Sunday, May 24, 2009

Artist Derek Collins Lament - original acrylic seascape sunset painting Day 39



"Dreamy"
original acrylic seascape sunset painting
8x10 on Masonite
Listed in My Etsy Store
You can purchase through Paypal, I can send you a bill
Questions?
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I did an art show this weekend in Lafayette Indiana, it was a three hour drive. I went to check the oil in my van before I left. I found a 2 ft x 2 ft birds nest wrapped around the motor. It took an hour and a half to clean it out because it was wrapped around wires and hoses. I got ten blocks from the show, and I got a warning light saying to, check wiring, and the van died. Pesky birds!
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AAA towed me to a shop that won't be open until the Holiday is over. Remember this is a smaller city. I called all the rental places and they all closed at 6:00, it was 6:10. Finally, the last one I tried, went the owners cell phone. He came and picked me up and took me to his business. Because it was a Holiday I had to rent it for 3 days, lovely! $250 dollars later, I have a van.
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After I get the rental, I go to the garage where they towed my van. I transfer my tent,display, and paintings to the rental. I couldn't get my Chair in the rental. There just wasn't any room. It is now 10 pm. So now, I go to the show to setup. I get there to find that I have to carry everything by hand up 10 steps of stairs. My dolly is useless. It takes 6o trips to carry everything to my booth location. When I start setting my tent up, I notice that it doesn't quite fit. One third of my booth has landscape mulch in it, with newly planted Ivy growing in it. My neighbor decided he wanted some room on the side of his tent, so he moved his tent 3 feet and pushed me over onto the mulch. It was nice of him to move the little block with my booth number on it, so it would look like that's how the organizers measured it out. Since he was already set up, there wasn't anything I could do.
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I hadn't eaten anything all day, I'm now heading to the hotel at Midnight. The only place that is open is McDonalds. Wasn't exactly my ideal choice for supper. As you can imagine, I had a couple things on my mind, and having just eaten, I got no sleep at all. It was 2:00 am before I could even settle down. Up at 6:00 am. I am awake, so I figured I might as well go to the show and get close parking, it will make tear down easier. I'm still only partially setup.
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The show begins!
As I finished setting up, I needed a bungee, you know the ones with the little ball. So I ask my neighbor. Yes, that neighbor. He pulls out a large bag of them. He give me one and says, "Don't forget to give it back to me". Like, if I went around stealing 18 cent bungees from people, I wouldn't need to borrow one.
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Last year at the show, I got takeout at this Italian restaurant. It was the best Italian that I have ever had. So I had the whole day planned around getting some takeout for dinner. So at 3:30, I head over to place an order. You guessed it, this year they decided to close for the holiday weekend. I end up getting an Italian sub at a Mom and Pop deli. The sub came with oil and vinegar. It wasn't oil and Vinegar, it was Italian dressing, Yuk! That's false advertising!!
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Back at the tent to eat my Sub. My neighbor thinks this is a good time to remind me not to forget to return the bungee. A little later my Neighbor says " Oh, by the way, why did you set your tent up so close to mine. A little passive aggressive and self absorbed, Don't you think.
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I sold $58, that's it, and they bought it to put in an auction. Most of the painters around me had one sale or none at all. It was just really bad for everyone. Remember, I didn't have my chair, so I'm standing most of the day and can hardly stay awake.
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Sweet relief, the show is over! So now, I have returned "The Precious Bungee". I literally have both hands above my head, trying to take down my tent. A college student(Purdue is in West Lafayette) says" Can I talk to you a minute. He gives me a spiel and wants to know if I would like to donate money to his youth group. Read the room!
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My booth at the show, was under a Cottonwood tree. All day there was little fibers of Cotton floating around. I realise at this time that I have lost my voice. Pesky tree!
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Now I am sitting at home with no money, no voice, exhausted, with no idea, how or when I will get my van back. And also with a rental that I need to return ( a 6 hour return trip).
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Ahhhh, poor thing!


4 comments:

  1. Sorry you had such a rough trip. Hope the rest of your weekend is better!

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  2. So sorry you had to endure such a rotten series of events. Had a few days/weekends like this as a traveling producer in my previous (career) life. And just like you, the show had to go on, no matter what you had to do to get there. (BTW, it was a rat's nest in MY engine compartment.) It has to get better from here on out!

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  3. What a crapola weekend so far. But my daughter who always sees the cup half full tells me at times like these--it will now be better, it can't get worse! Ah, youth!

    BTW, are you sure it was a bird's nest--I had the darling mice build a nest under my hood last year.

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  4. Ah, saw that they were really birdies--hope you were a kind landlord! LOL

    BTW, I forgot to tell you how beautiful this painting is. For a landlocked artist your ocean scenes are wonderful! Not that you need to be at the ocean,listening and smelling the air!

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