I spent most of the day meeting and greeting the people and families who came downtown for the Courtyard concert at The Works. The sun was shining and a nice summer breeze was floating over the picnic blankets and lawn chairs of generations united for a musical treat and free ice cream from our local mill "Velvet Ice Cream" is simply wonderful and too difficult to resist. My friend Vicki came down and she makes the most wonderful Buckeye candles ...chocolate and peanut butter scents fill the air and everyone is immediately in a great mood and maybe hungry for candy!!! She shared her photographs from her recent trip to Chicago that her daughter won in a contest from the Licking County Convention and Visitors Bureau. I could not think of two better people to win this deluxe trip to a city I absolutely love! Vicki also brought warm...just preserved blackberry jam for my husband Ken...she can do anything and he is already testifying to her delicious jams.
I am not officially opened but I had at least 30 people in the studio today so I was excited to hear their anxious anticipation for me to get the ball rolling. One small boy had his hands balled up and cried "I want to paint now" when I talked with his mother about possibilities for small workshops ...this could help me to pay my rent. Tonight I got a wonderful email from another mother with two little blond girls who are ready to make art! I hope I can keep the excitement going and maybe coming home to this sacred space is a good idea. I am back...smiling...free and responsible to work with artists and make my own works. Ken has worked on my business cards and tonight we made an order for a couple of tee shirts, the banner to use when I am out demonstrating, new postcards, labels etc. We are doing our own guerrilla marketing here and it seems to be working. I am very tired right now and the computer is behaving badly...the universe is all trying to make a connection tonight. Go and make something fun!!! Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart
