Britt Festival Opening Festivities

Yes, this day finally felt like Spring is actually approaching for real. Our small art group, "Art Presence", created to present more professional quality art and artists in Jacksonville, was thrilled to be part of this event. In concert with and celebrating the opening night of the Britt Festival (http://www.brittfest.org/) Jacksonville closed off both the north and south parts of 3rd Street adjacent to the main street. One side was for the artists and the other side, for wine pouring and music.

The day blossomed gorgeous, sunshine and clear blue skies (it was rainy and 40 degrees last week). Our "Art Presence" officers arrived at 9am to tape off the booths and shortly, the artists began arriving. Town was already hopping and by noon the people were swarming our booths, delightful, lively music dancing through the atmosphere ~ ~ and Summer-ready faces ALL smiling.

We artists had debated the event, as to possible sales, but as usual, just being visible and available for personal relations was the real pay off! I had a previous client come by and tell me they were interested in me doing a commission for them. Later in the day, a local business owner, who'd been sampling three of my giclee prints, dropped in to let me know he wanted to purchase two of them!

As the afternoon passed, I took up my journal, to start in a sketch. I nested in a corner of my booth, out of the hot sun, and captured this nicely cropped vantage point. I was most pleased with the brick effect I acquired with use of my favorite wax crayons! What you think?

Once all packed up and delivered back at home, we opted for a quick Boca Burger in town and a weird "Freckled Lemonade" (where one had to fish out the strawberries from one's lemonade).

On our after dinner walk, I was complaining that it was way past time for our local deer to birthing their sweet babies and that I was suffering "fawn with drawl". I swear, not ten feet further we came across our first fawn nestled in deep grass with her mom (of course, I didn't have my camera). But the next morn, out our kitchen window we saw these tiny twins hobbling clumsily across our back yard. OH, they are so adorable!!!

I have to admit that this time of year, ending of Winter and the flurry of Summer, punctuated with the start of the Britt Festivals, is one of my favorite parts of the year. After a couple months of grey rain and a town of quiet (although I love our lil' green wood burning stove that glows warmth and charm into our home), I relish flood of visitors touring through our sweet Historic Town of Jacksonville, the cascading of live music around 3pm when the Britt performance of the evening practices up the hill from us and floral blossoms and green are every where. Does life get any better?