| It is that time of
year! It is the time for the local, regional and state fairs.
The excitement is building for the senior citizens who have spent time
and energy perfecting that certain recipe, or honing their whittling
skills. It is the time for the folks whose hobbies have consumed
them to show off the collection of rare memorabilia. Quilting, canning,
crafts, and sewing skills from the hands of children and grandparents
will be on display. It is time for the young people of the
Future Farmers of America to groom the livestock that they so lovingly
care for throughout the year, to present them for all in the community
to admire. AND it is time to be rewarded for those skills.
Blue ribbons are sought after. Red or white ribbons gladly accepted.
.
"Blue ribbons are sought after.
Red or white ribbons gladly accepted."
For an artist, not only is the opportunity
there for entering artwork in the Fair, and competing for top honors, but
the atmosphere of excitement and the color of the crowded midways, offer
outstanding subject matter for new paintings. For the animal artist
there are the chickens, horses, cattle and sheep; rabbits and pigs et al;
each the most outstanding example of the breed. For the still life
enthusiast, there are row upon row of colorful canned goods and the biggest
and best from fruit trees and vegetable gardens. Floral displays are fresh
and uniquely enchanting. People painters should find a continual
source of delightful subjects from child to venerable elder. If abstract
art is your genre, what could be more enticing than the whirl of activity
amidst the colorful background of banners, balloons and brightly painted
vendor booths? |
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Some fairs offer entertainment
in the form of carnival rides. Some cap off the duration of the fair
with a breathtaking fireworks display. (Picture that!) Most
of them feature musical acts from local to internationally known performers.
Each community has its own identity wrapped up in their fair. If
fields of level farmland surround the area, the theme is different than
a setting amidst towering trees or bordering crystal lakes or streams.
The unifying factor is the talent and hard work of the staff, participants
and volunteers. The locale of the fair will be reflected in the fine
art displayed.
"The locale of the fair will
be reflected in the fine art displayed."
Our Thurston County Fair opens Wednesday, the
31st of July and continues through Sunday the 4th of August. I was
one of four judges who awarded ribbons in the fine art show just
yesterday, the 29th of July, and I am eager to see the fair in it's
entirety. I plan to be there, digital camera and sketch book in hand
to record my impressions of the event. I can imagine (and am already
painting in my head) the people, animals and scenes to be observed.
On August 11th, I will be judging the Lewis
County Fair fine art exhibit. September is the month for the biggest
and longest of the fairs, the Puyallup Fair. (No, I am not going
to be a judge there). It has a marvelous fine art division
and, of course, very much worth the time to see.
So support your local, county and state fairs.
After all, it's only Fair.
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