THEN AND NOW..TWO YEARS OF WHOFEST ART SHOW--A FANTASTIC GREAT WEEKEND!!!!

The Year is 2010--This is our first time setting up at an actual "SHOW"..we had done the Chattanooga Market several times, and a small art market  called "ART UNTIL DARK" at Winder Binder Folk Art Gallery. We were NERVOUS. Our booth had so much stuff in it. The day went great. We sold a majority of the things we brought. It was a crazy weekend. Hot, and busy.....I remember not knowing how to react when people started talking about our art...we were SO GREEN, and uncomfortable.

Fast forward to this past weekend--WHOFEST 2011--

This year, we got two tents..Nature Boy had his own..We had a minimal amount of inventory..we didn't sell much, but made good money..(only $100 or so under last year). We knew a great deal of the artist that showed with us, we were actually responsible for a couple of them coming to the show. We were kicked back, and had a blast. We bought art (pictures following below.)

It was like the difference of being a child and being an adult. Our first time out--our "FIRST" real show..it was very scary, and we were naive about everything (especially pricing)..hahaha..I think my most expensive thing the first year was $125, (and I felt guilty about that). We were young, and stupid..we met many, many people at that show. Many of them are now great friends that I hope I have for life. This year, we were adults. We have grown. We weren't scared or nervous..We've done what feels like hundreds of shows between the two shows. (It is probably more like 30 or so).

The art that we purchased this weekend was AMAZING! One day a long time ago, I was in Chattanooga, and walked into a coffee shop--they had this artist named MARK LEAMON exhibiting his work for sale. I remember clearly walking in, and seeing it, and it stopped my breath. By that I mean that I felt as if I had walked into a world famous art gallery, and there sat the most empowering group of paintings that I ever seen. I was in there for almost an hour. I know the people in there thought that I was crazy, or something. I walked to each painting, and studied each line, each brush stroke. I KNOW good art, ( I was partially raised in an art gallery that my aunt was part owner in)..I KNOW good art--I knew what I was looking at was GREAT art. Not good. GREAT. Yesterday..I purchased 4 pieces of this artists' work. Yesterday, it once again made my breath stop in my chest. I would have mortgaged my house to buy a piece. I purchased one large piece, and 3 smaller pieces...

 This is the large piece. It's GORGEOUS!! So intense and saturated with life!!! This picture does not do it justice! I had seen it on Saturday, and loved it..but, I was hot, and tired, and wanted to go home. I could not stop thinking about it...all night I thought about it...I woke up on Sunday morning, thinking about it..when we got to the show on Sunday morning...I walked up to the tent, and saw this piece:

 This piece is amazing. It is done on the back of one of his sketchbooks, and has so much depth and layering to it. It's so beautiful! I cannot show you these painting in high resolution (the reason is obvious), and when I saw this it was hanging from a chain on a tree branch. OMG! I HAD to have it! (I later decided that I will find a tree branch, bolt it onto my wall, and hang it in my home that way. To remember it as I FIRST saw it.)...So...

....I positioned my chair to face Mark's tent...and I waited..and I waited..(Nature Boy and I tend to arrive very early..hahah)..I saw Mark unzipping his tent..and away I WENT.

I also purchase two smaller pieces. I will have to show these later..because they are carefully packed away with my own art.

I spent the majority of the last two days hanging out with my friend and fellow artist Brenda Davis. The strangest thing happened. On Sunday morning at 4:30am, Brenda and I BOTH had a serious leg cramp on the right leg wake us up from a dead sleep. We were not in the same place. She was in Chattanooga..I was at home in Alabama...weird..huh..(insert music from the Twilight Zone)..But, we had great fun!!

Ok..there will have to be a Part 2 to this post. I will show the rest of the art that I bought, or recieved and the jewelry (need the artist's permission to post a picture of it)..and I will tell of some more things that happened, etc..but, I have lost my wind...hahaha. Live Artfully!!