Sheep Incognito Art By Conni Togel

Category: Art Shows

  • Another Trip to Columbia, SC Next Week – Spring Craftsmen’s Classic

    Springtime Madness is about to start!

    Next weekend we will be hitting the road again for a series of Spring shows – we are more than ready for some warmer temperatures, not having to scrape the windows on the car in the morning, and getting to have a cup of coffee outside in the sunshine.

    Which makes it quite a nice thing, that the Spring Craftsmen’s Classic in Columbia is right around the corner. It is always one of our nicer shows to participate in – much like a good family reunion, complete with lots of laughs, a tad of drama, and our favorite stalkers, all in one venue: the SC Fairgrounds.

    There will be a huge range of handmade, original, creative artwork and crafts there – some good ole favorites, and some new, cutting edge things.

    I will be unleashing some new Sheep Incognito paintings and prints there as well – gotta enlarge the flock, because much like a real flock of sheep, they just keep multiplying.

    New kids (or lambs) on the block:

    Into The Hills – a rather large landscape in oils, complete with my famous poppies and blue trees.

    Into The Hills - Oils on Canvas
    Into The Hills – Oils on Canvas

     

    Pompous Ass

    Pompous Ass - acrylics on canvas
    Pompous Ass – acrylics on canvas

     

    There might be a few others hanging out for the first time as well – ya just never know, with sheep.

    Of course, while we are in Columbia, we will also be checking out the local eateries – our favorite part of any of our tours. From what I remember, there is an incredible sandwich shop with lines out the door in town – and, a brewery that has quite a large range of craft beers to try.

    Hotels in town? the Marriott downtown seemed to be a pretty nice place to stay – the price was better than some of the other midrange hotels, they were quite good about customer service (computers down? Free dinner, free drinks while they work on the problem). One downside: the noise level on Saturday night out on the street was a bit distracting after a long day at the show – but then again: maybe we should have joined the party instead.

    So if you need something to inspire you next weekend, come visit us at the Sheep Incognito booth at the Craftsmen’s Classics in Columbia, SC – we’d love to introduce you to some new sheepish smiles! (And if we are really lucky, our favorite stalker will be there with his camera again – maybe we can all photobomb together :o)) )

     

     

     

     

  • Last Day at the Roanoke Civic Center Craftsmen’s Classics Tomorrow

    Fall Tour Season Has Begun!

    After a very sandy and windy show at this year’s Neptune Festival in Virginia Beach, and a big flood that shut the show early at the St James Court Art Show in Louisville, we are really excited that we are done with outdoor shows for this year.
    Summer this year was weird. Out of all the shows we did, only two were without excessive heat or excessive rain – which of course took a huge chunk out of sales as well…
    After the rain last week, we were sure a lot of my work would be completely destroyed after a few days in the trailer – but we got lucky.

    And: FALL IS HERE!
    So we made it to the Craftsmen’s Classic In Roanoke, VA to reconnect with long-time fellow “Carnies”, Artists, and Crafts people, as well as owners of my Sheep Incognito flock of art pieces.

    It’s so lovely to meet smiling faces, catch up with everybody, and see what is happening in other people’s lives.
    And of course, there is always a bit of gossip involved. My favorite tidbit this weekend: my ex had been claiming that my paintings were his, and that I only painted because of him.
    I was not the only one laughing about that one….

    Anyway- as always, good fun, good times, and, good things are to be had here in Roanoke this weekend.
    Admission is free. Free. No cost. And, bring a food donation for the foodbank.
    Free.

    My two favorite booths this year: right beside us is fellow artist Ayenne Applebaum – she makes the most beautiful porcelain and clay pottery sculptures of coral reef and whimsical vessels. Love her stuff! And, she’s a lovely lady to get to hang out with – I love people that think!

    The other booth is a brand new addition to the show circuit – a photographer that does local Roanoke images, but in a contemporary style. His booth was packed all day long…he looked exhausted by the time evening came around.

    Tomorrrow is the final day here – lots of new Sheep Incognito paintings, prints and giclées, along with the new Sheep Incognito Bling and the 2014 Calendars.

    If you can’t make it here, you can always visit the website at Charisma-Art.Com

    The best prices will still be at the show though…drop us a line, introduce yourself, or let us know how your life works – we love getting connected with you!

  • A Laugh and a Cry

    A Laugh and a Cry

    Saying Good-Bye To One Of My Favorites

    they say paintings come from the artist’s heart, and there will always be strings attached, when you sell the original painting.

    In this particular case, I tend to agree – one of my most popular and recognizable paintings, “Thinking Outside The Box” has meandered on to a new home a few weeks ago.

    Picture 25

    Granted, it was a trade for some completely awesome work by Mauro Pozzobonelli (his work is phenomenal – reminiscent of old pieces of Venice and Florence architecture) that will be hanging in my livingroom and inspiring me for years to come – but nonetheless, there is always a tug at my heart when I see someone walk out of my booth with one of my originals.

    Then again, this just makes space for new work – new ideas – new processes – new attachments…it’s a never ending circle; and, it is what keeps artists creating to put a new face on space in the world. There are definitely worse jobs to have…

  • The Big Ann Arbor Art Fair

    We finally made it into the famed Ann Arbor Art Fair – we’ve heard soooo many good things about it, we simply had to give it a try.

    It is one of the top three art fairs in the nation, certainly ome of the biggest with over 1200 artists exhibiting their work.

    Today is the first day – it is Wednesday – it is Very warm today. But apparently that is not a deterrent for the visitors, they are still meandering, even though it’s in the mid nineties.

    Us? We are camped in front of the fan, which seems to only make hot air. Someone turn off the heater!

    If you are looking for us in Ann Arbor- look on Liberty Street, in front of Jack’s, between 4th $ 5th Streets, Booth 274.

    Back to the fan – it’S what is helping us survive

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  • A Day in the Woods

    Today we set up the Sheep Incognito booth at the Indian Fort Theater in Berea, Kentucky.

    In the middle of the woods – a very serene setting…

    Last year it rained. And rained. And rained. But – it still was a decent show for us…this weekend is supposed to be much drier, so hopefully people will take the opportunity to come hang out with all the artisans here and not have to surf the mud.

    Who knows, I might even get some painting done – anxious to finish the pompous ass painting…

  • Sheep Incognito celebrate Independence in Pennsylvania

    To celebrate not only the birthday of our nation and the freedoms we enjoy in living in this awesome country, but also to celebrate my own personal freedom from oppression, we’ve traveled North to be a part if the Westmoreland Arts& Heritage Festival.

    It takes place every 4th of July at the Twin Lakes Park in Greensbugr, PA.

    A lovely piece of americana, combied with a lovely setting, good bbq, good music, and good people.

    Can’t think of a better way to celebrate!

  • Weatherworn Sheep

    “When it rains, it pours” – that has most certainly been the case at quite a few of my outdoor shows this year.

    We’ve been sitting in the booth in torrential downpours, have seen/ heard a church steeple across the street get blown to smithereens by lightning, have very narrowly escaped a tornado in Tornado Alley, and have waded through ankle-deep rivers in the booth to tear down in the rain.

    Of course, we then also had the frying pan days, like the ones of this past weekend in Columbus, Ohio, where one becomes a sitting duck (a very crispy one at that) for sunburns, heat strokes, and dehydration.

    Those are the days when I question whether I should be sitting in a little air conditioned cubicle somewhere, stapling sticky notes to my forehead instead, for the next twenty years of my life.

    Usually, I quickly determine that a) sitting in a cubicle for longer than a few hours would totally do me in, and b) I would be stapling sticky notes to other people’s heads as well, which I’ve been told would be a problem on my recommendation letters they would give me after they escort me to the door in handcuffs…so I guess I’m on the right track here….

    Most patrons at the art festivals do not realize the amount of work it takes the artists to be there – driving seven hours, setting up for five hours (passing out from heat exhaustion all the while), sitting at the booth all day, mainly without having had breakfast, tearing down and driving back for another sr en hours, only to rinse and repeat the next weekend.
    Sometimes that hard work pays off by being able to pay the rent and the electric bills (sometimes, the phone bill is paid late, or not at all…).

    And sometimes, we’ve heard of comments like “Is this all you do, or do you also work for a living?”, which to an artist, who set up the booth at five in the morning, in the rain, with no breakfast after a seven hour drive might just be the ultimate insult to add to the wet tent, soggy shoes, and slow sales that won’t cover expenses.

    And yet, we keep coming back to these shows to bring our visions of art to the show visitors – because there is a magic spark that happens when a patron walks in and “gets it”, or when a gaggle of church ladies spend half an hour laughing out loud at the titles on my work, or when a little kid walks in and asks about why I only paint sheep, and the asks me “Are you kinda crazy?”.

    Those moments make every soggy tent packed into the trailer, every jump at a loud thunderclap, every dizzy spell during setup, every sleepless night about unpaid tax bills worthwhile…

    I may never be rich – but I am blessed to get to do what I love.