New extra-large cottonwood carving completed!!

The piece is about 41 inches long and will debut at my show in Toledo in August..

Goals..

My next art show is in August. So I have about 2 months to get caught up on all the projects I planned to get done for my June show but didn't quite make it...

I need to get a large, eye-catching cottonwood piece finished. Right now I have a handful of medium-large pieces in the $100-$200 range, but I need a BIG piece that stands out from a distance in the $300-$500 price range. I had two pieces like that last year, but I sold both of them- one in the spring and one at my last show of the year (not that I am complaining about that at all!!) I am working on a piece right now, maybe 3.5-4' long, and I am about 3/4 done with it- just needs refinement on a couple of the faces and beards. Since I can only conveniently work on pieces that size outside (too much mess for the house) I am a little dependent on nice weather to get stuff done, but I should be able to finish it in time.

I would like to have my Point Reyes trees silhouette piece done by then too. It is different enough from most of my existing work that I think it will also be an eye-catcher.. It is taking me a bit longer since it is a different style of cutting and I can't just turn my brain off while I work on it like I can with a lot of my others.. ;)

Contemplation and Stargazer- the two patterns I just designed at the last art show. These will make a great set- I should be able to have them cut in time with no problems- painting the backgrounds and picking the right mats and frames might take a bit longer.

I need to re-cut the next edition of 5 of the pieces I sold at last weekend's art show- 2 Boston Terriers, a Lab, a Border Terrier, and a squirrel. For the two Bostons and the squirrel, this will be their final (3/3) edition. I always love seeing that, since A) it means people really like the pattern, and B) discontinuing a pattern gives me an excuse to go out to take more photos to design a new pattern of that subject (like I need the excuse!) :)

I really need to design another stylized tree- I keep selling the ones I have made almost the minute I put them up on the wall. First 'Sapling', then 'Summer Tree'. I have a winter-y gnarled tree piece- 'November'- that I have cut and need to get a background painted, but I don't know if that will attract the same interest that the cheerful leafy trees do- time will tell..

Once we get a decent temperature weekend day, I need to set up my entire booth in the back yard so I can get new photos taken for a new booth slide. My inventory has changed drastically enough that my old booth slide just isn't really appropriate any more. Technically, I could do it on an 85 degree day, but setup is miserable enough when the weather is decent and I am not in THAT big of a rush. As long as I get the pics ready by early October, I should be alright.

I am trying to design a 2-ft x 4-ft vinyl banner for my booth, since even with all the signs I have up everywhere, a lot of people walking around at my art shows seem to keep missing that my work is A) CUT PAPER, not pen and ink, and B) cut by hand, not laser. I figure a GIANT sign may get that point across? If not, no ideas what else I can do on this one!!! Maybe hire a barker to call out to passers-by? Probably against the rules at most art shows.. ;)

Wow, the list just gets longer every time I think about it! Hopefully I can get done everything that needs to get done by August!

Final edition- Boston Terrier

Just finished cutting and matting the final edition of one of my Boston Terrier patterns. I had sold one piece from this pattern already, and the second sold at my art show this past weekend. So this is the last one before the pattern is discontinued!

Serial: P50
Size: 8X10
Edition: 3/3
Price: $45

Big sale!!

For all my cottonwood bark carving collectors...
I am reducing prices on a bunch of my older work to lighten up the box I use to lug my pieces to shows (having to compact my inventory for my first "out-of-town" show in August..). So I am having a big sale on Etsy- older cottonwood pieces for $20-$30. I got 10 of them up online tonight, will try to get another 5-10 up by the end of the weekend. Never too early to shop for Christmas presents!!! ;)

Check out my Etsy site for all the great deals!

Rare dog breeds

One of the things I love about the Westlake art shows is the fact that Crocker Park is dog-friendly (though they are probably not allowed in the stores). There are always a ton of people walking their pups through the streets the whole weekend, so I can distract myself with dog-watching when the days get slow. Also there seem to be a lot of people that have uncommon breeds. The first Ibizan Hound owner I ever met outside a dog show (and probably the first person I had met outside a dog show that even knew what an Ibizan hound WAS!) was at CP a couple years ago. Same with Clumber spaniels... Since I am a dog-breed nut, it makes for fun conversations, and even more when I can surprise people by being familiar with their dog's breed, or even better, having a papercutting of one! Many of my rare breed cuttings will sit in my inventory for years, but it is worth it when you see someones eyes light up because they finally found somebody who has a representation of their dog!!

This weekend was no exception. I had a lady with Border Terriers end up picking up the first edition of my new Border Terrier pattern. I also had two sets of people asking me about Finnish Spitz- I have a pattern for that breed, but unfortunately do not have it cut yet. I had a pair of Briard owners come by- and that unfortunately I did not have at all yet. I promised them I would do my best for next year though- I think I have some Briard photos sitting around from a dog show a couple years back... Finally, there was a gentleman walking a Coton de Tulear, which I don't have either (maybe since I have only seen two ever anywhere, so getting pics is problematic). But he was just dog walking and wasn't looking at the art, so I supposed it is just as well.. ;)

New patterns- 'Contemplation' and 'Stargazer'

I ended up with some spare time while I was working the Crocker Park art fair this weekend, so I got designs sketched up for two new pieces while I was sitting there. This is a bit of a different style for me, definitely a departure even from my current sketched pattern line of papercuttings. They are both stylized women with flowing hair- I plan to call them 'Stargazer' and 'Contemplation'. I'll let you guess which is which.. ;)

I hope to have these cut, backgrounds painted, and matted and framed as a set by my August show in Toledo..

First cut- new Sphynx cat pattern

Set up!

Finished setup- took about 3.5 hours this time. Either I am out of practice or getting old.. :)
Here is the setup mostly complete with a couple holes in the display- I didn't want to hang some of my biggest pieces overnight since there is a possibility of storms..

Loaded up and ready!!

I finally broke down and got a new car last December, since my old Rav was at and beyond comfortable capacity when loaded up with my full display and inventory (including tent and sandbags). I ended up getting a Honda Element since it seems to be the only small-to-midsized SUV on the market anymore where the back seats can actually be removed. And I really, REALLY need all the space possible.. plus it had the largest cargo capacity of anything in its size and price range. I also bought a couple more Propanels in Feb or March since I had been getting by with a 'partial' display of 7 panels, and I wanted the full 10 for complete booth coverage and more stability.

My first show of the year is coming up this Saturday and Sunday at Crocker Park in Westlake, so for the first time I got to try to load all my art-show stuff into the Element, including the new panels and all the tent parts. And miraculously, it all fit!!!! Pretty tight squeeze, but there is a little bit of space between roof and stacks-o-stuff, so....





Of course, when I get to the show grounds I will probably discover I have forgotten something essential, but at least for now I am a happy camper.. :)

'Windswept'

"Windswept"- original design abstract papercutting, backed with hand-painted original watercolor painting. Framed 8"x10". Edition: 1/1. $85

First cut- new Cockatoo pattern