Wine Wednesday & Artwork Series: My first solo show! :)

http://www.thebaynet.com/events/index.cfm/fa/viewEventdetails/eventID/3864

Blue Wind Gourmet in southern Maryland is hosting a fundraising event each week for Patuxent Habitat for Humanity.
Each week, the gourmet store is featuring a different artist. I will be featured the week of November 5-11!
The Artist reception is from 5-7pm on Wednesday, November 5th.


I'm very excited to go and set up one week from today... I still have to actually finish unpacking my artwork though, and figure out which to bring with me!


And since moving.... I really do miss Blue Wind. I love their sandwiches and especially their pizzas, and I have yet to find anywhere comparable in the Burg. But since I'll be home once a month or so, hopefully I will get a chance to indulge then.
It's lunch time, and now my mouth is watering.... thinking about the cornstarch pizza crust... and made-from-scratch salad dressings...



Damn.

Ain't That a Kick in the Crotch?

A play-by-play of the Neptune show in Virginia Beach last weekend.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24:
7:35pm: I make two piles of art show stuff in my garage: Essentials that have to go, and a "Nice To Have" pile. I'm renting a car for the trip, and I prepare my piles in case I get stuck with a smallish SUV. I want to be prepared if there are some things that won't fit.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
3:01pm: Drive to Enterprise. There is a mean looking black Dodge Caravan in the packing lot. It's awesome. I hope it is for me.
3:07pm: The Dodge is mine. I can't believe this bad-ass van is all mine for the whole weekend. This is a good omen. The weekend is going to be perfect. I can tell.
3:23pm: The Caravan is a blast to drive. I feel like I'm in a tank. What could be cooler than driving a tank? I'm ready to take on the world!!! Time to load up this bad boy!
3:25pm: Rain. Lots of rain. Back the van into the garage to fascilitate loading.

5:27pm: Everything fits into the van perfectly. I can bring all of my essentials and the nice-to-haves, too. AND I can even see clearly out of ALL the van's windows! Nothing can go wrong! I AM INVINCIBLE! Time for my mom and me to hit the road!
5:45pm: Huge rain storm. Soooo.... much.... rain. But that's okay... because I know that the rain will come tonight, and by tomorrow morning the weather will be PERFECT!
9:35pm: Arrive in Virginia Beach.
9:37pm: Arrive at our hotel and check in. Guess what? FREE UPGRADE! We are oceanfront!! I go move the van into the parking garage. The wind is INSANE and I return to our room to find I am now sporting a brand new 'do: Dreadlocks.
10:25pm: Lights out and time for bed! It's going to be a wonderful weekend!! I'm so excited!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
7:45am: I wake up. The sun is peeking through clouds, shining brightly into our room. I knew it. It's going to be a beautiful day.
7:50am: I look down at the boardwalk and see lots of artists setting up.... What the heck? We aren't even supposed to register until 9:00am. And we aren't supposed to be on the boardwalk without registering first. But now that I'm awake, I might as well take advantage of it and go set up, too.
8:15am: I move the van down near the boardwalk entrance. I make trips with the cart for my tent, panels, drop cloths (which I won't need because the weather will be amazing), tables, prints, and art to my designated spot. While setting up, I meed Beebee and Virginia, of the Hummingbird Candle Company, who have the space next to me. They are super sweet and have tons of great advice. Even better.... they have a ridiculous sense of humor. I love it. We are all laughing so much.
10:00am: I'm done setting up, so Mom and I decide to go register (oops) and get some much needed food. STARVING!
10:11am: We find the registration "tent" (actually a big truck with a red sign that is sitting in the truck, not out anywhere). I get my paperwork. I also meet my neighbor, Chris, of Aqua Exposure. He seems about my age, which is rare at shows I've been to, and he's super nice.
11:14am: I plan to head back to the room to shower and actually put some effort into my appearance... But while walking back, we realize almost all of the artists are open for business, even though the show isn't technically supposed to start until 4:00pm (late start due to the weather). But the boardwalk is packed. The weather is nice. I better get to my booth, even if I look like a bum.
7:00pm: The show is over for today. I close my tent and wrap the few things I leave behind in many, many drop cloths, in case of rain. But it's going to be a gorgeous weekend. If I make sure I protect everything, I'll reverse-jinx myself against rain.
8:15pm: Dinner.
9:35pm: Back in the hotel room. Weather check for tomorrow... Forecast: Questionable.
10:51pm: Another weather check. Still questionable.
11:12pm: Weather check. General yuckiness in the vicinity..... but I'm sure it will be nice tomorrow.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
8:11am: I wake up. Looks overcast outside. Looking out of the window I see.... puddles. Rain. Flooding. It's grotesque out there.
10:00am: The show officially opens. There are like 2 people out on the boardwalk. I walk next door and ask Beebee if I can peek at the radar map she has on her phone- I see this.

(actual screen capture. not enhanced.)

11:47am: The rain stops, a little. But it's still all misty and damp and cold. People slowly emerge out of their rooms and onto the boardwalk out of sheer boredom. Weather remains questionable most of the rest of the day.
2:37pm: Sun!
3:01pm: Sun? Yes it is... I think? Wait. Are those more storm clouds?
3:12pm: Are they coming this way? I think they are.
3:14pm: But there is blue sky right here. Now the sun is out. I see a shadow... Yes that's definitely sun. It's totally going to clear up out here.
3:15pm: Those clouds are definitely coming this way. Fast. Craaaap. Bring in the prints and secure the drop cloths.
7:00pm: Close of the show. Definitely a better day than yesterday, but sales were still not very impressive- especially with all the hype there was from other artists about this show.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
7:56am: I wake up to a bright beam of sun shining on my face. It's going to be a wonderful day, better than yesterday. It HAS to be, right?
10:00am: The show opens. A surprising amount of people are out and about for a Sunday morning.
10:12am: It looks like it might get nasty out here.
10:25am: A little shower moves through.... but seems like it will pass quickly.
11:00am: Weather is stilll questionable. Damn.
5:35pm: Most artists are packing up. The show ends at 6:00pm today, and it's going to be a nasty rush for everyone to get everything to their cars, I am sure.
6:00pm: And so it begins. Take down.
6:45pm: I take down my artwork first to haul up to the van (still in the parking garage). I actually manage to get all of the artwork, on the hand cart, up the steeeeeeep hill of the parking garage without slipping and falling and having the artwork and handcart run me over and go cascading down the ramp. Amazing.
6:47pm: It's pouring rain again. Neptune manages to get in one last kick to the crotch. I have only just begun to load up the van and luckily, somehow, the artwork manages to not get ruined.