Sunday, May 23, 2004

The above picture is yet another painting that I dropped off at the Carriage House, yesterday for the Sowebo festival. Yesterday when I got there I was surprised to see that Scotty was there. I was even more surprised that he recognized me. He said he loved the poster I dropped off a couple of weeks ago. He even described it in vivid detail! Wow, he has a really good memory.

Like a blast from the past there was a black dog there that followed me around. I’m starting to think it’s some kind of a tradition there to have a black dog around the place. There was lively music playing people talking. There was this woman who I assumed dropped off art. She was with this British guy they wanted to know how Scotty made the photos of the posters. They were simply amazed about how he could get a picture up on the internet. I believe Scotty said that he took a picture then fixed it up in Photoshop. Which is the standard procedure for putting photo’s up on the web. It’s what I do even thought the photo’s I take with my digital camera are horrible.

I have to admit that while there I felt frightened and wanted to flee. There was so much noise and action going on. I wanted to run for my life but somehow I made it through. I could barely make out what people were saying to me. I just wanted to get out of there. I also hope that the frames on my paintings do not fall apart. I bought them at Walmart, real cheap. Walmart, provides the frames for every piece of artwork I have. The single mat that usually accompanies my work comes from Michael’s.

While at the Carriage House a woman there told me to put my artwork alongside the wall. I think she told me to leave it in the bag so that it can be protected. I’m not sure. Like I said I felt overwhelmed and wanted to flee. I went a little to the back and placed the paintings alongside the wall.

There were quiet a few paintings there. They all face the wall like misbehaved children. The only thing you could see of the other artwork was the back where all the wires and hooks were. Were most of the artists embarrassed by their work? It was like they sent their artwork off to be punished.

Even though I submitted work I do not expect for it to sell. No one goes to Sowebo to buy art. You go there to party. This year I will make an effort to actually spend a few minutes there. Maybe, I’ll kind of hang out at the Carriage House. I guess I would sort of have to go there because on the form that I filled out it said I had to promise to spend a little time guarding the artwork. I feel this is silly. No one steals artwork by Baltimore artists. If you’re going to steal something it’s usually a big ticket item not local artwork. No one in Baltimore I feel really cares about art or artists. Were kind of like circus freaks.