Crafter Karen Pugh (K P Dreams) of Buckeye Lake, Ohio, knows about working long hours at arts and crafts fairs.
For more than two decades, Pugh has been on the craft festival circuit selling her personalized hand-painted signs on antique slate salvaged from old houses and barns. In the beginning she started with a few shows, adding more when she decided to become a fulltime artist in 2000.
“With this being my career,” said Pugh, “it was necessary to travel to where the good shows are. We started out in motels, but that became very expensive and as we added shows it was too much.”
Five years ago, she and her husband, Mike, purchased a classic 1985 34-foot Mallard class A motor home. When Mike retired in 2010, they became full-time RVers.
After selling their house, they took off in their motor home with a 16-foot cargo trailer in tow. “We have traveled to shows from Alabama to West Virginia, to Indiana and all points in between. I use my trailer as a studio with my supplies and my tools.”
Since taking up the vagabond lifestyle, they have met other couples that have decided to give up their stick-built homes and travel throughout the country selling at craft shows.
“Some people look at us as gypsies,” said Pugh, “but we have found that not having all that ‘stuff’ is a blessing.”
If you missed Part 1 featuring Terry and Ruth Hager, click here. If you missed Part 2 with animal and nature artist Skye Sutherland, click here. If you missed Part 3 on watercolorist Mari Anne Figgins, click here.
Photos courtesy of Karen and Mike Pugh.
