Category: holiday shopping event

The Last Minute Holiday Shopping Event

At the last minute I decided to throw my hat in the ring and participate in this holiday shopping event in Long Island City, NY. LIC is a neighborhood that is evolving and becoming very chic with trendy restaurants and shops, a stone’s throw from Manhattan, but in the borough of Queens. The Museum of Modern Art re-located in the area a few years ago while the Manhattan location was under renovation, bringing awareness and people.

I liked the idea of showing my work in an art gallery space, and thought this would be a good opportunity. It was a nice event, with lovely co-vendors, organizer, and shoppers. People admired my handmade work and paintings, and I was lucky to sell a few pieces.

Ten10 Studios Carriage House, LIC, NY

My table of items

Close up of my items for sale

Another view of my table

The studio space

The highlight of the day for me was when a group of young brothers came to shop for Christmas gifts. One of them wanted to buy my watercolor painting of tomatoes for his grandmother. When he asked his mother for the money, she said to try finding something a little less expensive. Okay.

He then chose a colorful painting of a coffee pot, pepper, and sea shell. Imagine that? What boy decides to buy art as a Christmas gift? I was impressed.

Shopping Events

Another shopping event over, with one more this coming Saturday, and I’m done for now. After the holidays are over I’ll get back to painting. I know, I still haven’t shown you the last painting. It’s just not going to happen right now. There is too much to do.

My table at the Federation of Hellenic Society Shopping Event

It was a pretty quiet event, for the most part, but I do enjoy meeting and talking to the other artists and vendors. Everyone was in different stages of show exposure, newbies and veterans, all sharing their work. I like that part, talking shop.

This event was postponed from November to now because of the hurricane. I participated in this event back in May and met with some of the same artists.

Artwork did not move this time around, but some of my knitting did. Another artist had to have one of the blue sequined, big rib cowls and wouldn’t let it go for fear someone else would grab it. That was fun. I like it when there’s a little action going on. Maybe people have already finished their Christmas shopping.

It’s fine. It’s good experience for me. Next week is the last shopping event on my agenda before the holidays. Until then I’ll be too busy to relax.

Knitting. No, Not Painting

It’s about time I showed you what I’ve been up to lately. I know, I know, I should show you the last painting I was working on when Hurricane Sandy stopped me cold, but I don’t feel like it.

That doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy in the creative department. No. Believe me when I tell you I have been wandering around the studio eyeballing that painting. I’m just giving in to Resistance for the time being, and I think it’s a healthy move. Why push it?
Just leaving it alone for now and getting my fill of color and productivity by knitting. Besides, there are a couple of holiday shopping events on the calendar and I want to have some pretty things to bring besides my paintings.

Hand Knits @Dora Sislian Themelis

Nice, thick, plush and cozy big knit stitch cowl/neck warmers up top and baby/toddler hats on the bottom of the photo, are keeping me busy. One of the cowls came up short after I knit it up so I had to rip back, and I’ll get to it later.

A Holiday Shopping Event

The holiday shopping event was interesting. It was organized by a women’s imaging office in my area and if you can think of the warren of rooms in a medical office with a reception/waiting room and narrow hallways with little consultation rooms, that’s where this took place.
I might have been the only person with really handmade items. Other vendors had plenty of merchandise to offer, mostly mass produced jewelry and accessory items. 
My corner was next to a couple of book authors in the consultation room. 
Eventually I filled the wall with artwork next to my table. Otherwise it would have been hard to show paintings sitting flat. Anyway, I did the best I could with the space I had.

The people were lovely, giving great comments and compliments on my work. Most of them asked if the paintings were made by hand. Huh?

I’m not sure if they thought they were photos or what, but they were surprised to learn that, yes, I actually used a brush and paint to make the work. Oy.

And I actually used needles and yarn to make the knit items. And I actually used tools to string or wire the jewelry. Geez.

Yeah, I did make all that.