Fall Exhibit

So the day finally came, the exhibition took place but it almost went on without any spectators, however besides my mom, Elena, and Maryita whom got here almost on time which is rare for my beautiful sister, and Vane, Frank, and familia I did have a huge surprise when I came back from the store.

My dear blog friend Betty of "Life is Good" and her husband Paul showed up. Betty and I met just a little over a year ago through another of my dear blogger friends ChrisJ of "Flamblogger" blog.

Betty and I smiling because we finally met.
Betty is the only blogger other than my family that lives in Arizona and not only does she live in my state but she lives in the town next to ours. I'd say she only lives about 20 minutes away and yet it took us a little over a year to finally meet. With that said, to say that I was surprised and happy to finally meet her is an understatement.

Michelle, Nichole, and Cindi also showed up but only briefly because they were in the middle of an important celebration for them. Michelle and Nikki's mother in law had a surprised 50th birthday party and they had to be there.

One of the things I always do when having an exhibition is to present the host with a frame, since this one was being hosted by me I decided to present my mom with a frame that a while back she mentioned she would love to have. She had a picture of my grandfather (my dad's father) that my dad took over 20 years ago during one of his trips back to Mexico hanging by her little breakfast nook and somehow the frame gave up and fell. She had put it away but mentioned to me that she would like to put it back on the wall.

However, she said that she would like it even better if the picture was a little bit bigger, so I took her original (which I'm now keeping) and had it enlarged to an 11 X 14 then placed it in a black frame. Because the original picture was so old most of the colors were gone, we did enhance the image through picazza but in the end I opted for the original faded look. To complement the yellowish color of the print I bought a nice light green mat that in my opinion brought the image back to life. I was pleased and happy with it but most importantly so was she.

Mom, this is for you.
She loved it!
After receiving all the phone calls with cancellations I decided to just go and get some Mexican bread so we could have cafesito con pan. Mi chica also broke down some garlic snacks topped with Mexican cheese, ummm que rico! If you don't believe me go ahead and ask Ariel.

Grandpa keep the cookies coming and I'll say I love all your frames.
Here are a few more images from the night.

Betty getting ready to take a lot of pictures.
Sisters! My princesses Marya and Vane.
Grandma, her granddaugher, and great grandkids posing happily for this shot. OK, Emma did fall asleep but was probably still happy.
So, what to do now? I know let's karaoke. We sang (OK mostly me) for the next hour or so and then we called it a night.

We said goodbye and procceded to start cleaning. While mi chica swept I put all the frames away. Doing all this work woke up my appetite and I for some reason craved "chilaquiles". Mi chica said let's go to the store to get what we need. Ummm wow! Almost at midnight I was enjoying the best "chilaquiles" in town. And with that our night came to a close.

Awesome chilaquiles.

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Quinceanera X3 Photo Exhibition

The site for the exhibit.
It was a birthday party but it featured our Photo Exhibition. We took 20 framed photographs and they were well received. We have tried not to repeat any of the images we have framed therefore really making them originalz. We do carry the small prints just in case someone wants to order one of the ones we have done but for the most part they look at what we have in inventory at the time and buy from there.

This one was an outside show and I must admit the frames looked really nice under the daylight. Only four frames sold but two of them were big frames so it was worth our while.

Setting up the display area.
Now that I've done five shows I think I know what works and what doesn't and it's time to start applying all that learning experience into future shows. So far I am having fun doing this, it is rewarding to see our frames hanging on our friends and relatives homes but it's time to take this to the next level and maybe start attending church fairs and arts and crafts shows. That is going to be my next goal. I'll keep you posted.



And in the images above you can see how the whole thing looked once it was set up. I was very pleased with the way it came out and we did get very good reviews again.

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Finally, after a long month of inactivity and funds shortage we finally were able to raise the frame count to 21 pieces and we are now ready to travel this coming weekend to the beautiful City of La Puente, California where we will join my younger sister in her birthday celebration which as per her request will feature a melo-duckworth originalz exhibition and sale.

I really do have high hopes for this one but then again I always do for all exhibitions. It will be interesting and fun to mix it up a bit, being featured in a birthday celebrations has it's pros and cons. The worst thing that can happen is that I don't sell anything which to this day has not happened yet but on the other side of the coin we don't lose anything since we'll be having fun at the party anyway.

I think my sister's idea of featuring us at her birthday party was a good one and I guess we'll soon find out if the idea is going to pan out or not.

Wish us luck.

Mi little sister and I.
Image courtesy of Duckworth Photography

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Party Extras

I would like to share these two images with all of you. It's not often that both families are together. On mi chica's side only one brother couldn't make the trip to Arizona and is missing in the picture.


Mi chica and her family minus one brother that could not attend the fiesta.

And this is Mi Familia.

I have a true belief that family should always come first, without a family we are nothing. Even when sometimes things don't go as they should there are always occasions that will reunite most if not all family members. I was blessed to have everyone that mattered celebrating with me last Saturday.

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While on the subject of family my little sister will have a birthday too. She has dubbed her celebration "Quinceañera X3".

The background on this invitation is Chely's actual "Quincea ñera" dress" More on this on a future post.

I'll be leaving for La Puente California yet one more time. My third road trip in two months. I am excited to attend her party. She chose to host a melo-duckworth originalz photo exhibition in conjunction with her party so I am definitely double excited.



To see the detail please click on images to enlarge.

Images courtesy of: Michelle Duckworth of Duckworth Photography
Invitation art by: Nikki Duckworth

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Over The Hill? Moi?

The weather is starting to cool down, yes it is still a little hot but not as much as before, the trade will be that in the next month we will experience a little more humidity and our skin will get a little more moisture.

I don't think I have mentioned this before but I think today is a good day to do it. Next month I will join the coveted "Over The Hill" gang, the big 5-0 is upon me like nobodies business and mi chica and daughter Michelle have been working on a big birthday bash with DJ, plenty of food, and drinks.

They have chosen a Mexican motif for the fiesta and everything is revolving around anything and everything Mexican, from the food to the drinks to the decor. Of course I don't know Jack about what they are planning or doing, I know what I know because realistically it was impossible for them to keep this completely secret but I'm supposed to be in the dark about things.

Invitations have been sent all over the place, to my biker buddies, to my fellow Mustang club members, to my coworkers, to my karaoke clan, and to all my family and friends, heck one of my dear friends from Mexico may even make the trip to come and join me, to say I am excited is a total understatement.

I'll keep you posted on stuff as more information gets leaked and comes to my attention.

Then the following week right after my fiesta my little sister will also celebrate a milestone birthday (I think it's her 29th... again!) We had been talking about her hosting one of our Photo Exhibitions at her house in California and she came out with the idea of having it on the very day of her party. As most of her friends will be there she feels the frames will get total exposure and I agree. This way even if I don't sell a frame at least we will party hardy.

More on the exhibition and birthday party later on as well.

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Our Exhibit at Vane's

So our fourth exhibition is in the books, no records were broken but when it was all said and done we had a good day. As always family members made an appearance. As I don't' expect them to buy something every time they come I love to have them there for the moral support and because these exhibitions just make for some good ole family gatherings.

My sister and niece brought my mom, one of my toughest critics but also a good paying customer, another surprise was seeing a niece of mine and her husband whom I had not seen in a while. She walked out with the Wild "Flowers" frame that got such good reviews in the past two shows.

And then there was my younger niece that had already bought a custom frame from us which I called "An Aunts Love", since she is a repeat customer and she will be going back to school she talk me into giving her a student discount as she will be going back to college soon and liked the frame for her dorm.

There were a few other guests that came to see what the fuzz was all about. This lady really liked my newest frame which I named "Send Me a Letter". It's a capture by my daughter in law on her way to Prescott. The shot contained a row of mail boxes that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. I really think it was a very beautiful frame and at the very end of the exhibition as we were saying "Good night" she went for it and claimed it as hers.



So far I have always found support, and good reviews about the work we are doing and promoting. The consensus is that people like to hang something on their walls from someone that they know and from a scene that they can get the story as to how it came to be, rather than buying frames from a store that are mass produced.



On his occasion my niece (the host) and her husband really outdid themselves with the wonderful buffet. A salsa bar, chips, some sort of quesadillas, watermelon, punch, and wine kept us coming back to the kitchen for more. Not only did it taste great but the arrangement was also very pretty. I couldn't have asked for more.




Here are some more pics from the event. Until the next one.

Presenting our host with her complimentary frame.
(Thank you Vane for letting me look taller that you in this picture.)

I even had my own custom cup for my tasty punch, courtesy of my daughter and partner Nikki.

My niece and customer and my daughter and partner Michelle posing on a "My Space" type shot.

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Photography Exhibition and Sale at Vane's

We will be holding our fourth Photography Exhibition and Sale hosted by my lovely niece Vanesa Romero. There's always high hopes and good expectations when we do this exhibitions that some frames will find a home in some body's wall, but even if they don't we still get the chance to get together as a family and have a great time.

Do wish us luck as we know money is tight and everyone is holding on to it like dear life, but still so far we have made a few sales and so far they have all been profitable. I continue to learn and to explore different ways to market our frames. Sooner or later we'll come out of this bad economy and customers will come knocking for some cool original photographic art... OK, that is just some wishful thinking, but hey there's nothing wrong with that.

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Our Third Exhibit and Sale

And so we continue to learn while we also collect feedback. We got to my sister's at around 4:30 pm and started to set up the frames. Michelle and I arranged the as best as possible and we even got three existing nails on the wall that we could use for the bigger frames.

At the same time, mu chica and my sister did all the finger foods, mi chica had taken a salsa from home and my sister did a second salsa. How two green salsas can taste so different is beyond me, but they did. Mi chica decided to use orange in her salsa (Did any of you that tried it know that?). My sister Elena is known for her great salsas among other things then she went one step further and made "rajas con cebolla y crema" and used the blender to puree them creating a great tasting chilli dip. Mmmm it was awesome, or should I say, "Que rico"!


Finger foods and chips and salsa, delicious!

Two of my sisters friends showed up and it was fun explaining to them about the images in those frames. One of the two told me where each picture was taken before I even told her. She is just that knowledgeable about places in Arizona. They also told me we should be displaying these works at the fairs and street bazaars, something I am interested in doing except my average of 17 to 20 frames is not enough for that, we really need to have at least 50 pieces in order to offer variety.

We will also be offering prints only. Prints by themselves can make a good profit but would have to sell a lot of them to see the difference, I believe that for many the hard part is getting a frame that compliments the image and put it together. I have already heard the "I have some very nice pictures at home and want to see them framed but don't know how to go about it" line. Some people rather pay to have their keepsakes framed.


Luckily my sister has a huge table and with the two extra additions it was more than enough.

So far we have made it a habit to come up with a frame to offer our host or hostess. From day one, my sister fell in love with this piece and really wanted it, except she had bought other pieces already so it was our pleasure to present her with it. I know she was really happy to receive it and it will be a great addition to her growing collection.

Thank you Elena, not only have you supported us from the beginning but your comments and your input is greatly appreciated. I am lucky to have you as a sister and you must know I love you a lot.

Maybe the 115 degree heat we are having here these days made some people stay home. I for one don't blame them but after all was said and done I did sell three frames for a total of $105.00 and some bowed to buy one later. The overall consensus is that they all love the frames, they like the images in them, and we continue to receive motivation to keep going.

The next show God providing will be late August or early September in California. My sister Chely tells me she is already working on advertising it as she will be my next host. Obviously traveling to California will have to double as vacation time so I am really looking forward to that one.

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Exhibition at Elena's

I am proud to announce that this coming Saturday will be our third Photo Exhibition and sale. This time my sister Elena has graciously accepted to be the host.

So far it's been a good experience to put our work out there on display for our friends to see. I always enjoy taking pictures but really didn't know what to do with them. For three years I've been displaying them in my "Arizona... But it's a dry heat" blog and have received hundreds of good comments.

Now by selecting some of those images and putting them on frames, it's a good way to share them with all of you. What a rewarding feeling to see some of our frames finding their place on your walls.

For Saturday's exhibit we chose a Mexican motif. Why my daughter chose "mortys" for the invitation is beyond me but I liked it. Wish us luck, I'll let you all know how things went on a future post.

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If You Build It They Will Come

OK, that worked for Fields of Dreams but in my fields of dreams when I put it together a few came but in the end it was a fun time for those who came and a good day for Michelle and I because we did sell a few of our frames and got a few custom orders too.

It wasn't until 6:30 pm that my sister, my niece and my mom came in. Before this I was thinking no one would show up. A few minutes later my other sister and my other niece came in. Hey not a total bust, then my sister in law, her two daughters (my nieces), and a friend of theirs showed up, and lastly Michelle's best friend came in.

My gardener got a private showing as he was here doing my yards and he was quite impressed with what he saw that he wanted to buy one on the spot, then he told me he really loved a certain image we had but wanted it on a darker frame to fit the decor of his house, needless to say he placed the order and we are already working on it.

How amazing that we can make some money out of something we have always done for free. If you know my clan we are all always carrying our cameras, a hobby passed down to all of us by my dad. So, without further ado here are some of the photos I took from last night.

Elegant and inspiring, this limited edition collection is mostly filled with one of a kind original images captured by either Michelle or me. We put a lot of love in the process of framing the images. These are perfect for mother's day and also as casual gifts. For any questions plese do not hesitate to contact us.

melo.duckworthoriginalz@yahoo.com

"The Angel" my sister in law snatched this one right away as she really loved it. This is one of Michelle's images.


Our artwork on display.


The church in the photograph which my daughter nicknamed "The Castle" was bought by my sister. The Angel was bought by my sister in law.


At $50.00 the frame of the Rocky Point Sunset was the most expensive picture on display. Michelle's friend liked it so much that she bought the print only and paid a pretty good price for it, she wanted it in B&W and it came out really nice. She picked it up at the show and was very pleased with it.


"Rocky Point Sunset" won a first place out of over 800 images in a Internet photo contest on bix.com, "The Old Lady" and image I captured last year in our trip to Mexico was a favorite. Everyone that sees it seems to fall in love with it. The little frame holds a regular size photo and at $20.00 dollars is our best buy.


These two frames belong to mi chica and obviously are not for sale, however the concept was. The frame in the left showcases all of our grandkids in a fun collage. The one in the right is a picture of my daughter Nikki as she photo shopped it and made it look pretty unique.


Three images featuring water.


Definitely a pair of crowd pleasers.


This is the Dominique ex-convent of the Nativity in a little town named Tepoztlan in Morelos, Mexico. View from afar it totally resembles a castle so my daughter named this "The Castle".


One of Michelle's favorites works, she calls it "The Pretend Winter", my mom fell in love with it but wanted the image to be bigger, then she opted for two different ones.

So, there you have it. All in all we had a good show, only a few people showed up but it made it for a more intimate gathering. Once everybody got here I put my camera down so I could answer whatever questions they had and I had no chance to take pictures with people in them.

My niece Alex whom also loves photography has asked us to please include her in our next exhibition. This will bring an added variety to the two very different styles from Michelle and I. I am excited to work on another one, now I just have to find a new volunteer to host it in their house.

My daughter Nikki does a lot of our graphic designs. She created the wonderful invitation for the exhibition, and currently she is working on our logo which by the way came out really nice. She is doing the final touches to it. So, for her help Michelle and I presented her with a surprise frame of "Ducky". I believe she loved it (Click Here) and it now hangs in her leaving room. It kindda looks lonely so baby you need to buy some more frames from us. lol






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