Sliders

Yes, I had White Castles for dinner at midnite. Two days running. Thank goodness the show is over now and I can revert to some healthier eating for a few days. But I will say they really hit the spot every once in awhile. Double cheesburger with no onions. I am sure the folks at the drive-thru think I am a freak, or John most likely, since he is the driver and places the order. I mean who orders just ONE sandwich at White Castle. With no onions?

Anyway, the show was good. Really fun for one thing - great music, good food, high quality beer, all the ingredients for a good party. The art was better this year too at least I thought so. And I was pleased with my sales, so that is cool. This show attracts such an interesting group of people, edgy, hip, diverse - I love the crowd. Naturally it is nice that so many of them seem to really GET my art too. I talked to a lot of folks who remembered me from last year and gave positive feedback on how much my work had evolved from a year ago. Also talked to a couple who told me how much they are enjoying their purchases from last year, how visitors in their house have admired the art, how much pleasure it gives them on a daily basis, etc. It was so validating to hear and left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

As I was sitting at the show I had a little "out of body" experience as I thought back to last year at Schlafly, which was my very first outdoor art fair. I remember John and I unpacking the tent last year, trying to be calm and cool and act like we knew what we were doing. Mainly I was praying the tent didn't fall over and hit someone or we didn't whack each other with the poles or some such thing. But I remember pulling the tent out of it's bag - it was bright blinding white, like new tennis shoes that had never been worn. And I wished we had scuffed it up a bit; we were such obvious newbies. We had done a trial run in our yard to practice and our rehearsal must have paid off because we got that thing up without a hitch.

The Schlafly website has some pictures from last year's show and it is hilarious how little art I had on the walls, barely filling the tent. And of course then I was blessed with beginner's luck and amazing sales so by the end of the show my inventory was wiped out and the walls were nearly barren. Now I know to carry extra to replenish as the show goes along.

We have come a long way in a year.