Elmwood Avenue Festival of Art

We had great weather, crowd and sales this weekend at the Elmwood Avenue Festival of Art.  This show is definitely growing, and going the right direction.

I had nightmare-ish start on Saturday though.  I was setting up the canopy at 7 in the morning, and realized I forgot to bring one pole.  This is the second time in last twenty years.  Last time was at the local show, and I was able to go home to pick up.  This show is in Buffalo, 70 miles away from home.  I had two choices, no canopy and ask my wife to bring it by the end of the show or make one.  I thought I can use a 2"x1" wood" from one of the wall piece if I could shorten it.   Mark (Lukacs Pottery Studio) had a saw! Then I had, of course, DUCT tape.  I taped up the wood to the joints, and was able to set up the canopy, with my surprize.  What can you do without the Duct tape!  My wife and daughter wound up bringing the pole, but decided to leave it overnight.  It was perfect weather on both day, sunny and no wind to speak of.  If either it was rainy or windy, I had no idea what I did instead.  Next time, I count the number of poles when loading the van!



Next up, the Clothesline Festival, my last summer festival except one addition of the Artist Row at the public market.  I am out of lots of items now, and am afraid I can't restock everything as my daughter leaving to the collage next Sunday.

Ratcheting tie-down

Great crowd at the Park Avenue Arts Festival.



I bought the ratcheting tie-down for my weight for the canopy. You can see the orange tie in the picture above. The weight is now actually hanging from the canopy, giving the canopy more stable against the wind. At the Syracuse show, one strong wind moved up the canopy for a foot. I was using the bungees.

Two canopies across from my booth flipped over by the wind at the Syracuse show. This  was group effort to reset the canopies.



Back to the studio. I have three weeks until next show. Time for restocking. I made slab pieces. I have the Bailey DRD/II slab roller, more than ten years.

Syracuse Arts and Crafts Festival

My pottery made a cover of the weekend section featuring Syracuse Arts and Crafts Festival of The Post-Standard in Syracuse, NY.



We had very nice weather for three over the weekend.  There were many people and had lots of great potteries.

This weekend is Park Avenue Festival.  I am glazing tomorrow and firing on Wednesday.

Garage sale

My friend told me several years ago,that her pottery had started showing up at the garage sale. At the Corn Hill Festival, my customer told me that she was very excided to find my vase at the garage sale for $1, and garbed it quickly. She said that person did not know the value of my pottery. We had good laugh. Today, I talked about this to my friend that my pottery is finally in the garage sale. She told me that her mother told her then, once it hit the secondary market, you made it.

I got email from the customer inquiring that she wants to add her collection of my pottery she purchased over 20 years ago at the Corn Hill Festival. She was wondering if I still make the same design. That probably my first year at the Corn Hill Festival, and my first year selling the ware. That made me smile. Unfortunately I discontinued it long time ago.

More holes

We had very good weather and crowd at the Cornhill Art Festival. Sales was down, as it seems the tend of this year.



Japanese election created the twisted politics, the major loss for the ruing party. They have tried to establish the two party system in Japan, but struggling to make it stick. I liked the old time, Liberal Democratic Party, having the several factions within the party as functioning and balancing the policy among themselves. Last several elections seems the swing to one side to the other by landslide by undecided voters. Enough politics.

More holes. This is my customers request at the Cornhill. Earring holders. I made some different style to see how it works.

Weather is unstable again.  Lots of downpours.  I am loading kiln today, but another weather watch for the firing date as the thunderstorm comes with wind...  Getting ready for the Syracuse Arts and Craft Festival.

Ballot

I casted my vote for Japanese upper house election last week. I believe this was my first voting experience at age 49. A couple years ago, I registered to the overseas voter registration list as suggested by the Japanese consulate. I didn't know that opportunity until then. I prefer to nationalize in order to vote here, but my parents would love to hear that. I am considering, though.

The other day, the mailman delivered the express mail from Japan. We thought it was from my parents. There were over $100 worth of stamps on it. Then, I realized it is from Minato-ku, Secretariat of the Election. Hundred dollars to cast a ballot. My vote sounded very heavy. (If I live in big city where Japanese consulate locates, I can vote there.) I read the Japanese newspaper on the net everyday, but have no idea even who are candidates and what their stances. I spent good hours in front of the computer reading about the candidates. There were much of information available last week, but I needed too mail it to be delivered by July 11. Election was announced on June 24 as the voting date on July 11, a window of 18 days.

I fired on Saturday. It was very hot. We are in middle of the heat wave, setting 94F degrees everyday. The kiln looked very good. I am ready for the Corn Hill Art Festival this weekend.

Graduation

I attended my first graduation in US, not mine,  my daughter's.  I was amazed many people other than parents were there. I realized how important thing and key milestone on her life, like the initiation rite.  Japanese cerebrates him/her on 20th birth year. I think most high school kids here are definitely more matured than we were in the high school. Now, our daughter has two months before departing to Abu Dhabi for the collage.



My mug is featured in the blog, http://dancingdolphinpottery.blogspot.com/