Artsplosure 2007
Raleigh, North Carolina

What an awesome weekend! How can an artist complain about great weather, huge crowds, delightful art buyers, and a volunteer staff that welcomed our participation with respect and wonderful amenities! The only downer occurred during the return trip home when I ran over a long piece of steel lying in the middle of the interstate. Even that could've been much worse. The end result was a punctured exhaust pipe that made for a loud journey back to Greenville. Oh yeah, the best part? I made money.



This will definitely be an annual event I hope to attend. It is a fairly large show that features about 200 artists. If the amount of artwork available isn't enough to satisfy shoppers they can enjoy great food, entertainment at two stages, and a children's area that provides some unique things to keep the young ones attention throughout the day. Folks can even challenge their friends to a game of chess on a board that features playing pieces the size of a 5-gallon bucket. And for you dog & cat lovers, I've participated in over 40 shows the past three years and this was the first time I noticed plastic kiddie pools filled with iced water for pets.



I also got to visit with some artists I had not seen in awhile. Linnea Lockwood-Gambino is a terrific jeweler whose work has been featured in national magazines and even on HGTV. Her husband Russ is her official "art slave" and a New York-state-of-mind guy who can dish out smack with the best but also can take it just as well. Just ask my friend, Christy.

Unfortunately we didn't run into to each other until late Sunday afternoon so we'll have to share some pasta and road stories later on in the summer. They are just another example of the good people I get to hang out with on a weekly basis this time of year and who I now consider "family."





Speaking of family I was reacquainted with a lovely couple I had not seen in almost two years. Mary Anne Collins and I participated in the Atalaya Festival at Huntington Island, South Carolina in the fall of 2005. Ironically Linnea's booth was situated between us so I didn't get to spend much time talking with her or even get the opportunity to meet her husband Bill, another art slave! Her creations definitely made an impression on me because as we were setting up Saturday morning I was able to tell Bill where I had seen her work before.

In tomorrow's blog entry I'll introduce them to you and tell you about Mary Anne's unique artwork. Oh yeah...they have a fairly new "creation" I think they're a bit more proud of these days! I'll talk about him too!

The last photo is of Wilbur, the sweet mutt belonging to one of my art neighbors. He made himself at home in several artist booths throughout the weekend. I sure would love for Balloo to be this laid back. I'm not holding my breath.