Mystic — Beatriz Fink woke up before dawn on Saturday, tucked a turkey and cheese sandwich into a plastic baggie and loaded her SUV with piles of embroidered recycled denim handbags before driving an hour to the Olde Mistick Village Art Show.

Welcome to the life of a working artist.

For every acclaimed artist whose work is highlighted at a stylish gallery show complete with flutes of champagne and canapes, there’s so many more like Fink, a 62-year-old part-time school bus driver from West Haven with a penchant for sewing and a grinding need to make ends meet.

On her display table Fink showed off an array of purses, bandanas and handbags all made from jean swatches she’d obtained from a local Goodwill store and gussied-up with cloth bangles, images of dogs and lacy hems.

“I started off by sewing doll clothes for my friends and began going to art shows about eight years ago, the same time I started driving buses for DATTCO,” said Fink, owner of Markar Designs.

She drives a bus for two hours every school morning before heading home to sew for another three. Then it’s back for an afternoon shift before firing up one of her five sewing machines until 8 p.m.

“When people are sleeping, I’m working and when they’re working, I’m still working,” she said. “I do more than 26 shows like this one in Mystic every year. I don’t know if I consider myself an artist, but I like working with my hands and this brings in some money for me.”

“50% passion and 50% Disney“

A few booths over from Fink, 16-year-old Kylie Spice showed off the rows of wood-and-resin decorated pens and crotchet hook handles she began selling more than six years ago.

Spice, who hits about 50 weekend New England art shows each season to promote her NEWoodworkz business, caught a quick catnap in her dad’s truck before the art festival opened for the day.

She said her art didn’t spring out of a need for applause or accolades, but rather her love of a Florida amusement park.

“When I was 10, I wanted to go back to Disney World and my dad challenged me to help pay my way,” she said. “I started selling my work and I’ve been back to Disney five or six times since with the money I make at these kinds of shows.”

Spice said the amounts she takes home from a show varies and is largely dependent on the venue. She said a high-profile event like Saturday’s Mystic show generally attracts browsers with deeper pockets than a similar festival in New Hampshire.

“I can leave here selling up to 20 pieces,” she said gesturing to a block of pens retailing for between $25 to $75. “For me, the work is 50% passion and 50% Disney.”

A “hit-or-miss” proposition

Enfield artist Michael Michaud began selling his abstract and neo-expressionist paintings a decade ago through his mijumi ART business, mainly out of a need to work from home to help care for his two young children.

“My wife told me to quit my graphic design job and do the painting full time,” he said. “So, I’m at these shows in places like Maine, New York and Pennsylvania every weekend from April to October. I’ll paint during the week or in-between customers while I’m at a show like this today.”

Michaud, who uses a combination of house paint, spray paint, paper and other materials to create his bright still-life and portrait pieces, can collect $40 for a smaller piece and up to $1,000 for larger versions.

“I do also have pieces in a West Hartford gallery that go for more,” he said. “If you’re on your own trying to make a living doing this, it can be tough. I couldn’t do this without my wife’s help.”

For 48-year-old Doug Hockman, the decision to start selling his nature photographs came mostly from necessity. The South Windsor resident was laid off from a full-time sales position with the Sherwin-Williams company 15 years ago and decided to make the jump into the art world.

Like many “working” artists, Hockman relies on the art show circuit to pay the bills. He’ll set up his frames of trees, coasts and beaches — including Westerly’s Misquamicut State Beach — at more than 40 shows a year, though the customer traffic can vary widely.

“It’s hit-or-miss and never consistent,” he said. “I could sell nothing one day and have a good day tomorrow.”

Saturday was starting off well for Hockman. Michele Norris, a Stafford resident visiting the Mystic area for the Labor Day weekend, bought a pair of Hockman’s tree photographs.

“I love trees,” she said. “I grew up wanting to be Tarzan because he lived in the coolest tree-house.”

j.penney@theday.com