More rock

Years of being baked in the African sun have created cracks and slabs in the kopjes.

Kopjes

With a Master of Science degree in geology, I found the kopjes of the Serengeti particularly fascinating. Formed over 550 million years ago, they are the remnants of a harder granitic plume which cooled underneath the softer sedimentary and metamorphic rocks which have since eroded away.
Kopje is pronounced "koppy" rhyming with poppy.
While they may hold a geologist's interest, they are an artist's dream. Large boulders rise above the grassy plains and are home to strangler fig trees, hyrax, klipspringers, and the big cats looking for a vantage point and some cool shade.

New painting in progress

After a big show there are many things to do which do not include picking up a paint brush. Packaging paintings for shipment, writing thank you notes, and hitting the post office were the first items on my list. I also wanted to design and then mail my Winter 2016 newsletter to my client base of almost 900 and include a personal note on each one. Add to that sending out VIP invitations to my upcoming show in Tulsa (Natureworks) and before you know it, more than a week and a half have disappeared!

Here is the start to the newest piece on my easel.

Anatomy of show set-up

Just returned from my biggest show of the year, Safari Club International. With a quad-island booth, I have 135 linear feet of wall space to fill. Completing that much work is a year- long project and you have seen some of it in progress on previous posts.
This year I decided to have fewer framed prints and greater spacing between the originals. Several of the posts I have read have said too much work crammed together can be distracting to potential customers. With that in mind, truck and trailer are packed and we have the long drive south to Las Vegas.
Setting the alarm early the first day of set-up, we arrive at the staging area and are placed 3rd in our group to drive into the building.
Day one of set-up: lay carpet, walls up, main and supporting bars added, complete all electrical.
Day two of set-up: paintings hung (except for a couple of outside wall pieces because large vehicles are still driving through), prints (one of each) in print racks, description cards for each piece, table cloths on 2 tables, Home Depot run for six 60 watt equivalent flood 2700K LEDs for the swing arm lamps. (some of my lights felt too bright and more subdued lighting I feel will better showcase several paintings.)
Day three of set-up: change old for new light bulbs, optimal light adjustment for each piece, hang two outside pieces, put out brochures, business cards, and guest book and tidy the booth for opening day.

stacks of panels                                      one of the first exhibitors in the hall

 

support bars                                             electrical

hanging name sign, last of paintings to place

Booth from main aisle

small canvas giclee print section

outside walls

  And I am pleased to say I had a great show. Thank you to all my previous patrons who added new works to their collections and a hearty thank you to my new collectors!