I was at the Brewery Artwalk yesterday. I planned to bring back the landscape I'd started earlier in the week but I learned very quickly that painting was not kosher during artwalk! It's "Pay to Play" only! After setting one foot on the Brewery premises I was sternly interrogated by a resident "Where are you going with that?? Do you have permission?!" I didn't know I needed it but you learn something new every day! So apparently during artwalk artists are only allowed to paint inside the designated studio/gallery spaces and not in any of the public spaces. I can understand even if I didn't like the rude way I had to learn. That lady must be the pitbull at the homeowners association! I'll bring the landscape back on another day and finish it... Fortunately I brought a backup bag of little canvases and changed course painting 20 minute portraits instead of landscape! I'm always glad and somewhat amazed when people sit for me at these events but I'm glad they do and folks like to watch the painting evolve before their eyes... I worked until it started raining and then packed up. Later that evening I was at the Hive opening and did another. At the Hive there's always less worry finding a model because I know so many people there and they are willing to sit for me.
p.s. this undate from Mat Gleason, editor of Coagula, regarding the Brewery Artwalk:
"Dude, we have SO many people piggybacking on the event and we all pitch in money to pay for promoting and insuring the event, so when other artists show up, brewery Residents can be pretty territorial. Plus - there are no PUBLIC spaces, it is all private property and the landlord insists that art only be shown in leased spaces."