So Busy, So Very Busy

I haven't been able to blog much lately with my soon-to-be mother-in-law in town visiting for 5 days (she left Thursday after a fun visit), plus trying to get enough paintings done for my Artzone 461 show and open studios, and then throw in a 2 day event at the Ames Research Center (NASA) where I have a booth and am displaying my work. Needless to say, I have been one very busy person with little time to blog or respond to emails.

The NASA event, "Yuri's Night", was from 9am to 3pm yesterday and consisted of thousands of children and their parent's or teachers, in an air hanger going to science and art booths doing various activities. They made LED lights, slime, and rockets ships among other things. Some of the kids were confused once they got to my booth and asked what they were supposed to do in there. I had to tell them " It's art. You just look at it and appreciate it." Some were able to appreciate the art, others just walked away. A lot of kids and parents were very interested in watching me draw and were amazed at my skills. I got some good comments from parents but overall, I'm not sure how productive it was for me and my hands hurt from drawing all day.

Today's event is from noon until midnight... translation? It's going to be a LONG day and night. At least this day has musical performers and is more geared towards adults. Ben is also going to be there to keep me company and help out. I'm sure the place will be packed!

So you may be asking why I am doing this event. Well I decided that it would be a good way to get my name out there and advertise my upcoming shows. I don't expect many sales, if any, from this event but if I get a few fans from this, I will be happy. If I get a few people to take my postcards and look me up online, I'm happy. If a few people then decide to show up to the gallery opening next week or my open studios, I'm happy. Being an artist isn't only about painting and selling artwork. I understand that you need to market yourself and advertise in order to be successful. I figured this event was a good way to network and advertise in an unfamiliar setting for me. Plus, I am in a giant hanger at a NASA research center! How cool is that? I know by the end of this that a few more people will know my name and are a bit more familiar with my work. I'm building a name for myself and sometimes that means two days of handing out postcards and answering questions at a festival.