Artist Blog by Sheep Incognito Artist Conni Togel

Tag Archives: art show

Sheep In Mount Dora, FL – and What’s Wrong With The Art Market Lately?

A Trip to Florida in February, and Why Some Places Won’t, and Another Place Will Have Sheep This Year

After a short hiatus from the center of Florida last Winter, the Sheep Incognito are heading back to the always fabulous Mount Dora Fine Arts Festival on the first weekend in February!

This will be the kick-off of a year of “sheepishness” near and far – we’ve already booked shows from North Carolina to Colorado, from Florida to New York, and many places in between.

For this year, some of our favorite shows will have a different artist in our spot – some shows like mixing things up every year, so Mount Dora will have us in Booth A-029 this time.

For a few other big shows this year, scheduling conflicts due to some family events that fall on those exact weekends will have me being home with family instead. Not a bad thing at all. It will give all of you a chance to support some of the other fantastic artists there this year – keep art alive, by purchasing directly from the artist!
With the influx of “junk art” – the big, cheap, canvas prints with gel-medium as texture, that you can buy for little money at home furnishing stores, craft stores, and discount clothing stores – many artists have noticed a downturn in sales and interest from the people attending even the juried fine art shows.

Galleries have closed. Art programs in schools have been slashed. More and more of the cheap import art is cropping up everywhere. Shows are being added at a dizzying pace. Existing shows are adding more and more booths (some even adding on booths for “commercial” wares – gutter guards, windows, mass-produced wares, etc.) that increase their income, but also water down the sales for the artists at the same time. Booth fees have gone up, hotels are more expensive, etc…
Very concerning trends, and not easy to cope with as a full-time professional artist.

Nonetheless, I will continue to paint – because, it’s my game, not theirs. And, I love what I do – whether I am traveling or not.

So, to make things a bit easier, I’ve also begun adding painting lessons in my studio – great fun to do, relaxing, no mass-produced wares to compete with, and, best of all, new friends to make.

Come join me there sometime! Or, check my schedule every now and then to see where I will be – if we are close to where you are, we can meet in that area somewhere to do some “paint flinging” together. If you like painting outdoors, we can do something out in the Rocky Mountain National Park this June – we’ll be there, and it would be awesome to paint some beautiful landscapes there together!

Either way – keep checking the schedule – though we might not be at some of the big juried shows this year, we’ve added a few fun Celtic/Irish/Highlands Festivals this year, and as always, our big Sheep & Wool Festivals are always a blast as well!

As always, I LOVE hearing your comments and ideas for new Sheep Incognito paintings – leave a comment, share this post, and thanks for being part of the Sheep Incognito Flockies in the meadow of life!

Also, if you are in connections with a decent children’s book publisher by chance, I would love to have some feedback for the two books I’ve written and am illustrating as well. They do involve sheep in some capacity, but do appeal to the general market more than the sheep arena.

Here is my newest painting:
“The Great Flock Defender” click this link to order prints of it!

The Great Flock Defender Sheep Incognito Art

The Great Flock Defender Sheep Incognito Art

 

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Encouragement for Your Day!

Today has been tedious so far – trying to set up at Tulsa International Mayfest since this morning, but strong winds have kept us at a complete standstill.


Waiting for the kings of great waterbarrels to work their magic to save the booth from flying down Mainstreet in Tulsa.

So this is my inspirational “Keep Flying Anyway” post for you – everybody needs one of those occasionally!

Title: “EWE CAN FLY!” (Which today is more accurate than we’ve had it in a while…)

Available here: SHOP NOW for “Ewe Can Fly”

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Why Do You Buy Art (Or Not?)

It turns out, the market for original art changes from year to year.

As a full-time artist, I do a LOT of people-watching, analyzing, and observing. But it still has not become clear to me why visitors to one art festival will clear out the booths with their buying frenzy one year, and not buy a thing the next year.

Do you buy original art at art shows and festivals – or do you buy at galleries instead?

Why do you choose one over the other – and has your art buying changed in the past two to three years?

 

 

 

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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…

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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!

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