Cow Art and More at the Holstein convention

In case you missed at the Holstein convention last week, we want to catch you up on just how the booth finally came together!


This was our "blank slate". The booth came with a covered table, two chairs, 3 foot sidewalls and an 8 foot backwall.











I had the convention center staff add 8 foot tall polls with connecting horizontal bars around all sides. This allowed me to add lights to the top of the booth.

You can also see I hung ivory drapes in the back (I wanted the art to hang on a neutral color) and wood floor design foam tiles on the floor. (Yes, that is one of my peeps putting them together.)





I put the table along one of the sides and covered with the chocolate colored table cover. I then set up pedestals along the back and in the front corner of the booth. The Cow Art and More booth was also on the end of the row, so I had the show staff take off the outer side rail to allow traffic to flow easier.







The finished booth with cow artwork in place! The great majority of our art was of Holstein cattle, but a few Jerseys managed to sneak in too.











The two wooden framed drawings were the original ideal Holstein and ideal Red and White Holstein done by Gary Sauder. The stained glass piece in the center right was done by the McIntyres and had one of Gary Sauder's ideal Holstein cow prints in the center.








We had several Holstein prints by Jo Lynch. This same design is also available as a cross stitch pattern.











"Bessie the Cow" made her debut! She was just added to the Cow Art and More gallery this week. She was also a big hit with the kids since she was hanging out on ground level. Bessie can be displayed indoors, but is meant to live outside and enjoy the weather.














In addition to having the new Holstein cow bookmarks, we also had flower and bird designs from the same artist at Palmetto Cat Designs.
















We also debuted our new farm themed nightlights (and sold out)! These will be listed soon on Cow Art and More. Be sure to keep an eye on our new products section.










In addition to having the Out to Pasture and Over the Moon tote bags by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson, we also showcased bags with the Grazing Beneath a Garnet Sky image by Robin Maria Pedrero.















Of course we couldn't come without bringing our Southern Living star, "Lazy Afternoon" by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson. She looked the regal part watching over the Cow Art and More booth and was sold to a farm in Virginia before the show was over.













By far, one of the favorite things of the convention was visiting with dairy farmers from across the country. America salutes what you do and I am honored to represent your passions in artistic forms. We will also be posting our success in helping the National Holstein Women's Scholarship Organization raise money for their scholarship through the sale of the milk bottle charm.

Getting the cow art booth ready

I'm minutes away from pulling out the door, but had a few more "hodge podge" pictures to share:


My woodworking friend Bill also cut some scrap lumber for me to use as shelving. Here, I'm drilling holes for screws to attach the brackets.











He also marked holes for me to drill to attach screws to secure the jewelry displays.












Some good fit and now I can secure it. (Bill is always good about "safety".)


















A "ballot box" to collect names for the Cow Art and More contact list. I like doing it this way as to protect people's privacy. Do you really like adding your name to a list so everyone can see?








Okay, the truck is PACKED FULL and we are heading north! See you on Friday!

Finishing up the cow art display

It's crunch time for the debut of Cow Art and More at the National Holstein Convention! One of the final things to do over the last week was making the fabric covers for the pedestals.


Some of the pedestals will have a nice pale green cover. This is a fire retardant fabric I bought directly from the manufacturer.












I used my handy-dandy sewing machine (which had not seen the light of day in awhile) to finish the edges.












I also did the same with some burlap fabric, but had to use a "edging glue" to keep the sides from fraying.











To hang these to the pedestals, I have a applied velcro to the cardboard pedestal and the fabric cover.

Look for pictures of the finished product later this week!

Jewelry display cases

Now that the pedestals are on their way to being done, I wanted something a little extra "secure" for the jewelry. Don't get me wrong, farm people are some of the nicest, most honest people in the world, but how does the saying go...."Trust in God, but lock your car." I've done art shows before and had jewelry stolen, so I know the potential exists. I also needed wood planks cut for a shelf, so to get both projects done, I gave my local art show, woodworking buddy a call.

This is Bill. He makes wooden boxes and other assorted pieces from exotic woods. He is also a man after my own heart as he has completely converted his garage into his studio (same here). I needed him to cut some wood boards and dowel rod, along with drilling some holes into the medium density fiberboard pedestal tops. Bill is pretty good about figuring out the simplest way of doing things. I just need to go to him with an idea.












I think I caught him off guard a couple of times. He's used to working without a flash....or an audience.

















Without a doubt, I know he got this job done better and faster than I ever could have. He's got the best in tools, including a laser sighted wood saw. Pretty slick!
















I don't know what the technical description is of the technique here, but he's doing a partial drill out of circles for the dowel rod pieces that are going to support the glass for the jewelry display.















No art studio is complete without a mascot. This is "Steve", of the rare breed, "Florida brown dog". Steve was a stray dumped in Bill's neighborhood a few years ago, and he's been hanging here ever since.















The construction is done! The wooden dowel rods are holding up a piece of glass. The jewelry will be displayed underneath. Not high tech or high security, but enough to make someone give pause.

More on the pedestal construction this week!

Constructing art display pedestals

In a post last week, I showed you a trip to Lowe's to get tops for art display pedestals. The next step was to put them together.


I had the medium density fiberboard (MDF) cut into squares of 14 by 14 inches and 12 by 12 inches. I managed to get a total of 21 squares out of a 4 foot by 9 foot sheet.










I centered a 12 inch by 12 inch square on a 14 inch by 14 inch square. I glued it down with wood glue and let it sit for 24 hours.










While those were drying, I started working on the pedestal base.


I ordered a stack of 10 cardboard boxes, double walled thickness, 12 inches by 12 inches by 48 inches. It almost cost as much to ship them as it cost for the boxes.

















I had selected a few different heights that I wanted to give the display some visual interest. This particular box, I marked 40 inches from the bottom all the way around.










I then used my handy-dandy "as seen on TV ginsu knife" to cut the box. (Yes, that's me in the do-rag at left. I'm either wearing one of those of a baseball cap.)










Voila! Cardboard pedestals with hard tops! The top piece is the 14 by 14 and 12 by 12 combo. A 12 inch by 12 inch piece of MDF is in the inside bottom of the box to help keep it steady. I figured I made 7 for the cost of buying 2 already made.

They're still not done though. I need to make covers and have attachments for glass for the jewelry display pieces.

Portable art gallery lighting

Part of having a good art show booth display is to make sure customers can actually see what you're trying to sell. This sounds like a "duh", I know, but extra lighting can make or break the success of a booth. Even though the Cow Art and More art show booth at the Holstein convention is indoors in the convention center, the lights won't be enough. I'm going to need to take lights with me.


There are several lighting options, but what works best for me is a portable (which really isn't meant to be portable) track lighting system. I will be taking three two foot track sections with gooseneck lights purchased from one of those major home improvement retailers. Why two foot sections you might ask? Portability! I can take these apart versus trying to bring a 6 foot track in the back of a SUV.




To get the tracks back together, I use connectors and put covers over them. I also have it wired to an electrical cord at the end.













This is what the finished track looks like when it's hung and lit. I've attached it to a cross bar above the top front of the booth (this picture is from a different show) with cable ties. The gooseneck pendant lamps are adjustable, so I can pose them to shine light exactly where I want them too.

You can't have too much lighting!

Jewelry charm to be sold for college scholarship endowment

Dairy veterinarian, artist and owner of Cow Art and More, Dr. Kathy Swift is donating a portion of profits from her brand-new sterling silver jewelry charm for the National Holstein Women’s Association Scholarship Organization (NHWSO) at 2011 National Holstein Association Convention in June.

Swift is personally interested in assisting NHWSO since she grew up in Virginia where she spent most of her time in her family’s registered Holstein farm. She is devoted to the Holstein industry, as a teenager she earned Distinguished Junior Member and was recipient of the National Holstein Women’s Association scholarship in 1990.

Ida Ruby, president of NHWSO, contacted Swift for assistance in fundraising. Swift has been an active participant in the past by donating jewelry and gift certificates in silent auctions. Swift agreed to donate a portion of her profits on the much-anticipated new charm that will debut at this year’s convention. “When Ida (Ruby) called to ask if I would help with their next fundraiser, I didn't hesitate to answer, ‘of course!’ Winning the NHWSO scholarship was something that made a big difference in my life and I am happy to help others with their education." Swift added, “I believe strongly in helping the next generation along with their many endeavors. I know, without a doubt, that I wouldn't be where I am today without the same help at that time in my life."

Swift’s avid fan base will have to wait until the convention to know more details about the upcoming debut of the charm. Swift wanted to tell everyone, “I am very excited about the newest charm. It is something customers have requested, and I hope everyone will love it as much as I do."

Preparing for the National Holstein convention

A lot goes into making a 10 foot by 10 foot booth space into a temporary art gallery space. After spending some time in Google SketchUp, I have a booth design that I like and am moving forward with. Here's a preview of what the booth will look like:


The floor of the space will have a series of 2 foot by 2 foot foam tiles with a wood grain pattern. (Notice one of my peeps helping me put them together.) Not only will it give people a comfortable place to stand, but will give the space an upscale gallery feel (versus the basement of a convention center).







The design also includes having back drapes and table covers. Since this will be an indoor venue, the fabrics must be fireproofed. I decided that it was a better use of my time to talk to a company that specializes in made to order, fire retardant draperies and cloths instead of doing it myself. These are the fabric samples the company sent. I'm definitely going with the ivory at the far left for the drapes, but am still trying to decide on tablecloth colors. I thought I wanted brown, but the dark terra cotta is nice too.



The lights I've ordered just came in, so I will be putting those together. Pictures to come on those too.

Getting ready for our first LIVE event

Getting ready to have our first art exhibit and sale at the National Holstein Convention, June 24 and 25 is no small feat. This will be an indoor exhibit, in conjunction with the convention's trade show area.

You might be asking yourself, "Isn't it a little early to be worrying about this?" An emphatic "No!" is only part of the answer. It's not just as simple as showing up with some art and putting it out on a table. The show will essentially be a temporary retail space, so we need to plan accordingly.

Here are a few things that need to go on the "to do" list:

1. A wide selection of art! We know our customers have been longing for the opportunity to "experience" our art first hand. We want to have as many pieces as reasonably possible there for people to look at and decide if it's a good fit for their home or office.
2. Packaging materials, from bags to boxes, to help people get their purchases home.
3. Display materials: shelving, tablecloths, drapes, flooring and anything else to help our art give the professional look it deserves
4. Lights! Shoppers need to be able to easily see the art and all its delicate features
5. Other materials needed to run a cash register, such as receipt pads and internet access to run credit card transactions.

Be watching in the coming weeks as we show you just how this all is going to come together!

Cow Art and More to create jewelry charm for charity

Cow Art and More is excited to announce gallery owner and jewelry artist Kathy McComb Swift will be creating a new jewelry charm to make its debut at the 2011 National Holstein Convention in Richmond, Virginia. A portion of the sale of this charm will benefit the National Holstein Wives Scholarship Organization (NHWSO). The NHWSO provides scholarships for deserving youth who are pursuing college and graduate level education in agriculture. While the charm design has been decided, the finished piece will not be unveiled to the public until closer to the event.

What's up for Cow Art and More in 2011?

Cow Art and More has a few projects we're working on that we don't mind sharing with you:

We will be doing our first LIVE event at the National Holstein Convention, Richmond, Virginia, June 22 to 25. The art you see on our website will be there as a part of the trade show exhibition area and will be for sale. Be sure to sign up for our email list to be notified of show details closer to the event.

Cow Art and More continues to expand its custom art offerings. We have several businesses and farms we are working with to create custom art pieces to help promote their operations. We are also helping some non-profit groups with their fundraising activities by having customizable art for them as well.

We are waiting with anticipation for upgrades from our outside technology firm to our shopping cart system to make it even easier for patrons to buy from us. We hope to have these done and in place by early spring.

What else would you like to see us work on?