Shows are becoming scarce................

....especially with summer upon us. So there's no show activity to report. Next weekend I'll be in Melbourne, and last year's May show up there was very good. But that, of course, was last year.
As a bonus, we all watched the space shuttle launch at 5 pm as the show had just closed. It sure looked close, but it was surprisingly quiet, opposite to what I expected.

June 5, 6, and 7 will be the final show of the season in West Palm Beach. The new promoters are thinking about going back to a full years schedule, a show every month.

I sure hope they will, (he said selfishly).

DMG World Media, the British Bozos who owned the show prior to the Puchsteins and Tuckers, flat out panicked when we had the year of the hurricanes and cancelled out all July to October shows for the future. Oh, gee, the billion dollar conglomerate lost a little money because the Salvation Army, as well they should, commandeered the Fairgrounds for emergency operations a couple of times that one stormy season. As a result, rather than taking a "risk", these twits (rhymes with Brits) eliminated 20 or so potential "paydays" to their loyal Florida vendors who worked the summer shows, hundreds of us. I lost all respect for the ball-less bastards at that point, for shrinking their annual contract from 12 shows to eight. They could not have been more dealer-unfriendly.

Now we've got Florida people in charge, and unlike the Brits, they have cojones. That was proven by the fact that they stepped up to the plate and bought into this show while weaker promoters are shriveling up and barely staying functional.

And, having known Bill and Kay, and Yvonne and Jim for years, I know they love and appreciate their dealers (vendors) and do everything they can to treat us right.

So, from the beginning of June until August, I have no shows scheduled. Every summer I think about maybe doing a Mt Dora, or even going back up to Atlanta for a Scott's show again (we did them years and years ago). Maybe this summer I'll be able to overcome my distaste for Doyle at Mt Dora and the drudgery of the trip up I75 to Atlanta and back.

As far as sales, we sell stuff when there are no shows, too. Check out a couple of kick-ass Fritzes we just posted and sold on the Other Florida artists page. And a gorgeous and super-rare James Ralph Wilcox original watercolor from the 1890's. It's always the best stuff that sells.

Until next time, gentle reader, keep a cool tool.