What I love about in-person venues

It's all about the study of human nature. People have always been fascinating to me. And, in an instant, you can tell if your work is their thing, or not. I love observing what people gravitate toward, their first reaction to a piece when they hold it in their hand, and their comments and expressions.

I love eavesdropping when friends shop together to glean little nuggets about them. Their plan for the day, their honesty about how "right" a piece is for the other, and their support of each other. I get a little friend fix just being on the periphery of these interactions. Maybe it's because my friends are so precious to me. They are amazingly supportive, stopping by whenever possible, to say hello and show their support of what I love to do, and poke around to see what's new.

Because Silicon Valley Open Studios, my primary live event, is always on or around Mother's Day weekend each year, I often get children and husbands in search of that perfect something. It can be tricky getting just the right thing for someone else, can't it? I love being able to assure them that I'm a local girl and because each piece is handmade, I can generally size it if it's not a perfect fit straight away. And I never want someone to feel stuck with a gift, so if there's something else they would prefer, I'm happy to make exchanges. It's a lot trickier and messier with on-line sales.

But most of all, I think it's connecting with like-minded folks who appreciate art that's born from the love of creating, in all its forms. Sure, it's a lot of work to set up for a live venue, but it's always such a rich personal experience; there's really nothing like it!