Last fall, I simply couldn’t leave a local juried art fair without a piece that talked to me. Deirdre (my partner in shopping crimes) and I had a delightful conversation with the artist, Keith Grace, and his wife, Shari.

What is it like, I wondered, to be an artist who travels hundreds of miles to art fairs and festivals every weekend from May to November, trying to sell your work? I asked Keith, whose work is featured in my June/July Creatures Comforts* column (and on my family room wall), to get his side of the story.

“Mostly, I love it,” says the Rockford, Illinois, artist. “I’ve been doing the Midwest circuit full time for about eight years, and by spring, I’m always happy to see my artist friends I’ve made over the years.”

Keith describes competing with other artists for space in galleries as “really cutthroat,” but says that the artists he meets at fairs and festivals “are some of the kindest, most generous people I’ve ever met.” These gypsy artists share tips and cheer each other on at the events.

“I also like talking to people who buy my work,” he says. “I want to know what it is about a particular piece that speaks to them. I’ve heard some really great stories.”

Not all shows are financially successful, but Keith is philosophical about disappointing days. “I think it was Jasper Johns who said, ‘Even a nice comment can feed an artist for a day.’“

To see whether Keith will be visiting an art fair near you, visit his website www.hipdogcoolcat.com.

To learn about juried art shows in your area, contact the nearest convention and visitors’ bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, and local newspaper event listings.

*Creatures Comfort is an exclusive column available in the print version of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion. To subscribe now, click here.       

                  


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When my kids want to go swimming, we don't head to a backyard pool or even a lake. Instead, we grab our water shoes and visit the shores of the Hudson River, where admission is free, there's always a breeze, and views of tugs and sailboats keep things interesting. Dogs can jump in, too!

We moved up here to Dutchess County, New York, 13 years ago, and at the time I saw the Hudson as something to be crossed to get to the other side. Picturesque, yes. Swimmable, no.  Downstream in Manhattan, where I used to live, we'd take long walks along the river, but you kinda felt like if the water touched your skin, it would melt off.

So I was surprised to learn that swimming beaches and bathhouses once dotted the Hudson from Manhattan northward. An 89-year-old neighbor tells me that she used to cool off at the same local beach (abandoned for some 40 years) where I take my kids now.

The Hudson's comeback can partly be attributed to another octogenarian, local resident Pete "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" Seeger, the singer, songwriter, and activist. Pete has long raised awareness of cleaning up the Hudson and is now lobbying for a river pool, a floating structure that will draw more bathers to the shores. The fifth annual Hudson River Swim will take place this summer to raise money for the pool. But, as Pete points out, it's not just about the Hudson, it's about taking back rivers everywhere.

www.riverpool.org

                   
                          The girls get ready to take the plunge.

                    
                               Harry enjoys a summer breeze.

                              
                                Examining a tide pool for tiny fish.


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Every day is an adventure. We never know what awaits us. Even the neighborhood curmudgeon, who scowls and guns his gold sedan as if he wants to run us down, can’t spoil our fun. We’ve nicknamed him “Mr. Worst,” after the old crab in our favorite picture book who hates springtime, music, dessert, and laughing. We suspect he wants to make us road kill because he can’t stand to see us laugh.

We laugh a lot.

We’ve been riding together ever since Tanner was a kindergartner and Saxon wobbled behind us on training wheels. Tanner heads off to middle school next year. He’s already let me down gently, informing that he will ride to school alone or with friends. I hope we’ll still be able to bike together occasionally come summer. Beyond being good for our health and for the environment, it’s been good for our souls. We’ve shared moments and seen sights we never would have experienced from inside a car. 

                     
                      Kim Ratcliff with sons Tanner, 11 and Saxon, 9. 

The site below is packed with great tips about teaching kids to ride, safety, etc.

www.familybiking.com


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Yesterday, I promised myself I wouldn’t leave work till I filed or trashed half the papers on my desk. But as I started on the first pile, I glimpsed a few prints from last year’s visit to potter Rebecca Wood at R Wood Studio in Athens, Georgia.  Here were snapshots from lunch, which our crew and her staff enjoyed family style. No paper plates at Rebecca’s. Instead we were treated to our choice of colorful bowls, plates, and mugs from her collection.

                   
               Hardy, freshly baked bread on a R Wood’s platter 
                                  www.rwoodstudio.com

                                
   Talented Rinne Allen photographs Rebecca’s catalogs and ads         
                                         www.rinneallen.com

                       
                                            Rebecca and Rinne

These photos bring back such good memories that I can’t throw them away.  Maybe I should start a scrapbook filled with pictures from the wonderful locations featured in the magazine. Cropping, cutting, pasting, and gluing—yes, that would be a much better use of my time than cleaning.

Listen to our podcast interview with Rebecca Wood.

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