Linda Rae Dixon, The Fairy Artist, at ArtWorks at 7th’s 3rd Anniversary celebration 5/13/06, setting up outside.  Brought to you by Tammy Vitale of Tam’s Originals

Linda Rae making fairies (below right) – generous lady that she is, Linda shared her process with many interested patrons and at least one young lady went home with her very own, personally made fairy!

Did you have a beautiful day yesterday?  Are you ready to be out wandering the wide world to see what’s to be seen? If you had been wandering around North Beach, MD, yesterday, you would have seen a collection of artists on the side walk at 7th Street and Bay Avenue setting up to demonstrate how to make fairies (Linda Rae), painting (Joelle Sesso center right), selling handmade jewelry (Kathleen Addario,  left) and showing their wares (Jackie Niles, photographer,  center left)

We had an absolutely gorgeous day for street selling and a glorious spot – no need to set up tents – which I hate.  Just throw up screens (for me), or borrow some of Nice ‘n’ Fleezy Antique’s pieces to set up a beautiful display. 

Support your local artists!  Where else can you take a walk and wind up with beautiful, original, often one-of-a-kind art .  That means no one else in the whole wide world has a piece like it.  Think about that.   In this world of manufactured. save-time, be-like-everyone-else, you alone have this wonderful piece made not by a machine, but by human hands.  Lovingly.  A part of the artist’s own spirit infused into it.  Waiting for you to arrive so that between you and it a new story can be created.  A story that keeps on telling itself every time you look at the piece, with which you have fallen in love:  Remember that beautiful day when….?  You and I just stumbled across….  You knew they were celebrating and that I loved the work and you bought… We taked with the artists for hours and I feel like I made a new friend….  This is the realm of original art and if you divide the number of days you will enjoy it into the amount of dollars you trade for it, you will find yourself working in very small numbers (.00000x) of cost.  My own word tiles start at $15 for a piece of work that will never be duplicated.

There are large art fairs out there.  They cost a lot of money to get into, require tents (have I mentioned I don’t like tents – ever tried to set one up by yourself?  even the "easy, pop-up" kind?), and can be exhausting in their immensity.  These small affairs are so much more personal, which is why I love doing them.

Inside folks were treated to hand-made finger foods, wine and sparkling waters as well as beautiful arrangements of flowers by Julia Musengo (left).  Some people have so much talent it just spills over everywhere – Julia’s food creations and flowers show why she caters food and arranges flowers for weddings – from her own garden – in addition to painting and making altars which celebrate the divine feminine.

Folks flocked to see all the new work being offered by the ArtWorks artists and many works left for new homes.  ArtWorks at 7th had a VERY successful day!  and it was fun!  And we did it together.  Team work!

JR Rossman and Gerry Wood sitting outside Nice and Fleezy (Artworks at 7th is located over the antique store).  A panel of my work is on the right. Jackie Niles’ work on the bench in front.

Tricia Darrow setting up her jewelry inside ArtWorksat 7th before the show.  I own a boat load (really) of Tricia’s jewelry.  She uses wonderful stones and puts them together in amazing patterns of energy.  I’ve never been a matched necklace and earrings sort of person – before.  Now I am.  Tricia and I do a lot of trading – lucky for me (my purse) she likes my work in return!

You can see more work by the these and other co-op artists at ArtWorks@7th’s website:  www.ArtWorksat7th.com.  More of my work can be viewed at: www.TamsOriginals.com.  Enjoy!

Thought for the Day:  If you had been there yesterday, your Mom would have a beautiful piece of art in her hands today!  Hug your mother.  And do something wonderful for our Mother, Earth.