the merche traveller

Packing the suitcase
I do not remember how did I get there, to the situation itself...
I was in a room, choosing what to pack in my luggage . My cousin Diana and my brother Alvaro were waiting for me. We were leaving.
They were hurrying me,
I was having problems finishing the packing of my luggage. There were somethings I could not find, others I could not choose from. It seemed like a huge enterprise to pack the suitcase. It would not close, and there was not everything in it yet. There were not yet representatives of every species, like in Noe's Arch . Nickers, socks, swimming wear, jumpers, tooth brush, passport........I could not find them, the room was full of stuff, a complete mess with mountains of items.
I was sweating and crying
My brother and cousin kept hurrying me, there was not time to pity myself
Shaking, I could not complete the task.
Was the world going to end and we were trying to catch a spacecraft to jump to another galaxy?

No time to make a list from where to tick off.
Just move on with whatever you have.
Late for considering future regrets
System crash, not ready, too much to select from, to compress,
I woke up when I was breaking down in the middle of a scream... It is true...

I found it comic but the dream reflects my stress after 6 weekends of markets and open studio show

The suitcase in my dream was the one I use to carry my ceramics whenever I go to markets or fairs. A big box of 70 cm large 47cm wide and 30 cm deep, with wheels.
When loaded with pots it weights maybe more than me. I do not drive a car.

So why do I do markets?
Why not rely on shops or the Internet to sell my artwork?
The answer: I have not yet found the appropriate shop, and I would not buy a ceramic work without having touch it before or seen it live. I know for experience that something can look really good in a photo while been crap in reality, it is the case many times.

Markets and fairs give me the chance to meet the costumers. To observe the public out there. I love sketching while at the market.
Sometimes it involves going to new places, like last year's Scotland Potfest in Stirling. It was my first time in Scotland!. I carried a huge suitcase full with pots, camping tent, 2 sleeping bags (it gets cold) and other staff, all by myself and by train. I did not have enough pots for the 3 days of fair, nor props or embellishments. It did not matter. I sold what I had and enjoyed myself meeting new people.
I had such a good time, such a good experience. But I suffered too, when carrying all that weight. And before when choosing what to take with me. And after, feeling insecure about my stand display.

It is not only the artwork that makes an impression. It is the display, and how the display looks in the venue environment. The colors, distribution of pots, props , fabric and other embellishing supportive items including myself.

For last year's Potfest I collected wild flowers to decorate , they did the trick.

This year I want to go to another ceramic fair, to a new place if possible. I decided to get my driving license. Ideally in the future I would rent a car to transport the pots and whatever I need. I like the idea. The traveler, the nomad in me loves the idea.