Unexpected Surprizes

Thank you, Park Point Art Fair! What a whirlwind of an event! It’s hard to know where to start with this newsletter but I think gratitude is probably a really great place to begin.

It was an incredible start to the event. I had multiple collectors come out on Saturday to visit me and bring home more of my work. All of the paintings that sold this weekend went to someone who has purchased one or more original paintings from me before. What a beautiful thing. If I think about it too much, I get overwhelmed with lots of different emotions. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to my Duluth collectors for showing up this weekend! I appreciate you so much.

Park Point Art Fair is notorious for their award ceremony at the end of the first day. They cater in dinner and drinks for the artists and as our bellies are filling up and we’re relaxed and socializing, the event directors announce the winners of the 7 different categories as well as Best in Show.

As I was sitting there mingling with friends, I hear a voice from the microphone say, “The winner of our 2D Category is a watercolor artist who paints landscapes of the North Woods of Minnesota and the BWCA…” With a mouthful of breadstick, my eyes widened and locked with Spencer’s across the table. I heard my name and humbly approached the stage surrounded by the cheers and applause of my fellow artists.

It has taken the weekend for this to sink in. I was overwhelmed on Saturday night and Sunday with congratulations and sales and honestly, hadn’t fully processed what had even happened until this morning. Being honored like this is both humbling and absolutely filled me with pride for the hard work I have put in.

But I think the part I felt most deeply were the people that grabbed and squeezed my hand as I walked up and back from the stage, the artist friends whose voices I could hear in the crowd, and the hugs I received telling me how excited they were for me.

All of these people know what it’s like to put your entire self into your craft. To make mistakes and learn from them and keep at it no matter how many experiments don’t quite work. They know what it’s like to celebrate the wins and they celebrate with you when they happen.

I joined this community four years ago when we moved to Two Harbors from the Twin Cities and I must tell you that I have never felt this fully embraced anywhere else. The support these artists have for one another is unmatched, no one says an ill word against each other, I have only felt positively supported and uplifted. Everyone respects one another and has nothing but kind things to say.

Belonging is something everyone deserves and I am so grateful to belong to a community as wonderful and loving as this one.