SQUAM art fair!!!!

Christine over at Sparkletopia has posted (with pictures:) some introductions of the mind blowing, talented artists that will be at The Squam Art Fair. There will be so many!

If you live within driving distance this is an opportunity that can't be missed!

If you are inspired by these artists and moved by their work, this is your chance to soak in the creative energy and love that is bound to be oozing all over this art fair.

I have been pretty bummed the past few years that many of the women I am inspired by and many of the art events I long to attend are on the West Coast. For all us East Coasters this is such a beautiful opportunity to bask in this creativity.

If you couldn't make it to the workshops this year, you can come to the art fair and connect with the artists that are teaching AND all the artists that will be attending. This is a perfect time to make connections and to affirm in your heart the creative pulls you may feel in your own heart and/or to soak in the beauty of all the art that will be there!

On a side note-I keep reminding myself that no matter our experience in expressing our creative side, we are all artists. Every artist that is teaching or selling their art at Squam had a beginning. They all had a moment where they listened to the whispers in their heart and took that uncomfortable, awkward step into their artistic life. I am sharing this with you because I only re tapped into my creativity a couple of years ago and I still remember how hard it was to take that step. To have faith in myself that there was something there for my foot to land on. I didn't know where to start, I didn't know what my media would be. I thought people just woke up talented amazing artists, and since I had no clue what to do, it must mean I wasn't really an artist.

Thank goodness I met Sarah Smith here in my area. She encouraged me to allow myself to take work I was inspired by and try to create something similar. I felt a bit bummed that I had to get ideas from others work. It seemed to feed the gremlins that I didn't have any artistic bits of my own.

But I was so, so looking at it from the wrong angle. I believe, that if a piece of art moves you-there is something about it that expresses energy within you. To use that work as inspiration gets the energy flowing within you. My issue was that so many of the methods I tried at first just didn't tap into the big kahuna artistic river inside of me, and I kept being faced with disappointment because I went into the exploration expecting an instant answer. I thought if I was an artist, I should be able to be instantly start making great at mixed media, paintings etc.

Now looking back I see that I had to keep trying on different hats. I had to keep blundering through this sea of artistic expression, each step I was unknowingly training my intuition, and my ability to see through my artist eye.

In time I started to be able identify the activation of my creative side and how to move on if a method or style wasn't doing it.

Taking workshops is such an amazing opportunity to be shown a method by someone who is in their artistic zone. It gives you an opportunity to try methods and tap into what moves you.

I am sooooooo excited and I have to admit, a bit nervous to be a part of this fair. I can't wait to meet all of you. To connect in person is a wonderful experience.

So here is some key information for you if you plan on attending:

PASSPORT TO AN EVENING OF FUN & DISCOVERY IN SANDWICH!

SANDWICH, NH - SQUAM ART FAIR will be held on Saturday, September 13 at the Sandwich Elementary School in Center Sandwich from 6:30pm to 9:00pm. Open to the public and featuring over 30 artists from all over North America, this is not your ordinary art fair-- so don't miss it! The work available for sale is exceptional and attendees are encouraged to walk about lovely downtown Center Sandwich, and get their "passport" stamped at a variety of local shops and galleries.

The free “passport” can be picked up at the SQUAM ART FAIR, or at any of the participating venues: Patricia Ladd Carega Gallery, Willow Pond Antiques, Surroundings Art Gallery or Mocha Rizing. Once the passport is stamped at each venue, it can then be redeemed at the Corner House Inn for 10% off any entrée (lunch/brunch or dinner) for the entire month of September 2008.

SQUAM ART FAIR is the ending celebration of Squam Art Workshops, which is a four-day event hosted in Holderness, NH at the Rockywold-Deephaven Camps on the shores of Squam Lake. The mission of Squam Art Workshops is to offer an extraordinary retreat that will inspire people from all walks of life, not necessarily only those who make their living as artists. This is a chance for people who do not have the opportunity to pursue art full-time to step off the busy merry-go-round of life and submerge themselves in a beautiful, natural setting replete with inspiring workshops and caring teachers.

SQUAM ART FAIR has a stellar line-up of artists from across the US and Canada who will be selling beautiful handmade work including: original paintings, jewelry, letterpress stationery, vintage dolls, handblown glass, art prints, photography, bags & purses, handbound books, music cd’s, quilts and much more.

Squam Art Workshops and SQUAM ART FAIR are managed by Sandwich resident, Elizabeth MacCrellish. She intends to make this an annual event.