To the State Fair with Hardy and Jeff

Hardy and I met Jeff from ModernDallasWeekly yesterday at the State Fair for a tour of the sculpture garden. He's great and Hardy is going to do a piece or two for him. Jeff and Hardy may cook something up together. They are both creative and would do cool things together. Hardy took this picture of Jeff and me.

Then Hardy and I went to see Melanie. She gave Hardy his gold pass and me some tickets. I've given out so many to Call To Artists folks, I had none for my customers. I'm hoping next year to get more Call to Artists, but the ones like Sharon at ArtGroupsDFW have been very good to me with this show and others.

Several artists called or emailed me that the bottom sign on my totem fell out and I needed to go out and glue it in. I of course forgot, but guess what? Someone had popped it back in. Thank you, whoever you are.

Even with really humid weather and raindrops, I must say the sculptures looked terrific in the landscaped gardens and totem garden. And again, I can't get over how respectful the Fairgoers are of the pieces. Amazing. I'm just swimming in the good will of all this. Life is highs and lows, enjoy the sweet times.

Rainy Day at the State Fair

Pictures are of Cynthia's flamingo, Marty's totem and suppose to be Barbara's big ball. For some reason the second picture I choose for the blog is not getting on right. I love the swan in the background with Cynthia's flamingo. When the light is right the pieces of glass on the flamingo's neck sparkle like you can't believe. I find something new each time I examine Marty's totem. I think it speaks of calm.

Today is a rain day at the State Fair. I'm meeting someone out there at 3:00 so maybe the rain will pause for a moment. We're receiving a nice slow gentle rain and certainly need it. May it continue a while. I'll bring my camera and maybe catch drops of water on some of the sculpture pieces.

Over the weekend I made some pieces for the White Rock Lake Artists Studio Tour which will be Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19. They are stands to put a stem glass in. My idea keeping track of rain. I'd put one out right now to catch rain, but I want to see about powder coating them in wild colors. They will stay clean in my studio till then. Glad I welded Saturday and Sunday since it's very hard for me to weld in the rain. This rain will give me a chance to sit indoors today and get my list of friends who are helping me with the tour together. I want them to only be here a couple of hours so they can go out and enjoy the tour.

First Sale - CONGRATULATIONS JAY

CONGRATULATIONS JAY. Our first sale is Jay's bells. We're all happy and excited for him. May there be many more!

More State Fair sculpture pictures

More State Fair photos. Let's begin with Richard's blue totem tribute to his rooster Rudy, really a great piece. Then Staci's mosaic's flamingo in a shell. You have to get very close to her piece and see all the interesting little pieces she's mosaiced with. I see something new each time. Last is Tanya's totem. Bob and I were at the garden the other night and we happen to walk in front of her piece. There was a street light behind it making the face shine. Went to the Fair with the Forest Hills Garden Club Thursday. Saw the face on Tanya's piece with the sun behind it making it shine on it's own. Too cool. Dolores, a landscape designer, was impressed with the show as were the garden girls.

There was a lady weeding a landscape bed while we critiqued it. Oops! We were going on about how some plants should have been planted in the shade and other little comments. If there was an academy award for saying the wrong thing when the person is standing right behind you - I'd be the yearly winner. And what do I know about what plants to plant when or how?

Oh, but mosaics I do know a little about. When Bob and I went out to walk with BlackJack this morning we noticed a bunch of boxes on the curb by the newest closest McMansion to us. When we walk in the mornings I always make disparaging remarks about that house. Anyway, in the boxes were plates - colored plates, not just white plates they'd thrown out. Cool for mosaics. Then they threw out some bowls, great for mixing thinset and grout. Jackpot! I might have to quit grumping about that McMansion. NOT! Darling Bob carried most of the stuff home while 65 pounds of BlackJack was staining at the leash he was holding. So nice to be married to someone who'd not embarrassed I'm a curb shopper.

Hardy's State Fair installation photos

Professional photographer, videographer, seriously creative person and Bob's and my dear friend came out and took pictures of the State Fair of Texas Fabulous Outdoor Sculpture Show installation.  He just sent me 3 pictures and is going to put the rest on a disk.  What a guy.  Maybe he will put part of the video on my blog and even u-tube.  Have I ever looked grubbier than I did that night?  Yeah, maybe when I was cutting slate out front for my sidewalk and the slate turns to mud when you use the saw.  Then I turned to mud.  But I digress - don't I always?  As soon as I get Hardy's disk I'll start posting his pictures, too.  Here's the 3 he sent.  Tho the pictures are great they really can't capture how much fun, how much energy and what a really incredible night it was.  To all of you who were there, I'll never forget it and hope it was special for you, too.

First picture is Virginia and her darling husband, Jim.  Good thing Jim's brother wasn't in the picture.  I would not have been able to tell them apart in a picture.  Guess I would have said, Virginia, Jim and the brother.  Next is Vet working on Baby Orca.  This is such a great piece, so inventive and Vet's great.  Virginia and I are thinking of taking her purse making class.  Third picture is Marty in the middle and I don't have a clue who's back of heads we're looking at.  Whoever you are - you're just unrecognizable from the back, sorry.  Does Marty look ready for action or what?  

Today I had lunch with My Darling Martha Dawn in old town Carrollton.  We walked around some shops and I bought Marty's Richard a little tiny teeny rooster at an antique shop.  They had several farm animals.  The odd part is I collected these little tiny teeny animals as a kid.  Don't have a clue whatever happened to them.  I'll be afraid to put the rooster in Richard's big hand.  It will get lost.  But his Rudy's Totem is so special, he needed another rooster.

Come out to the Fair and see the Totem Garden and the Sculpture Garden along the walk.

New photos of State Fair Totems

The State Fair of Texas is open and the Sculpture/Totem Show is spectacular if I do say so myself.  Here's pictures of a few pieces.  Delbert's "Eye Can", Jay's very tall totem with farm implements, Gary's wonderful pottery totem, and Dan's incredible piece.  All have names, but I'm having a senior moment and can only remember Delbert's right now.  I'll post more pictures every day. 

We ended up with 45 artists bringing 56 pieces.  I've been to the Fair every day for a few minutes and I'm impressed with the Fair guests who are very respectful of the art.  Yesterday when I went out there was a girl pretending to play one of the guitars on my totem while a friend took a picture of her.  I almost asked for a copy, because of course Miss "Flash" didn't have her camera.  

I still can't get over how much fun installation was and the high energy and good times we had.  Can't imagine being able to repeat that one.  Of course, there were a few artists who knew they were special and had to KEEP asking for special considerations.  So, in the words of Sarah Palen, the pitt bull in lipstick did her best for the good of the show and ALL the artists.  Do I sound like I'm venting?  

Saturday I went to the Bath House where the White Rock Lake Studio Artists Tour artists were working on their mailing lists.  I didn't bring my list of 6 people, could mail them from home.  Marty Ruiz  was there and he told me he wants to do a totem next year.  I think "if" we do this next year I won't have any problems getting friends to respond to my call to artists.   

To all the artists - you've created an incredible show.  THANK YOU SO MUCH

Keep up with this blog for more great pictures.  

Lottie

State Fair of Texas Artists are installed

Cissy sent this phono of installation at the Fair.  Hardy took a bunch, but I don't have them yet.  He also brought his video camera.  We will be on utube soon.  The installation was terrific.  Everyone was glad to see each other, so complimentary of each other's work.  Everyone helped everyone else install and that wasn't always easy.  We had fork lifts, but no crew.  There was so much great energy.  Can't wait for you to see the great pictures.