Sheep Incognito Blog

Ha - what a weekend that Bowie Old Farm Reunion turned out to be...for the record, we were told to expect around 5000 visitors to the show and to be set up by noon on Friday, because that's when the people start showing up.

So in the sweltering heat of an early South Carolina summer (read: muggy, hot, and buggy) we set up our tent in the front yard of the Bowie Farm Barn (the organizers were nowhere to be found, and nobody had seen them at all).

Our first visiors walked up to us around 3pm - a very nice couple with their daughter. The next visitor showed up around 4:45, a very kind lady there to see the sights of all the Farm festival had to offer.

So the grand total in visitors to that part of the show: 4

Not 5000, not 500, not 50, not 5 - just 4.

Here a few pics of our team on Friday - my Mother and my two younger daughters keeping themselves busy with felting, carding and eating (along with some griping about the heat, the boredom, and life in general - but that was to be expected)

 

 

It being a three day show, and us being the well-raised people we are, Mom and I both decided to give Saturday a shot - even though the heat was even worse than the day before. We drove over to the farm - but after seeing the whole food court empty of any sort of visitors at 12:30, we decided to put our life-time to better use, and go back home to the air-conditioned comfort of Mom's house to spin and have some coffee. Much better.

In the studio, things have been rolling along at a summerly pace - I finally got to deliver 10 large giclée prints to the Columbia Children's Hospital where they will be bringing some smiles to the parents in the Neonatal Unit sometime soon.

I was also able to do something I had been contemplating over the past year  - to give my koi painting "Into the Light" a twist of sheep to bring it into my current line of work. So the sheep has taken a dive into the realm of the fish for an "In-Depth Conversation" (and even wore his flippers for the occasion!).

The other piece I've been working on are the Fluff and Stuff fellows - the background had really thrown me for a loop with the awful green in it, but it works really well for giving some light to the dark background now.  The Bunny has grown some fluff, the goat some curls and the sheep is slowly stepping into the light a bit more.

Unfortunately I don't think it will be done on time for the Tampa Convergence 2008 in two weeks, but maybe I can somehow take it along and finish it on the road somehow.  Ah well, it was worth a shot anyway...

Another piece I've started is a large one - another of the Slightly Political series of my sheep. Something about civil liberties, scare tactics, etc. 

So next week takes us over to the coast to the Outer Banks, the Whalehead Club Art Show - a beautiful spot at the water. From there, we travel down to Orlando for some much needed family time at the Mouse's House , and from there we're off to Tampa for the Convergence conference, after which the girls and I get to stay a few days longer for some beach/Disney/hanging out time. Just a shortish break between the busy schedule coming our way for the fall season.

Other than that - it's been quiet, peaceful as can be (that means, as it can be with three kids on vacation and limited computer time), and rather relaxing not having to dance to the tune of the art show schedule.

The best part is getting to just paint when the mood is right, and drop the brush when inspiration makes a run for it...