Rockstar or Artist. Hmm.

When I was in my early 20's,  having a few beers with my friend Randy Cox, and singing to Eddie Money, I knew that I wanted to be a rock star or an artist.  Randy told me that I didn't have any hope of being either, so I became a lineman.  Heck with peer pressure, beer and rock music makes the artist come out in all of us.  It's amazing to be blessed with so many good things and friends in life and enjoying this journey with my great family and good friends!  The above picture is of me driving in the early morning across New Mexico.  Below is a shot of my good friend Bill Woods taking a much needed nap along the road.  I believe that this was somewhere driving from New Orleans to Santa Fe.  We started that day in Daphne, Alabama and had a brief stop in New Orleans for breakfast, and then drove straight through to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Oh, the glamorous life of an artist!

As we move into 2011 I'm thankful for a number of things.  My family and I are healthy, we're all eating, and we're all pursuing our dreams in a fashion that suits us for this moment in time.  I'm grateful once again to be able to make my living as an artist, and I'm getting ready really hit the show road!  Once again, my good friend Bill Woods is joining me for a traveling east to west again.  But before that trip, I'll be doing a number of shows in Georgia, Ohio, and Michigan before heading west around June 16th.  Visit our website at www.cliftonmetalworks.com and click on the show schedule link to see where we're going to be.

See you soon,
Joe

Another One Bites the Dust

I just walked in the door from the Englewood Fine Art Show in lovely downtown Englewood, Florida.  The weather was great and I came home with more money than I left with, so that's always a good way to end the show!  Also, it's around 30 minutes from home so I get to sleep in my own bed.  Another bonus.

The crowd was heavy on Saturday but sales were so so.  Actually, they were terrible, but as part of my new Florida revamp, I was committed to continue with my new madness.  This deserves some explanation.  Over the past year, I've been failing miserably in this market.  I was so used to being successful on the west coast, I just assumed that I would do the same here.  Can you say a big NO!  Anyway, I'm only going with the higher end work and leaving my normal slamming line home.  The results have been better but not great.  I've been able to make money at every show; it may not be a lot, but it is making money.  Nice.

 The local rotary club puts this event on and they do a great job.  They are organized, provide free beer and snacks on Saturday night, and bring in a decent crowd.  They estimated 5K on Saturday and I believe they were correct, and I'd say that there were probably around 3K today.  I believe they also spoke to the weather gods because we had a blue skies and around 85 degrees both days. It's why we're in Florida.

It's shaping up to be a very busy year for us.  We have another four shows in Florida in April, and then it's time to head north.  Our website is up to date, and we'll be adding a number of shows as we hear back from them.  See you in Florida or on the road!

Workin For A Livin'

Life is never boring for the us artist folks, especially those of us that do one-of-a-kind work.  It's either creating new work or even a new line, completing a commission from the gallery, reading endless articles to try and find that next great art show, maintenance on the truck or trailer, or doing some work around our house.  Truth is that I have a great life and I'm the luckiest guy in the world!

It's been slamming this winter at our gallery in Florida, and I'm getting ready for this summer's shows.  Looks like we'll be doing a lot in the upper midwest.  Check our website at www.cliftonmetalworks.com and click on the link for the show schedule.  Everything is current and there are a number of tentative dates and will be for the next few months while we wait to here back from shows and their decision on who gets in.

Back to the work.  Mackie and I have our gallery in Punta Gorda, Florida, and tourist season in full swing in southern Florida.  And, I'm doing an average of two art shows a month.  Eash.  Who the heck set this schedule?  If I find that person I'll...Ok lets go on.  You get the general idea.  The point is that you can be successful with your craft.  It's no quick rich scheme, but you can live comfortably if you're willing to put forth the effort.  Keep positive, get yourself around positive and creative people, and network.  Check out www.artfairinsiders.com for some great folks and good information.

The moral of today's story is to keep creating art and doing what you love!

Show Schedule

Woo Hoo!  We're starting to look at a full summer!  So let's talk about it.

Good news today.  We got into both the Crocker Park Art Show in Westlake, Ohio, and the Clay, Glass, and Metal Show in Royal Oak, Michigan.  Both shows are on June 11 and 12, 2011.  Looks like Mackie will be in one place and I'll be in the other.  They are both great shows and we're fortunate to get into both of them.http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5287328090413027986

Crocker Park (a Cleveland, Ohio suburb) is managed by the Michigan Guild and their website is at www.theguild.org/artfairs.html .  These are the folks that put on one of the fine Ann Arbor Art Shows in July.  Some of the finest artists in America exhibit at their shows. 

The Royal Oak Clay, Glass, and Art Show (www.royaloakchamber.com/clay_glass.htm) is another great show that features artists focused on just those three mediums.  The show is in Royal Oak, Michigan near Detroit.  Again, competition is pretty high for this event and I'm looking forward to being their.  Here's some examples of the quality here.  www.royaloakchamber.com/PDFs/2010 CGM Atists.pdf

Palm Trees

Living in Florida has advantages and disadvantages depending on one's point of view.  Earlier today, I worked in the shop and then headed off to a neighbor's home to dig up a free palm tree.  This was a Sago Palm that was about five feet tall and really nice. Free is a really good price but there's always a cost.  If not money then back pain.

John, one of my other neighbors, has lived here for 20 some years and thought that we could get it down in about an hour.  About three hours later we got the little fella out of the ground at Donna's house and into the ground at our house.  If it wasn't dark, I would have taken a photo.  But it's priceless!

Moo Cow!

Lots of folks started calling this week for some custom work.  I took an order for the cow below, a large Jobot that's going to Maryland, a three foot long dragonfly sculpture for a local family, and I'm meeting a new friend to plan out building two Jobot lamps.  "I didn't know you make lamps", you say.  Heck, I can make anything.  All I need is some inspiration. 

I'll start posting some additional pictures and update the website in the next few days. 

Giving Back - Mentoring to High School Students

This is the one day that I don't get to go to the shop but instead donate my time to a group of high school students that are building a robot to enter the First Robotics Competion www.usfirst.org .  The organization was founded by Dean Kamen, the guy who invented the Segway, to get kids excited about math, science, and engineering. 

My role involves being a cheer leader and providing advice on construction, engineering, and Jack-of-all-trades know all that I've been able to store over the past half century.  The kids bring enthusiasm and the knuckle twisting skills to build these things. 

The group is doing pretty good, but we're having some trouble with the TI Jaguar controller.  Yeah.  Too much for too many of the artists in us.  But if someone has some experience with these, just drop me a line.