Art-A-Fair Arroyo Landscape

"Arroyo Landscape"
oil on panel, 2015
6" x 8" (15.24cm x 20.32cm)

Art-A-Fair is underway now with this being the first weekend. The grounds look spectacular thanks to the volunteer staff that put a lot of work into every detail. There are countless other jobs we don't see, like promotion and administrative, done by the volunteers that go back months, long before we exhibiting artists show up.
So thanks to all!

Here is one of my new paintings currently hanging on my wall.

While researching an illustration for a magazine I visited this arroyo at the northern rural end of the Santa Ana River in San Bernardino California. Down in the arroyo it is like being in another place.
In our otherwise dry savanna climate it feels like an oasis teaming with a variety of lush green trees, vegetation and wildlife year round.304

Art-A-Fair Premiere Night

Wednesday was Art-A-Fair's Premiere Night. There were a lot of people in attendance and excitement in the air.
Several friends stopped by my booth to say hello, see my work and give me their best wishes.
One of them was Terry DiLisi pictured here with me and talking with my sister Jennifer.
Two of my paintings sold to another friend, artist Wendy Wirth and her husband. Thank you Wendy and Scott!
Wendy is one of the featured artists across the street at Festival of the Arts. My best wishes for many sales go out to Wendy!

Today is the grand Public Opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:00 am.

Art-A-Fair Ready

Here is the final hang for my booth at Art-A-fair.

Tonight we enjoyed a delicious Artists Appreciation Dinner compliments of the generous owner June Neptune of Tivoli Too restaurant.

Thank you June!

Tivoli Too is on the Art-A-Fair grounds so after dinner we artists got to walk around, get to know each other, visit booths and talk art without any crowds. Very pleasurable relaxing night and with this being my first year I was happy to meet many of the other artists.

Ready for opening!

Art-A-Fair Hanging and More Hustle and Bustle

It was another busy day at Art-A-Fair. Everyone was rushing around like ants after a good rain installing art and finishing their booths.

Here are some pics as we were hanging my paintings, a job that always takes longer than planned doesn't it?
Second photo down is my sister Jennifer who is an Interior Designer and brings her own expertise to the hanging, the layout and colors here, the framing, and too many other tasks to mention. The ones we artists don't like doing! She will also be sitting in my booth for much of the fair when I am not there.
Jennifer also designed my Avid Art logo, my promotional material, new business cards, postcards, letterhead etc. Without her I would not have the high level of professionalism in everything beyond the  paintings.
So a big thank you Jennifer!

The third photo down you can see Amanda Fish in the background. She is the friend who encouraged me to enter this years Art-A-Fair after visiting her booth in 2014.
We have our booth's just around the corner from each other which is really cool.

There are a couple of new landscape paintings to hang in the lower right after I pick them up from the framer in the morning. We still have to hang the title/price labels and have just a couple little details to do but other than that my booth is ready for the opening!
Whew! So much work! But really satisfying as we near the grand opening!
Then... maybe I will have, no... schedule, some time for sleep!

Art-A-Fair Booth Final Touches

Today Art-A-Fair was a beehive of activity. I think everyone was there, with their helpers, finalizing their booths, installing art now that there is 24 hour security on site. This was after our final training meetings.

Here are a couple more pics from yesterday of the type logo going up and 2 from today after adding lights and a baseboard.
Back tomorrow to hang paintings! Still seems like there are a ton of little details to take care of! Because  there is!
Gotta go, back to the easel! Still have some paintings in progress!

I'll post some pics of my finished booth tomorrow eve.

My Art-A-Fair Booth

Today I was down at Art-A-Fair painting and preparing my booth for next weeks opening night.

Here are some pics of me painting the wall and logo stripes and applying the logo type.

Although I have been frantically painting in the studio, sending paintings off to the framer and doing all the other countless tasks, excited about the summer festival, it now feels real. Seeing it all come together always makes the difference. Up to this point all the planning, meetings and talk has been on paper or in my mind.

Now I can see it in the flesh!

Stay tuned for more...

Art-A-Fair Sneak Peak PHL 67 First Rain

"PHL 67 First Rain"
oil on panel, 2015
5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)

It's nearly here!
As the curtain is about to be raised at Art-A-Fair I will be leaving San Pedro and rolling into Laguna Beach with a load of cargo... my paintings! ; )

Art-A-Fair opens in one week, opening night is Friday June 26th.
Here's a little sneak peak of one of my paintings in the show.

I do love to paint weather and despite another year of almost zero rain here in So Cal I show the 67 from my Pacific Harbor Line series with a rain cloud behind it rolling across the same street as this one here, but coming from the other direction.

If you follow my blog you know there has also been a drought of postings due to all the work it took to ready for this show (and other projects) Well, the drought is over so stay tuned as I will be posting more now that the show is beginning... 303