Brrr from Florida

Florida's first cold weekend. It went from the 90's to the 40's and 50's over night. Brrr its a bit chilly for this Florida native. But hopefully this finally signals the start of fall. Soon it will be time to drag everything out of the studio and give it a good cleaning and reorganizing...its too hot and rainy to do it during the other season. Also cooler weather means more mosaic work as I only mosaic during the cooler months as I work outside when I work with concrete. I do love fall in florida.

In Everyones Life a Little Dog Pee Must Fall...

I don't know if this past show was the worse I've ever done or that one in August was. This show I did make a sale...a single small sale...and it wasn't quite as hot...and I didn't have as far to carry my pots to my booth site but instead of rained on like the last one my booth was peed on...by 3 different dogs...right on my table covers. I don't quite get it how you don't notice your dog with its leg lifted on someones lovely table covers and I don't quite understand not offering to try to clean it or offering funds to help clean it. Mumbling 'oh sorry' and just walking away is kinda rude (yes I am talking to you with that leaky poodle). I was wanting to institute a 'If your dog pees on my booth you must buy a pot policy.' The vendor next to me kept shaking his head as each dog walked by. The event was to help a no kill shelter but with hardly any sales and puddling poodles the event for me was a 'wash out'

The organizers asked if I wanted to do another event...um no.

Show Flyer

Here is a thumb of the flyer for the show I am doing Saturday. If anybody is local to me stop by and say hi the show is in Englewood. I hope the show does well.

An Upcoming Pet Themed Show

I've signed up to do a show that is being sponsered by EARS, a nonprofit no kill shelter, so i thought some pet themed items would be good to have. I don't have much time to get the work done as the show is October 3rd so I have been racking my head for so quick to dry items to make. I was thinking pendants, dog tags, trinket dishes with pet themes, and treat plates for cats. If anyone has some idea I'd love to hear them.

Bad Bad Show

Last weekend I did a small show...my first outdoor show in a very long time. My first outdoor show I did in August in Florida. The booth cost me nothing for my space but sadly that is the only good thing I can say about it.

Set up time wasn't specified, the show started at 10:30am, I figured there would be at least 2 hours for set up and then i hoped maybe they'd maybe even allow early set up if vendors were there early. I arrived at 7:30am in hopes for early set up...no such luck...oh well...I headed to the local walmart to spend some time in their air conditioning.

I arrived back by 8:15am...still no action at the location of show..."How odd" I thought. So I parked across the way in a small park, 2 lovely sandhill cranes flew down and waded in the water filled ditch entertaining me for a bit. The birds wandered off and again i grew concerned at the lack of anyone at the show location, I confirmed that it was a Saturday with a phone call to my mom, so I had the right day. Now it is past 9am and I know I will not be able to be fully set up in time for a 10:30am start time.

Finally some action on site, 9:30ish a dunk tank arrived and then another vehicle. I pulled up behind the van with the dunk tank. Talked with show organizer got permission to set up, while waiting for dunk tank to be off loaded 2 more vendors showed up.

No spaces were assigned it was kinda set up where you will but don't block access to this, this, this and this. So now it was quite hot being almost 10am and set up was horrible in the heat. The organizer said a group was coming in at 11 so we needed to be ready.

I finally got set up tho I was on a down hill slope and my tent was walking away so i ran and got my tent anchors(fancy water filled bleach bottles). So my tent was fairly stable now, my work half in the sun and getting to hot to handle but nothing to be done about it, me guzzling the water I had brought trying to rehydrate. It was very hot.

11 came and went...no group appeared, a few people arrived to eat lunch and left not looking at the work. Finally about 1pm a large group arrived and the place started filling up. They sat down to eat, talk and enjoy the music. All us artists figured after eating they would browse but sadly instead they all mostly just got up and left passing my booth with not much of a glance. Throughout the next few hours a few patrons stopped and chatted and I handed out a mere 3 flyers to some interested people but not much other interest was to be had.

Finally clouds raised their ugly heads on the horizon and we all rushed to pack. Me, the potter, with all my wrapping to make sure the work would make it home was last to finish and of course the storm broke and soaked me and all my stuff before I could get it packed in the truck. Two of the guys in another vendor tent took pity on me after they finished packing and helped me carry my stuff to the truck.

It has taken me about 4 days now to dry everything out so i can pack it up again. I was very sore and slightly sunburned(even tho i was wearing sunscreen) for about 2 days. It was a sad, sad show. I don't think I will ever do another summer show in Florida ever, ever again.

BTW 5 years ago today Cat. 4 Hurricane Charley blew thru my town ruining my house, studio, and kiln. My studio is nearly back to normal, the house still getting there, and I have another kiln...but i swear it seems like it happened just yesterday even tho I traveled that long road back to recovery.

The Show: A Summary

Can you call a show a success and a nonsuccess at the same time? Did I sell lots? No, barely enough to cover booth fees, so the gas to and from every day, my time, printing costs for cards and tags was not covered. So salewise...not a success. But I did meet lots of people interested in pottery. I filled a whole class for next session. So class promo was a success. I even got a photo in the paper.

I can't fault the venue. They brought people to the event. It was fairly busy most the days. I was talking pots and throwing pots most of the day. But the people seemed to have a tight hold on their wallets. The economy still is pretty bad here and it shows in the willingness to part with $ even on stuff they like.

I might be doing a show on August 8th at a different venue. We'll see how that goes, this other show has a whole different demographic. Summer shows are so iffy here in Florida.

Pre-Show Jitters

I have a show next weekend. They always make me a bit nervous. I don't think you can tell when talking to me but I always have a few jitters. This show, I am going to be throwing clay in public, three days of throwing.

I am ok at throwing in front of people, always have been. I remember in college having the campus cops come watch me during after hours labs. I remember this one time that I was throwing, I might have been in my second semester of pottery class, in walks a group of about 50 firemen. They were there to learn about the kiln. After they got a good look at the kiln and their lecture on when to try to put it out and when it was just still glowy from a firing and in no danger of setting the building on fire they wandered over to me.

I was sitting alone in a line of about 15 wheels throwing but now I was sitting in a line of 15 wheels surrounded by 50 firemen, 50 manly firemen all watching me... me nervous?... no lol.

Well I entertained them and humored their recollections of the potter's wheel scene from the movie Ghost. Smiled and managed not to ruin the pot I was working on. Finally their captain decided they had enough fun and called them to the trucks and off they went.

So I was introduced to throwing in public early in my throwing career and can carry on a conversation and center, lift a wall and shape. So I do fairly well demoing in public...me nervous? no lol.......