Sunday, November 22, 2015

We Did It: AOC 2015

Our 8th consecutive appearance at Art of the Carolinas was a resounding success!  Our members stepped up in a big way; assisting workshop instructors by providing clean water (and hauling away buckets and buckets of dirty water), covering the tables with plastic (and tearing off yards of painted plastic after each class was over), answering questions from students ("What time does the trade show close?"), displaying the postcards received so far from our Orange: An International Mail Art Challenge (thanks for the windows, Ilona!), and presenting hours of free demos on a variety of techniques (from Alcohol inks to Zentangles) in our "Try It Zone". 

We worked, we played, we laughed, we ate, and we shared in the concentrated 4-day weekend which is AOC.  Thanks to everyone who participated.

Here are just a few of the images from the weekend.  Enjoy--we certainly did!



Saturday, November 7, 2015

CMMAG@AOC*

*Carolina Mixed Media Guild at Art of the Carolinas |November 12--15, 2015

Yes, it's that time again:

Bleary-eyed members getting up at the crack of dawn to prepare the first workshop classrooms; starting off in Congressional to see what color Sharon has chosen for this year's shirts and aprons; seeing the tower of boxes of plastic to be cut (yes, we remembered scissors this year!); stuffing bags with pre-cut plastic to be used later; wearing masking tape 'bracelets'; greeting teachers from years past; separating buckets (yes, Penny's plastic separator method worked again!); filling and delivering the first of what will seem like hundreds of buckets of water; covering the tables (tape all around vs. just on the ends--try not to get a splinter!);  rooms ready and so are the students; a break for breakfast; first classroom turnover (of what will seem like thousands...didn't I just do this table 4 hours ago?); lunch at Bahama Breeze; preparing our "Try It Zone;" greeting friends and eager artists (no, you can't come in yet, the demos don't begin until tomorrow--here's a schedule); another turnover; a bit of time to sit and visit; hospitality rooms now open, time to go get something to drink (what? it's dark outside already?); doing the last turnover so we won't have to get up early tomorrow...time to sleep, then it's back at it again tomorrow.

And, Friday through Sunday, there'll be trade show bargains (where did you get that, and did they have more?), member technique demos, and our "Orange International Mail Art Challenge" display (view cards which have come in so far, then make one yourself, to have your work included in our online event).

We often say that AOC is the most work and the most fun we have as Guild members, and it's true.  We work hard and we play even harder.  And, it's the most concentrated time we have together all year.  Thanks to everyone who will volunteer her time to make our 8th AOC a success.

Below are some "vintage" AOC photos (from 2009, our second year).  Enjoy, and see you next week!