Columbus Arts Festival

I am listening to this awesome CD that my friend Sharon made for me for Xmas. Sharon, it is flippin' sweet. You should know that it has brought me much enjoyment. I want to share the playlist in case you want your very own SharonBellesque creation:
1. The White Stripes - In the Cold Cold Night
2. Sleater-Kinney - Oh!
3. Dido - Do You Have A Little Time?
4. The Evens - You Won't Feel A Thing
5. Dead Can Dance - Garden of the Arcane Delights: Flowers of the Sea
6. 50 Foot Wave - Clara Bow
7. Sarah McLauchlan - Train Wreck
8. Scrawl - Rot
9. The Innocence Mission - I Hear You Say So
10. Sonic Youth - Kissability
11. The Dresden Dolls - Coin Operated Boy
12. Moby - Move (You Make Me Feel So Good)
13. Throwing Muses - Shimmer
14. Aimee Mann - Nothing Is Good Enough

Fun stuff!

My husband and I were able to go to the Columbus Arts Festival on Saturday night. I haven't been for several years. The crowd can be daunting. But this year, we decided to brave the masses and get out there. Here are a list of my favorites:

http://www.bruceholwerda.com
http://www.bloodle.com
http://jonasgerard.com
http://www.retablosnicario.com/
http://www.michaelmadzo.com/

Jonas Gerard had signs in his booth that said "It is okay to touch." Isn't that so inviting? I asked him about that and he said, "I think it is terrible when artists create work and don't want anybody to touch it. THAT is part of it!" I so agree and found a bit of a kindred spirit in his openess, use of texture and color. I want people to be able to experience my art. For tactile people especially, touch is essential to recieving all the little nuances they need to make a connection. I am one of those people. I love to touch.

The really cool thing for me was to notice that I was able to appreciate these wonderful artists without feeling bad or judgemental about my own work. Just checking in with myself, I feel very good about my work after having seen some really great stuff. Not that I think my stuff is on par, but that I know this is where I am at right now. I take this as a very good sign that I am operating from the right channel or channeling the right frequency or well...on the right track. I am happy. It is also so wonderful to see so many people out there expressing themselves and daring to make a living at it! I find that tremendously encouraging.

I am going to go work on my new easel now. It fits in my small studio just fine, but dwarfs the canvas I am going to work on. It makes me giggle to look at it. But, I made the damn thing! I am still high on that! Making stuff RULES!!!!