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Spreading My Wings

I find that in life you are either going to soar with eagles or hang with chickens. 

                    I personally have decided to abandon the farm.

The way I see it, no matter how you look at things, if you are an artist at the Artexpo you will always come out on top.  Artexpo gives you the opportunity to spread your wings,
 How far you go is really up to you.

Every time I come to the Artexpo I learn and experience something new. 

This year, I was able to share my story on video with Artexpo's video guy. So I figure you are going to see me somewhere on the Artexpo web-site. Yeaaaa!!

I have learned to expect the unexpected

A couple from last year arrived on Saturday just to see me. The following year they had stopped by my booth and fell in love with my work. Unfortunately they'd just purchased a very nice painting from another artist, bummer for me. (I tried to convince them to take the other painting back because my was clearly way better. Uhmmm) No, I am kidding. But guess what, I was the first booth they stop at this year, and yes they brought a painting. They came looking for me.  (I guess someone else was bummed out this year.)

They brought "The Giver III" one of my newer pieces

It was a good thing I had it on hand. At first they didn't see what they wanted on the wall. I informed them I had more in the back and gave the wife my portfolio book that showed the other piece I had in storage.  They were able to look through my portfolio booklet and pick out the pieces they wanted to see.  We brought the paintings they chose to view and the wife found her perfect piece. 

It pays to be prepared.

Patience is definitely a virtue

(Be anxious for nothing, Philippians 4:6-7) 

A very wise woman gave this scripture to me many years ago.

And it still applies to my life daily. As an Artist it is hard not to be anxious when you go to a show like the Artexpo. Your expectations are high, and they should be. But this can also bring with it some anxiety that will keep you from exploring all that the show has to offer. You must learn to be patience and take everything in, especially if this is your first time showing at the Artexpo.

This year I had several Trade people come by, now I have had trade interest in the past, however for some reason this year they seemed to have taken even more of an interest in my work. Here is how I know. I received several cards from trade people that I hadn't gotten last year. Mind you, these people had all seen my work here before. Yet, they never left me their card or spoken with me. They would often just come by, look, take info and move on, but not this time. This year they actually stayed, talked, viewed and asked questions and about pricing. 

I find it's a great place to encountering new people

I got a chance to meet Mr. Slaymake's sister, Jill. She lives in New York. Her work is in museums and quit a few private collections. She is a wealth of information and I can't wait to talk with her again. She recommended some really great books for artist during one of the educational seminars. We got a chance to talk at my booth, and on the walked back to her brother's booth.

 Mr. Slaymaker brought her by to meet me before the seminar. He and I met last year, I like talking with him, he’s old school and real. He owns Slaymaker’s Gallery in Chicago. He lets me call him Woody; I still call him Mr. Slayman, great guy.

What I have found to be true

Being an artist at the Artexpo makes you have to

up your game. I find that my work, presentation and attitude all have to be on point. 

Every year I look for new ways to improve the overall quality and presentation of my work. 

This year I chose to separate my bronze pieces from my painting by bringing in my outer wall by three ft. The results were amazing.

My inside booth didn't suffer I had thirteen feet to work with.

I chose to go with a very simplified look and store the rest.

I like to have a book on the table that shows some of the other works I have available in storage at the show. This keeps my booth from looking cluttered. Viewers can take their time and concentrate on one piece of art at a time without being distracted by other paintings hovering above.  

And as always I met some exciting new artist 

and reconnected with old Friends

The Artexpo is always a blast, from set up to tear down; especially with my fam coming through to help. I like to keep it positive; there is always something to take away from the experience.

And yes sales are always at the top of the list, every artist wants to make them, lets just be honest. The Artexpo is not free. However, there is a lot to be learned if you are open to receive it. 

"Mother's Love"

When I created my first bronze at the foundry the lady there asked me,"is this your big money piece, the piece that you feel is going to make you rich", I said no. She said good, because a lot of artist come in thinking that way. . . . . . . It takes time.

Never live in fear, selling isn't everything, no one will invest more in your gift then you will, and know  that God will never shrink your dream to fit you, but he will stretch you to fit your dream,   

                                                                                        if you are open to the possibility of achieving it.

Looking forward to next year and all it's posibilities. . . . . . .

Artexpo New York 2014, April 4-6

Meet me at SOLO booth S417

Sharing The Exhibition The Meaning And The Dream part 1

Screams Of The Blkman

So when you have children what do you feel the need to teach them about life, about their racial heritage, about their journey?

Recently my two youngest sons got a day off from school for Martin Luther King Jr's birthday. When I asked them to tell me who King was, they knew very little. I guess they were much like me at their age, "Who cares, we get a day out of school, Yeaaaa!"

So as a dutiful blk mother I had them both read about Mr King as well as his "I have a Dream" speech.

Something I had never read myself until recently.

I was a little better prepared for Blk History Month

Screams Of The Blkman Exhibition 2014 

Everything I do is for my enlightenment and then to enlighten others

Screams of the Blkman was born out of a need to relate to my eldest son's journey as a blk male growing up in a wht coated society. He had just graduated from high school and was about to embark upon a new journey, one he would have to travel mostly alone. You can't take your mother to college. During his senior year in high school he decided to totally rebel against the box I had placed him in by growing his hair and wearing it in braided form, a style choice I'll never quit understand. 

The original paintings started out with an image of a screaming male, something I am sure my son often related to growing up as an only child, raised by a dominant single mother who spoke in a predominately  female language. 

Believing strongly in always making a good first impression, I advised him as he went off to college  "Never let your blkness speak before you do". He in turn made sure his blkness was the first thing people saw, the rebel. 

His thought, why not, I'm Blk

When most people see me they see a blk women, and that's ok because that is what I am, in part. But being blk doesn't define me. It is however a part of my make up. When I was young I never wondered about the color of my skin, my hair texture or my facial features. It never came up. I grew up in an all blk neighborhood so everyone I knew looked like me.

Now-a-days everyone wants to know, "Where did they come from, what other race they are  mixed with, and how can they cease from just being blk", it's as if no one is satisfied with being blk.  Because of my hair and cheek bone structure people would often ask me, "Where are you from?". This always puzzled me because I  knew I was from here, American. There is no denying I have African ancestors, but I am an American. The question wasn't asked to see if I was an American, it was asked to see if I was more then just blk. You see in this world's minds eye just being blk makes you substandard. I would often answer, "I am sure that I am mixed with something, I believe most people living in America are." Americans are the mutts of the world. However just to clarify;  going by the rules setup by our forefathers, I am BLK.

EXHIBIT A

THE ONE DROP RULE:

If a person has one drop of Negro blood he is consider a BLK.

Should one Drop Determine a Race

What is your one drop?

Does it make you Inferior?

When I was a youngster  I never considered myself very pretty, however one day while walking passed a glass building in downtown Chicago I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the glass. I was all grown up and I was beautiful. I stood there for a moment in total amazement. Clearly I had never taken a good look at myself before, you know a really good look through unclouded eyes. 

As a kid I was just one of the boys.

EXHIBIT B
THE MIRROR OF REFLECTION:

Those that stood in front of this mirror during the exhibition read these words while looking at their own reflection

"Who taught you to hate the color of your skin? Who taught you to hate the texture of your hair? Who taught you to hate the shape of your nose and the shape of your lips? Who taught you to hate yourself from the top of your head to the soles of your feet? Who taught you to hate your own kind? Who taught you to hate the race that you belong to so much so that you don't want to be around each other? No... Before you come asking Mr. Muhammad does he teach hate, you should ask yourself who taught you to hate being what God made you." 

Most stated  to me how they felt afterwards. It made them reflect upon things people had said, or images  that made them dislike parts of themselves. The mirror made them aware of their own self-hatred. And gave them the opportunity to reject it.   

One of the most compelling pieces in the Screams of the Blkman Exhibition was the mirror that bore  

the words of Malcolm X from a gathering in  Los Angeles, 1962

The Mirror of Reflection

Stay tuned for part II. . .

screams blkman