Life As An Itinerant Artist

Old Capitol Art Fair, Springfield IL

Jim Parker — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:56:13 +0000

Here’s a capsule review of a lovely local show in Springfield, IL. Held the third weekend in May, it features the Old Capitol building in downtown Springfield as its centerpiece. It’s a nice local show, one of only a couple in the Springfield area, so it gets good community support. But people in Springfield are [...]

Upcoming Shows – Wells Street Chicago & Crosby Festival Toledo

Jim Parker — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:32:12 +0000

It’s the second week in June and the weather was absolutely frightening here in southeastern Michigan over the weekend. Tornadoes to the south in Dundee and Toledo sent many scurrying for shelter. I was very happy not to be at a show last weekend, and my heart goes out to all those folks who have [...]

Another feather in the cap – merit award at Barrington Art Fest

Jim Parker — Mon, 31 May 2010 17:33:54 +0000

Yet another nod to my work came in the form of a merit award at this past weekend’s Barrington Art Fest in Barrington, Illinois. — this photograph courtesy of “brother” Frank Truong, who drove up from Chicago to visit. We also had a nice chat with old friends Richard Pahl and his partner Dennie, who [...]

Spam, ham and how to tell the difference

Jim Parker — Tue, 11 May 2010 11:54:22 +0000

Lately there have been a few comments made here that could conceivably be construed as real comments, and not spammers looking for another site to link to. It looks to me like the spammers are getting cleverer with the wording of completely non-related comments posted merely to get a link back to some crapola site [...]

11 Roadworthy iPhone Apps for photographers

Jim Parker — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:16:23 +0000

When I’m traveling or shooting on location, the iPhone 3GS is an indispensable tool. Aside from all of the great little camera apps that you can get with the iPhone, there are a few apps that are creatively useful. A couple relate directly to location use, and others are more for entertainment value while getting [...]

10 Requirements for a Successful Art Show Item

Jim Parker — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 14:26:15 +0000

In over five years of selling photography at art shows, I’ve had the opportunity to make a lot of friends, and to observe many more artists and their handiwork. I got to thinking about why some kinds of art seem to sell better at certain shows. Things like garden art, for example. Or jewelry. The [...]

10,000 Miles Down the Road

Jim Parker — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:12:29 +0000

It’s been close to a week since I got back to Michigan after six weeks on the road. And I gotta say, it was great to see my baby at home again, even though she spent most weekends with me at the shows. One thing I learned during the 10,000 miles I drove from Michigan [...]

Souvenirs of the Southwest

Jim Parker — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:31:50 +0000

I’m writing this on WordPress for iPhone, so by necessity it’ll be short. Wanted to post a couple of shots from the Vulture Mine. Like my pal Art says, it’s a “target rich” environment. Interior of the Assay Office/Manager’s quarters Another Interior The Assay Office Click on an image to view full size Technorati Tags: [...]

A Tale of Two Peaks

Jim Parker — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:33:32 +0000

While in Arizona for a couple of shows, I had a few days to nose around in the mountains. Monday was cloudy in the morning, and I spent most of the day just driving. First it was to Sky Harbor to drop Karyn off for her flight back to Detroit. Then I got turned around [...]

One of the finest collections of Southwestern books in the West

Jim Parker — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 01:45:51 +0000

If you ever happen to find yourself in Las Cruces New Mexico, you owe it to yourself to stop and visit Bowlins Book Center in Mesilla. Mesilla is one of the most-visited historic districts in the Southwest, and for good reason. A lovely square with a beautiful church at one end, numerous shops and galleries, [...]