Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Bowker Creek Brush Up Art Show

This past Sunday I participated in the Bowker Creek Brush Up Art Show and Sale on the shady creekside in Oak Bay, Victoria, BC. It was a beautiful sunny day and over 40 artists and an estimated 3000 art enthusiasts wandered the park, and chatted with the artists while we demonstrated our techniques.



My son is the wonderful photographer who shot these photos for me. I'm the one with my back turned, as I put paint to canvas. I always find it difficult to paint in these situations because I never quite get into the zone. I can't decide which side of my brain to use as I answer questions, chat with friends and paint. So I won't post the painting until I've had a chance to do some adjustments.

It was a wonderful day and I met some lovely people from as far away as Upstate New York and California! And we thought it was a small community event. :-)

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5 comments:

  1. What a great event. There is an Arts Alive event here in Langley but I find it too expensive to participate. The entry fee is $60 and then a requirement to rent a specific type of canopy, covered table etc. which brings the costs up well over a $100. I don't know what number of sales occur but as an emerging artist it's too steep for me to step into visibility. Curious what others' experiences are.

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  2. Looks like a great show. So well attended.

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  3. Looked like a fun time. I'll look forward to your finished product.

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  4. In answer to Artscapes query - This event is put on by an art group I belong to, The Oak Bay Community Artist's Society. Our community is very supportive of the arts and animating the area during the summer months, so we are able to use the park. The entry fee was $25 for Society members and $40 for non-members giving them membership for the year. We each brought our own set up and the only stipulations were not to use a tent awning, and we have to care for the park and clean up afterwards. Volunteer members of the group organize, design brochures, and publicize the event through paid and public service announcements, plus our blogs and mailing lists. The hard part is trying to involve everyone in some aspect of volunteering. I always enter these events with the idea of gaining exposure and making a connection with potential art collectors, and if I make sales on that day it's a bonus. This time I got the bonus, as I sold three paintings and lots of art cards. :-) Often people will contact me following the event about a piece they saw, or they will reappear at other art shows that I advertised while chatting with them. So if the cost isn't too high, it can be a great way to become known and to gain public feedback on your work as well.

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  5. What a great way to do it, very supportive. Maybe there's a group I can connect with in the Valley.

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