I drove the west-to-east length of Cape Cod today to take my pots and tent to Chase Park in Chatham for an early set-up for the weekend's Creative Arts Center's Festival of the Arts. Last summer was my first show in Chatham. It's a three-day event, with a couple of hundred vendors, many of whom come from around the eastern U.S. It's a big show with, in theory, lots of money spent. We'll see how that works out. Last year's was a disappointment to many people, though the North Carolina weaver on my left and the Maine painter on my right both did well. And I was reasonably happy with my results.
These shows are not my favorite thing. Lots of lugging pots from truck to tent, lots of lugging tent and tables. It's a lot of physical work, followed by many hours of smiling and greeting and explaining ("What would I do with this pot?") hoping people connect with what they see. Basically, I'd rather people to come to my studio and gallery, love my pots and walk away with a few. Of course ... we know how that goes. You gotta go to where the people are. Cranky? Yep. It was a long day.
The weather's predicted to be sunny and in the 80s. My tent (#77 in your program) is in the shade of a big maple, so I should be OK. I'll leave Friday morning at 6, get coffee and head down-Cape, unzip the tent and arrange the pots. At the end of the day, I'll make the hour-long drive west back to Falmouth for the night.
As I read this post, it's a bit of a snoozer. Nothing new to report. Even the pots in the photo are greenware cups that were fired last week and make their debut tomorrow in Chatham.
I know! I'll include a photo from last weekend's wedding of Mark Wirtanen and Terrie Reilly, two good friends from West Barnstable. I think I wrote that our softball team was to give the bride away. (Mark is a retired Radish power-hitter; Terrie was for many years the only fan who showed up at the games.)
They were married on a lovely Saturday evening, on an open piece of meadow that looks out onto Barnstable Harbor and Sandy Neck. The Radish players (that's the name of our team, The Radish) escorted Ms. Reilly down the dirt road to the tree where Mark waited. The repartee between the bride and her escorts is not to be repeated here. The simple ceremony was followed by raucous dancing, drinking, fine eating (clams, oysters, pizza, lamb ... ) and much laughter.
OK, enough for this post. Come visit me in Chatham, y'all.
9 comments:
It would be great to see the show if I was a little closer. I hope you sell well.
Dave
A three day show must be exhausting; even a one day is hard to do. Last two day one I did in California my tent ripped due to the mountain winds. Glad you have a maple tree for shade and hope it goes well the three days and lots of folks purchase pots. Wish I could make it up there; perhaps I'll get to visit your studio later this fall.
Nice photo, H.I hope those purse strings get real loose.
I wish you good sales and hope you have fun in the meantime. Who knows how many nice people you may meet right?
Can we look forward to some pics of your set up?
yeh tug on some heart strings with those gorgeous cups of yours....tell ang in oz is envious she can't be there and hold them for real she's RAKUing !!!!!! woohoo lets hope all the rain came down today... :))
Thanks, all. It's 6:30 a.m. and I'm about to hit the road. Happy rakuing, Ang. There will be plenty of nice people, always are. We'll see about the purse strings. Come on and visit, Linda. And I'll take some pictures of the fair and the setup.
three days!?!? Boy that's a lot of hi how are you's and yes that is a tea bowl, no you don't put handles on those, lots of blah blah blah! Have fun with that. You do meet interesting people at these things though don't you!
Love the cups! Beautiful shot!
You're right, Tracey. Lots of that kind of thing. But I've got good people on either side of me. That helps.
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