What a show we had at War Eagle. This was my first year to have a booth there. I was a little nervous, but the people were wonderful. We were blessed with the best booth buddies in the whole place! Our customers were amazing. When you enter a new realm like this, you leave the safety of people who like and compliment your work. You put your art out there and wait for people to judge. It feels a little like going to the grocery store naked. You put your best out there for all to see and hope they enjoy it. I have to tell you, our customers made me feel great. The feedback was so positive. There were so many people saying things like "you know what would be cool?" I LOVE THAT. I love the fact that my art made people interactive. So many times we just observe, but my customers get involved and WANT to become part of the creative process. These customers alone have reenergized me and are pushing me to do bigger, better and more than I have ever done, and I will not let them down.
I had been feeling like a fish out of water, having a hard time finding a place for me. No more. I cannot think of another place I would want to be. When the customers are that encouraging, you know you have found your home. I cannot tell you how much it means to me for everyone to come out and say such great things, with everything going on, I really needed all of you. The suggestions, the encouragement, and most of all, the smiles, KEEP THEM COMING.
If you get to know craftsmen and artisans, you get to know the reasons they do what they do. Sure, some try to make money; some try to keep a dying art from becoming extinct; others simply use it as a method of expression. The reason I do what I do is to see you smile. It is hard to make a living at this, heck, it’s dang near impossible. I feel better this Monday than if I had made a million dollars just because of the number of smiles and laughs I got.
Sure, some of my art is a little creepy, and according to one customer a little sad, but it’s relatable. I don’t strive to make cute art or scary art, I want my faces to be real. I want people to look at my pumpkin people and understand them. I think there are people we know who aren’t beautiful by society standards. They may have wrinkles and hairy moles and sad eyes and large noses, but underneath all of that, they are kind. Kindness makes them beautiful. I believe an entire story can be told in a face, and I want my art to tell that story.
I learned a lot this weekend. I learned about the logistics of a show, I learned about intra-vendor relations, and all of that, but mostly, I learned about me. I learned that most of the people walking by may not realize that I use antique underwear buttons on my cats, or that my signs are hand painted and not stenciled, or that my brooms are completely handmade down to the handles. But I know these things, and I will not change them. I will make a promise to my customers, I will never K-Mart myself to attract price conscience people. I strive to offer you reasonable prices for quality work. If you buy a sign, you will have a hand-painted sign that took hours to complete. These signs start as a piece of un-planed local pine that is planed, cut, routered, sanded, painted with 2 layers of paint and 1 layer of wax, sanded again, hand painted, sanded yet again, and polyurethaned . . If you get a belsnickle, you will know his feather tree is a hand wrapped goose biot. I do not mass produce, I will not cut corners, and I will continue to grow as an artist and a person. I know my customers appreciate the fact that I am not just making things to sell, but I am making things that hold pieces of my heart. Each item has a story, and if you ask, I will be happy to tell it…if the art doesn’t tell it first.
