Event Review: Bast Brother's Spring Festival

This past Saturday I participated in the Bast Brothers Garden Center's Spring Festival. It was a beautiful day with the best weather you could hope for in April! I wanted to have ample time to setup so I arrived around 6:30AM and began unloading my truck. I setup my Pro Panels and print bins then was able to start unloading my inventory before needing to park.

Since I practiced my setup at home in my garage, it was breeze to hang up the metal and framed prints. I referenced pictures I took from my practice run. I was really glad that I took the time to figure out where everything would go because I feel like that is one of the most difficult parts!

Before the event started I had some time to walk around inside the greenhouse and met some really great vendors. Marion of KakeMi 90 Second Cake was so sweet and we talked about ideas of how to enhance her setup and new products ideas. I also talked with Kristin of Milkmaid Paperie about her awesome products and how important a story is for customers to connect with our artwork.

The event was very well attended! There was a constant flow of people throughout the greenhouse the entire day. I met a lot of great people who have not seen my work before and had conversations about custom paintings or products. I look forward to bringing those ideas to life!

Since I was doing the event solo, I didn't have time to walk around but I was lucky to have a couple of friends stop by to allow me a break to go to the bathroom, which was greatly appreciated! Below are some pictures from my practice as well as the day of the event. Enjoy!

Practice Setup

Practice Setup

Practice Setup

Practice Setup

2018 Salem County Farmlands Calendar

I initially started taking photographs of Salem County farmlands to use as reference material for my paintings. After my children were born, I turned to taking pictures in the morning and evening as an extra way of being creative and finding inspiration. There has been such a positive response that I decided to compile them into a calendar for a good cause.

The 2018 Salem County Farmlands Calendar is a collection of photographs by me, Kimberly English, featuring the farmers and farmland of Salem County. $5 of each calendar sold will be donated to the Woodstown Future Farmers of America Program. A great holiday gift that gives back to our farming community!

Featuring: Coleman Brothers Farms of Elmer, English Farms of Aldine, Wilson Brother's Farms of Daretown, and Spring Brook Farms of Pittsgrove.

Preorder your calendar today! Orders will be taken until November 20th. Calendars will be available for free local pick up at my Holiday Open House December 2-3, 2017. For non-local customers, please choose your shipping option at checkout. Click here to order

If you are a Salem County farmer that would like to have their operations and/or land photographed to be included in next year's calendar, please email me at: kimberlydenglish@gmail.com

Sharing Another Artist: Lori Gilbert

This week I wanted to share another artist: Lori Gilbert. I have been following Lori for a couple of years on Instagram and I am totally inspired by her artwork and lifestyle! She is a professional self taught acrylic painter who specializes in large, photorealistic ocean waves and sunsets. "Lori’s art is inspired through a complex web of internal and external factors. Love for the natural universe is inspiration for many of her pieces and emotional intellect adds a sometimes seemingly dark edge to her work which never fails to capture the viewers full attention."

I admire Lori's commitment to her artistic practice as well as using her personal fitness to fuel her creativity. She spends most her day painting in her studio using simple artistic materials such as Liquitex acrylics, styrofoam plates, and her favorite $4 paint brush from Michael's to create her works. She successfully uses dramatic color shifts and organic shapes to create the illusion of flowing water and soft clouds in her paintings. I am enamored by her ability to paint on such a large scale and create captivating visual effects.

Lori also credits regular workouts to helping her sustain and expand her creativity. I was inspired through following her regularly on social media that I have also incorporated fitness into my daily routine to help cultivate new creative energies. I have to admit, it does work! I feel even more motivated and inspired after I have had time to workout. Having the time to put your body to work also provides to opportunity for your mind to become more clear and think in different ways.

Below are some of my favorite works of art by Lori.

Be sure to follow Lori with the links and contact information below

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lori.Gilbert.Art/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorigilbertart/

Blog: https://lorigilbertfineart.com/blog/

Website: https://lorigilbertfineart.com

E-mail: lgilbert756@gmail.com