Ok so more details about the show. It was actually a lot of fun. I think I expected it to be, which can be dangerous, but fortunately I was correct. 😛

Saturday went well. It was hot and sticky, as it has been for the last few weeks. Normally I don’t have to spend so much time outside, but I found it wasn’t too bad… as long as I didn’t move. Any sudden motions would cause major sweating. As mentioned before, Danie was a big help in setting up. She held down the fort when I had to go hunt down supplies, and bought me drinks to keep me alive. Thanks again! 🙂

I met my partner in crime for the weekend, who was occupying the other window at Kilgour’s Bar Meets Grill. Wes Virtanen is a painter, a tattoo artist, and a generally laid-back cool guy. We had a lot of fun just talking art and people watching. It was great to have someone else at my location too, unlike many of the artists who were set up alone. I didn’t have to worry about anyone stealing my stuff if I needed a break, or wanted to walk up and down the street to check out the other exhibits. Wes and I discussed some collaborative work with tattoos and photography that we might be able to showcase at next year’s outdoor show.

The weather started getting unstable in the afternoon, and soon it began raining. I was lucky that my Kilgour’s location was sheltered from the weather by an overhanging roof, so I didn’t have to move anything, but most of the other artists packed up and went home around 5pm. The weather didn’t seem to be improving, so I just waited for Dad and Sherry to come by at around 6:30, and then packed up so I could have dinner with them.

I woke up Sunday morning to rain being blown through my bedroom window into my face. It wasn’t a good omen for the outdoor art show. There was an email from Robin (the show producer) saying that we should take our time coming in because the weather would improve later in the day. I arrived in Toronto around 1pm, after driving through rain so hard that I could hardly see, and got soaked carrying stuff to Kilgour’s from the car. Things were pretty slow while it was raining, but I still got to talk to a few people. It wasn’t obvious that there was an art show happening because few of the other artists were set up. The sun came out around 4pm and dried up all the rain, and that brought back many of the artists. Things picked up, and I met a lot of people. Some of them were just browsing. One guy said he was interested in having me do some model shoots for him, and promoting my work for magazine publication. We’ll see how that goes. I’ll believe it when I see it 😛

Because of the poor weather in the morning, Robin allowed us to keep our work up until 7pm instead of the scheduled 6pm strike. The extra hour was pretty relaxed. People at this point were heading to dinner and Fringe Festival shows, and were not terribly interested in looking at art. I packed up all of my stuff and took it to the car.

Most frequently asked questions this weekend from the show:

1. Where was that taken? (pointing to the Traditional Sunset photo)
2. Is this photography?
3. What kind of camera do you use?
4. Do you shoot film or digital?
5. Can I have your babies? (ok I’m lying about that one)

Best things about the show:

1. Someone from North Carolina telling me she recognized one of my photos because her friend has it on her Windows desktop.
2. A guy thanked me for participating in the show because it allowed him to see places that he wouldn’t get to travel himself (Thailand).
3. Seeing people rushing by on their way somewhere and then stop dead in their tracks in front of Kilgour’s to stare at the photos, point at them, and smile 🙂
4. Meeting some insanely great artists of all media, who also happen to be great people too.

After putting everything away, I headed down Bloor Street to Clinton’s Tavern to see Cage Match, a competitive improv show. It was great to sit back with a beer and enjoy the show. Allison Hogg’s all-girl group, Dumbkunts, was the highlight of the night. They absolutely rocked the house with brilliant, zero-inhibition improv. Wicked fun.

Anyway, that was my weekend. I want to sleep now 🙂