art walk

i went to durham's art walk today.

this event is always entertaining, but always a crap-shoot. i generally go with an eye for art that i want to buy (but always with an empty pocketbook, thus defeating my purpose). actually, the last few times i've gone, i've won art, which is the best situation imaginable.

i did find a couple of artists whose work i'd be interested in purchasing, but their names both escape me now because i'm drunk. one was showing her work --comically tragic caricatures of a sad and angry young girl painted against happpy yellow backgrounds-- at ringside (she also has paintings of naked people at bakus right now); the other was a photographer who made absolutely stunning close-up fuzzy images of orchids, and her work is currently hanging in the gallery at the arts council. alas, both artists' works were well beyond my budgetary constraints. sigh.

the most difficult thing about the art walk, actually, is speaking with the artists. you walk into a studio to check out his/her art, and that very person is sitting there, watching you look at it. if you hate the art, what do you say? you can't say anything... so i've perfected the technique of avoiding eye contact.

only once did i have an extended conversation with one of the artists, and she runs more of a classroom than a studio. the place is called sew crafty (ugh) and she holds beading, sewing and craft classes and seems to produce some really cool stuff.

in fact, i'm thinking of organizing a crafty party there. for, like, $15 each she can teach people how to sew, or make beaded necklaces, or whatever. i think it could be a fun way to gather friends for a gift-making session. the lady was pretty cool. i think.

anyway. i'm home now and i had too much wine with dinner (which was pasta & vodka sauce) so i should probably shut up.

Posted by xta at November 14, 2004 10:14 PM | TrackBack