After devoting over 35 years to my career in accounting I began to develop some health issues. I started to fantasize about what I would do if I left my nine to five job, a possibility would be to develop a career in selling my art. I had always considered myself to be an artist, so perhaps it was time to take the plunge and begin actively marketing my work via the Art Fair circuit. Through the years I had been accumulating and storing quite a few of my paintings and had gone to the expense of having some of the better paintings reproduced, all with the impetus of ultimately entering into art sales. I subsequently decided to quit my high stress job in accounting and sold my condo in Martinez, CA. and moved into a lovely home in the North State of California, with a wonderful view of Mt. Lassen. I hoped the transition to the country would provide a more conducive setting in which to create art. I also purchased a Ford Van conversion and a small hauling trailer, in order to begin this new phase of my life. I imagined what a relief it would be to celebrate life with other artists and share my paintings via exhibits and shows throughout California and perhaps even the Southwest, who knows, anything seemed possible with my new and exciting plans. My book, in diary format, encapsulates my adventures in participating in outdoor art shows over the course of several years. I learned many lessons about myself and human nature in general, as I attempted to change from my rather taciturn accounting personality to embrace a more out going sales persona but as they say, "a leopard doesn't change its spots" and frankly neither did I. However, I remained motivated to evolve into an Art Show Gypsy. I sashayed from show to show, hauling my little trailer filled with all the accessories required to set up a show on a street or in a park; the canopy, stands, etc. Being on the street, exposed to the elements of nature, was more challenging than I anticipated but it still felt good to be free of walls and structure. I hope that by sharing my stories about the shows I participated in will help other artists decide whether to take the plunge into a whole new world of being an "Art Show Gypsy."
About the Author: My entire 40 year career was spent in accounting and office management and the last position I filled was as a Corporate Controller for an assisted living company. I ended that challenging job because it was having an adverse impact on my health and this job ending motivated me to pursue a long delayed career in art. At 60 I decided to re-invent myself and to finally embrace my creative self. I moved away from the Bay Area and settled in Cottonwood, CA. in a pristine natural place, away from crowds and noise. Initially I focused totally on creating and marketing my art but unfortunately I found it didn't generate the income I required and going back to day job in accounting was no longer feasible. Once again I tried to push the envelope further and develop my latent skills in public speaking. Initially I spoke to art groups about the topic "The Art Spirit," sharing the ideas of artists and teachers, such as Robert Henri, Kandinski, etc. Through the years I continued to watch over my elderly father, Richard, who lived in the Bay Area. I spent many years travelling to the Bay Area to ensure he was taken care of properly, while he continued to descend further into Dementia. I was finally able to move dad from San Mateo to Red Bluff in 2010, which was in closer proximity to my new location. Having spent many years focused on my father, I found I had enough material to literally write a book, so I wrote a memoir titled, "Dance with Dementia" which has been published. Now I give talks in the North State about my father and my book about him to groups and associations of people who are also dealing with a loved one with dementia. I seem to have come full circle from working in an Assisted Living Company to sharing my memoir about my dad with others. I still paint but now I recognize that art wasn't the driving force of my life, discovering instead my life was really all about the relationships I have had with people I've met along the way.