| 24 October, 2011 15:41
Cow Girl Riding 9" x 12" Oil on canvas
Shelly and I were in Bluffton, Sc this past weekend for our 3rd year in the Bluffton Seafood Festival and Fine Art show. It is always a great show for me and this year was no different. For some reason I have never had any problem with accidents and my tent at any show but this one.
Three years ago my first year the show started at 9:00am and I was actually in my tent making a sale when my awning was hit by a photographer running late driving his van into the show. This was a big huge ruckus and knocked art off the walls bent poles made a big mess. I must admit the photographer and I are now friends he is a great guy. So that is old news
Well this year we leave on Sat night after having a good day. I made sure everything was secure like always. I have basically a corner spot in this show every year and I am able to leave my trailer in an abanned lot next to my booth. This is a huge advantage when leaving. So there is a big open space between me and my neighbor on both sides of the booth perfect for display and spreading out. Well cops supposedly patrol the streets at night. I know this because we arrived at 10:00pm on Fri night and I wanted to leave my trailer there but the cop was blocking the entrance. When I asked him if I could pull in the road to leave my trailer he said that I would have to walk down the street about a mile to where the night shift officer was.
Could he radio the officer no because he was playing on the computer probably watching porn because he closed the laptop down quickly when I walked up to the car. Little did he know I saw the monitor briefly before he closed it. Another story. Ok what happened? Well some how on Sat night while the security was fast asleep my tent was hit by either a car, golf cart, or drunk. I know this because the walls were buckled art was on the ground and the entire tent was moved like 12" over at an angle.
So Shelly went to report the problem only to have another cop tell her to walk down about a mile to the "command station" and file a report. Ok this causes two problems one the stupid cops ride these Segway things and two the show started in about 15 min and I had a destroyed booth.
Well lazy cop got an earful from the lawyer who brings the New York out when she gets mad. So said cop radioed down to "command central", like we are in a war zone or something to get the cop to ride his Segway thing up to investigate. Well I am trying to rebuild with the help of my photographer friend while the cop on the Segway arrives.
"Command Central" did not want us artist to know that vandals had struck on their watch. Turns out that another artist also had some damage not as bad as me but still bad. Here is the reason I am mad, the show is on one long street that is all just 90 booths long on both sides so that is like 45 booths lined up on each side of the road. Not a lot to watch after. The street is closed to vehicles so why did the cops not see a vehicle in the middle of the night? No hard to miss no street lights, no bad weather actually nice weather and one street to watch how hard could it be?
This leads to only one conclusion it was either the donuts, sleep or internet porn that is the only reason someone was able to get in and smash a car or golf cart into my tent.
Michael Lee
Oil Paintings, Mixed Media Paintings
Michael Lee A Day In The Life Of A Fine Artist
My plan is for this blog to let you the readers experience my life as it really is. I will admit I am living my dream but it is not always fun and games like some of my friends think it is. It is actually hard work being a fine artist, I paint everyday which means I have to come up with an idea to paint each day. Not as easy as it may sound. Art shows are fun but setting up in the heat, rain, and wind is not my idea of a good time. Sometimes the stars are aligned just right and I make some good money but that is certainly not the norm.
I do love this life and I would never trade it in to be in marketing and advertising ever again or any part of Corporate America for that matter. I like swimming and I love water but I do not like swimming with sharks and that is my opinion of Corporate America. I am an artist and I fit in much better with a group of artist then I do with a bunch of people who use others as ladder rungs as they try and climb to the top of the corporate world.
With that said please join me as I blog about my life as an artist, somedays will seem like I am living on a cloud other days I will tell the hard truth and dispel the myth that my live is just a fantasy as some of my friends think it is.
Cops like donuts but hate taking orders
| 24 October, 2011 15:41
Cow Girl Riding 9" x 12" Oil on canvas
Shelly and I were in Bluffton, Sc this past weekend for our 3rd year in the Bluffton Seafood Festival and Fine Art show. It is always a great show for me and this year was no different. For some reason I have never had any problem with accidents and my tent at any show but this one.
Three years ago my first year the show started at 9:00am and I was actually in my tent making a sale when my awning was hit by a photographer running late driving his van into the show. This was a big huge ruckus and knocked art off the walls bent poles made a big mess. I must admit the photographer and I are now friends he is a great guy. So that is old news
Well this year we leave on Sat night after having a good day. I made sure everything was secure like always. I have basically a corner spot in this show every year and I am able to leave my trailer in an abanned lot next to my booth. This is a huge advantage when leaving. So there is a big open space between me and my neighbor on both sides of the booth perfect for display and spreading out. Well cops supposedly patrol the streets at night. I know this because we arrived at 10:00pm on Fri night and I wanted to leave my trailer there but the cop was blocking the entrance. When I asked him if I could pull in the road to leave my trailer he said that I would have to walk down the street about a mile to where the night shift officer was.
Could he radio the officer no because he was playing on the computer probably watching porn because he closed the laptop down quickly when I walked up to the car. Little did he know I saw the monitor briefly before he closed it. Another story. Ok what happened? Well some how on Sat night while the security was fast asleep my tent was hit by either a car, golf cart, or drunk. I know this because the walls were buckled art was on the ground and the entire tent was moved like 12" over at an angle.
So Shelly went to report the problem only to have another cop tell her to walk down about a mile to the "command station" and file a report. Ok this causes two problems one the stupid cops ride these Segway things and two the show started in about 15 min and I had a destroyed booth.
Well lazy cop got an earful from the lawyer who brings the New York out when she gets mad. So said cop radioed down to "command central", like we are in a war zone or something to get the cop to ride his Segway thing up to investigate. Well I am trying to rebuild with the help of my photographer friend while the cop on the Segway arrives.
"Command Central" did not want us artist to know that vandals had struck on their watch. Turns out that another artist also had some damage not as bad as me but still bad. Here is the reason I am mad, the show is on one long street that is all just 90 booths long on both sides so that is like 45 booths lined up on each side of the road. Not a lot to watch after. The street is closed to vehicles so why did the cops not see a vehicle in the middle of the night? No hard to miss no street lights, no bad weather actually nice weather and one street to watch how hard could it be?
This leads to only one conclusion it was either the donuts, sleep or internet porn that is the only reason someone was able to get in and smash a car or golf cart into my tent.
artspan is contemporary art