonderful family assistance, and this time, a particularly kind friend helped with the dis-assembly, late, last Sunday. We were packed up to go, just as the darkness was descending over the evening.
There was only one sour note to the weekend, when a woman took one of my art prints without paying. She very deliberately pretended that she had paid, and then hastily made an exit from the fair, along with her family group. It was not a great loss for me, but the truly sad part of that theft, was the lesson she was teaching the child, who had come into the booth with her, as well as for her other children, who waited for her with her male partner, outside on the periphery, while she demonstrated her thievery It was another reminder of the general tone of dishonest behavior which has descended on our nation, now that constant lies, deceit and fraud have taken over in our nation's executive mansion, where our nation's idealism has been tossed into the capitol's, trash cans.
The particular site, where last weekend's fair was held, reminded me of the long, personal history I have with that area, and the surrounding cultural institutions. Those surroundings influenced my work in numerous ways, over the years. I recall one painting which would be an example of that long history, from a surprisingly, unique perspective. I will try to get the painting photographed and post it on the blog.
There was only one sour note to the weekend, when a woman took one of my art prints without paying. She very deliberately pretended that she had paid, and then hastily made an exit from the fair, along with her family group. It was not a great loss for me, but the truly sad part of that theft, was the lesson she was teaching the child, who had come into the booth with her, as well as for her other children, who waited for her with her male partner, outside on the periphery, while she demonstrated her thievery It was another reminder of the general tone of dishonest behavior which has descended on our nation, now that constant lies, deceit and fraud have taken over in our nation's executive mansion, where our nation's idealism has been tossed into the capitol's, trash cans.
The particular site, where last weekend's fair was held, reminded me of the long, personal history I have with that area, and the surrounding cultural institutions. Those surroundings influenced my work in numerous ways, over the years. I recall one painting which would be an example of that long history, from a surprisingly, unique perspective. I will try to get the painting photographed and post it on the blog.
