Scrap Yards and Other Such Novelties

Here's the answer to a question that I hear at every show. “Do you just find the stuff that you work with on the road?” I go into the explanation but I find that a photo is really worth a thousand words. Here's some photos of a tractor graveyard that my brother tracked down in Ohio. 

What's trash to some is creative opportunity around every corner.  Tractors, plows, discs, gears, bearings, and bolts - oh my!  This is an incredible treasure trove of antique and modern farm equipment.  Fortunately for me, much of it is perfect for sculptures.

 I had my brother packing parts all over the place; hey I bought him a drink at the local Subway.  It's amazing how they've sprung up all over rural America. 

More great stuff! We filled up the back of my Dodge pick up, and I'm back in Florida cutting, grinding, and welding these parts into new sculptures that I'll have at the next three shows: the Troy Strawberry Festival in Troy, Ohio; the Glass, Clay, and Metal show in Royal Oak, Michigan; and the Recycled Arts Festival in Vancouver, Washington.

See you soon!
Joe

Delaware, Ohio Fine Arts Festival

It was a fun-filled weekend during my first Ohio art show and fortunately it turned out well.  My brother and one of my nephews rodied for me, but the weather was nasty. 

Delaware is about 15 miles north of Columbus and is one of those Ohio towns like so many others that I've ran across over the many times I've visited here - except with life.  There are numerous brick buildings from days gone by in need of love and repair.  They line the main highways and main street with windows lined with shadows.  There are no lights with window shades long gone, and no one seems to know these buildings or even towns still exist.

Delaware is different in that the local folks have put time and energy into rebuilding their downtown.  Many buildings have some professional businesses, and there are some retail spaces too.  There's a large volunteer force that's working hard to bring new life to the downtown area including sponsoring the town's annual art and craft show, and what a great job they do in putting on this event. 

The art is good to very good without any buy and sell!  Now that's one incredible accomplishment in itself, but they are also great at bringing in a knowledgeable art buying crowd in spite. of the challenging weather.  Freezing cold and it rained like cats and dogs - horizontally with the wind howling.  The place emptied out like fast, but folks did venture out after the downpour, but it kept coming back and back.  Sunday was much the same weather without the wind this time, but the sun started shining when they brought me an award ribbon for my art along with a check.  It's great to be recognized four times this past year for my work.  It's been a long road and a long time coming, and  it's going to continue for another lifetime. 

I'll be in East Lansing, Michigan at Michigan State University this weekend at their annual art and craft show.  Stop by and say hi if you're in the area.  Check out our show schedule on our website at www.cliftonmetalworks.com.  The links are on the left.

Joe

Planning for Shows

Some artists want the world to acknowledge their great work; some artists just dream about displaying their work somewhere and maybe sell a few pieces; and their are some of us that are serious not only about making great art, but are willing to put the time in to sell it.  Our challenge is to find the best venues so that we may share our vision with those that are willing to make an investment for us so we can continue down our journey.



Planning for shows seems to be a daily chore.  It's funny when people ask me a shows, "do you just show up for this and sell what you have"?  I explain the process and most are pretty stunned at our process of paying money to apply, and get rejected by many, and then pay more money to exhibit.  I can see the delusions of grandeur disappear the more information that I share with them.  "It's all about the lifestyle", I explain to them. It's easy to understand why they have such a hard time with it.



Being an artist may be one of the last professions that allows one to be truly free with endless opportunities available to all depending on how hare one wants to work.  Be smart and work hard and the rewards are there. Pay attention to what people will spend their hard earned money on, and how much they will spend on it. Being an artist is as much about psychology as it is about making art.

Work, Work, Work

Logistics, logistics, logistics.  This is shaping up to be one of our busiest summers ever, at least the most traveled.  As you've seen in the earlier post, we'll be traveling in Ohio, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, and California through August.  Lots of miles :)  Then it's back to Florida to get ready for the next round.  This fall you'll find us in Washington, Utah, Colorado, and ending in Arizona before heading back to Florida.

The picture above is new work based on refrigerant tanks.  These pink and green tanks hold chemicals that are used in air conditioning systems and are strewn all around Florida.  I pick them up on a daily basis and they've served as the base for new animal planters,  pink pigs, and the chicken that you see in the above photo.  I'm blessed that recycled materials choose me to work with.  They offer endless opportunities to come up with incredible ideas.  Who knows what will turn up at shows this summer!

Please check the show schedule often as changes will be posting fast. 

Crack-a-lackin

I have no idea when I started saying this, but it's the one word that describes my life and my work ethic.  No matter what I've done, I've given it my all and succeeded.  And, so it goes with art.  This is my life and I could imagine doing anything else.  It's an incredible feeling when someone walks into our booth and smiles.  Even better when they purchase a piece because, they'll be able to enjoy it every day for the rest of their lives.  And, they'll be able to pass it down to their children for them to enjoy.

North and south and then east and west, Mackie and I travel the country to bring our love for our work to share with art lovers across the country. Our upcoming show schedule for this summer is listed below.  Mackie and I look forward to visiting with you and sharing our work.  Stop by and say Hi.

May 14 and 15, 2011	Delaware Art and Craft Show	Delaware, Ohio
May 21 and 22, 2011	Michigan State University Spring Art and Craft Show	East Lansing, Michigan
June 4 and 5, 2011	Strawberry Festival	Troy, Ohio
June 11 and 12, 2011	Clay, Glass, and Metal Show	Royal Oak, Michigan
June 25 and 26, 2011	Vancouver Recycled Art Show	Vancouver, Washington
July 9 and 10, 2011	Los Altos Art and Wine Festival	Los Altos, California
July 16 and 17, 2011	Connoisseur's Marketplace	Menlo Park, California
July 29 through 31, 2011	6th Street Art Festival	Bellevue, Washington
August 6 through 10, 2011	Temtative - Amish Acres	Napanee, Indiana
September 2 through 5, 2011	Tentative - Arts, Beats, and Eats	Royal Oak, Michigan
September 9, 10, and 11, 2011	Tentative - Black Swamp Arts Festival	Thornton, Ohio

On the Road Again! Port Orange, Florida

This week I'm off to Port Orange, Florida to exhibit in their annual Artfest.  Last year, it was the funnest shows that I attended in Florida, so I decided to give it another go.  It still sucks traveling without Mackie, but we've got to do what we've got to do.

I've set up at the Super 8 motel in Daytona Beach and what a treat that is.  I've stayed in some real flea bags over the years, and this one certainly rivals with some doozies.  Where shall I start :)???

It started with the door.  The electronic keys wouldn't work.  Turns out that they don't use them here but instead use a real key.  That really through the new desk clerk as the lobby was full of people that couldn't get into their room. 

Next is the room itself.  I decided to leave my socks on and I ran to Walmart and bought some pajamas.  Now I can honestly say that I have not had on a pair of pajamas in years, but this motel made a believer out of me.  The best part about this stay is that I have Netflix playing on another screen on my laptop.  Technology has sure made traveling a little easier on us artistic road warriors. 

As you can see by the above self portrait, I even keep a positive attitude no matter where I might be staying at the time! 

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