Portland Maine, Sidewalk Art Show

Yup, this is not my first rodeo as they say, but trying to prepare for an art show and a hurricane is not without it’s challenges. This Saturday is the Portland, Maine WCSH 6 SIDEWALK ART FESTIVAL. This is my fourth year for this show (46th year for the show itself), and one I like very much. There are always lots of people and they eagerly look forward to the show. My neighbor there is Jerry Robillard (http://www.geraldrobillardartist.com/index.html), a wonderful artist who has been kind and helpful to me over the years. My first year I was very nervous and he said “People like your work, you’ll do fine.” Coming from a pro like Jerry I was immediately set at ease. It’s amazing what a kind word from a seasoned professional can do for a novice. This year however, there will be an extra stressor. That would be hurricane Irene. She’s suppose to arrive on Sunday so the show should be fine, kinda. I am trying to balance all preparations.

First, the car is packed, almost, there are still last minute items such as suitcase and larger paintings which sit atop everything else in the car. It gets to where deciding what comes is a matter of what fits. The new item this show is my new tent. I got one like the big kids have. It will not leak and it will not blow over, except of course, in the case of a hurricane. I’ve spent too many nights worrying if my tent will still be there the next morning when I do two day shows. Always we’ve watched those with these bigger sturdier tents, just zip them up and walk away confidently at the end of the first day. The next morning, unzip and they are good to go. They are a lot more to put up than my little E-Z Up, but the worry factor is enormous. We halfway set it up after it was delivered to figure out how it’s done after watching the video that came with it. Packing it into the car was another challenge. But it’s in there and my road cases for my standard size paintings (which Rick built for me) are packed and loaded too. Before I finish packing however, I need to bring the dog to the sitter’s. Yup, that too has become part of the routine.

Now, once the dog is delivered and the car is packed, that’s usually it, I am then – on the road again. Unfortunately, there’s that pesky hurricane coming. It won’t arrive until Sunday, but since we won’t be here Saturday for preparations, that needs to come now. So I’ll pick up a couple of things at the store and then put the patio furniture in the garden shed and look for anything else which could come flying into the house. Saying “it’s always something” seems a little trite, except it also seems it’s always true.