PainterNicole Vanover’s 4-year-old son loves to help at his mother’s booth atart fairs,
including the Black Swamp Arts Festival.“My son really tries to help set up,” the artist said recently in
atelephone interview. When it comes to sales though, she’d prefer he gowith his father to the youth arts
area.“He tries to sell all my work for $1,” Vanover said.That’s quite a bargain for the photorealistic
acrylic paintings that wonher the Dorothy Uber Bryan Painting Award at the 2012 Black Swamp ArtsFestival.
(The award has been retired in favor of a 2D award sponsored bythe festival committee.)Vanover, with husband
and son in tow, will return to the festival with a booth in The Masters Gallery Sept. 7 and 8.Her son, she
said, is part of the reason she started working the art fair circuit last year.Herlove of art dates to an
earlier time. She started creating art at avery young age, and with an older sister who was also interested
in art,used sibling rivalry to spur her own growth. “I kept trying to getbetter to compete with her.”In
grade school her teacher showed her colored-pencil works by an artistwho drew the leaves on plants so
vividly they seemed to shine. “Icouldn’t believe somebody could create something that looked so real,even
realer than a photograph,” Vanover said. The lesson stuck with her.“That’s what I strive for all the time,”
she said.In high schoolVanover took every art class she could, and when she graduated sheattended the
Columbus College of Art & Design for a year. But thecost caused her to have second thoughts about
whether she could make aliving in art.“Art was always what I wanted to do,” Vanover, 33, said. “It was kind
ofa fear that was holding me back from pursuing it 100 percent.”So she pursued a number of other occupations
— EMT, waitress, veterinarian assistant and day care provider.But after her son was born, she looked at her
life through a new lens.“I want him to see you never give up. If you really want something, youreally go for
it. It’s given me more confidence.”The plunge paidoff. “It’s fantastic,” said Vanover, who lives in
Pataskala in LickingCounty. “Being an artist it’s hard to find a way to be able to show andsell your work.
This is a great outlet for that.”Her work focuses on glass and water, capturing the reflections, the bending
light and play of shadows in vivid color.LukeSheets, one of the 2012 judges who awarded her the Bryan prize,
said hewas impressed by the control she demonstrated. Her choice of subjectmatter — everyday objects such as
a fish bowl — showed a personalvision.“I’m happy with the sales,” Vanover said. “I was actually surprised
Idid as well as I did last year ” even though she was new to the circuit.“I was a little scared to start,”
she admitted, “to put a lot of money into something, and I didn’t know how I would do.”Not only has it
worked financially, but “we meet some really fantastic people.”Those include patrons. “I’m glad people are
out there responding to art,” she said.“It’sfunny to hear how people view things,” Vanover said. Two people
canhave very different opinions about the same piece, and sometimes verydifferent from what the artist
sees.“It’s funny it makes me look at other people’s work differently, and think about what other people see
in their work as well.”Vanoveralso gained from the experience of her fellow exhibitors, especiallythose who
have been doing the rounds of art fairs for decades.Sometimes the advice addresses technical details. That
can include how to secure a tent in the event of high winds.Butit can also more philosophical. “They’ve gone
through tough times andhad to survive when the economy was at its worse,” she said. Yet theypersist. “That
positive attitude is the best thing I’ve taken from otherartists.”