I've been a member of this group for about 6 years, but I never really participated much. I have decided to change that. I used to hang with people who were creative and we tended to promote each other's creativity. We often would take something that one of us did and make some changes and make the idea our own. We also would trade experiences and would support each other during the inevitable down times.
I miss that. I don't have people like that where I live. I joined a chapter of the PA Guild of Craftsmen, but I don't think the chapter exists anymore and there was a degree of, well, I can only think of it as snobbishness, since I wasn't doing traditional crafts like basket weaving or paper cutting or pottery. I also was supporting myself with the sale of my work, so I was considered "commercial" and apparently, not quite proper.
Not everyone acted that way, but enough so that I eventually quit going to the meetings.
I have decided to get more active here so that I can build a network of online friends that I can share ideas with and use as a sounding board for possible solutions to various problems I encounter and so that I can provide support and ideas to others. I miss those people that I knew where I lived 20 years ago and I hope to make some new friends here.
Part of the problem I have encountered is that I don't confine myself to one medium. I am all about the dogs and love to create them in a variety of media. I create Christmas ornaments, figurines, jewelry, drawings, paintings and anything else my fertile imagination can dream up. This will make getting juried into some shows challenging. I sell exclusively at dog shows, but I am thinking of trying my hand at craft or art shows. I look forward to exploring this with those of you who have experience with that. I welcome advice.
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We're glad to have you join us, Marguerite. This site is only as good as the people who participate. Just reading is fine, but if there is going to be anything to read someone has to step up.
Let's be friends. What kind of shows do you have coming up?
I'm going to the American Shetland Sheepdog Association National Specialty in Fredericksburg, VA in a couple of weeks. After that I am sending work on consignment to the Irish Water Spaniel National Specialty which is in May. I have no shows scheduled afterthat but I'm working on getting into the Samoyed national in September in Louisville, KY.
Welcome!
When I was trying to get brave enough to try art festivals, I went to as many as I could as a visitor/customer/spy. I looked to see if anyone was selling things similar to my work; I observed pricing, I looked at booths and displays to see what I thought worked.
All that research, as I was trying to get the nerve to put my own work on view, was really helpful. You've already got experience at shows, but if you have a free weekend and there's a festival within driving distance, try to check it out to see what you might want to change between dog shows and art festivals.
good luck!
There are a lot of art/craft fairs around here, from church bazaars to ultra high end top tier craft and art fairs. I've been to some. I'm not sure where I would fit in and I'm not sure how I would navigate the jurying process, since I work in a variety of media. Most fairs/festivals jury based on medium.
Glad you're here!
Thanks! I'm looking forward to making new friends.
Hi Marguerite,
First of all, welcome! We're delighted to have you joining us here and hope you'll find what you're looking for. I'm curious about where you used to live and where you live now because it seems that the change in location has really impacted your work and level of creativity which is really sad. I have recently experienced just the opposite, moving from a rural community with very little opportunity for exposure to an urban environment with overwhelming possibilities.
I guess your best bet would be to apply to shows out of town and hope for the best. I'll bet you've done well at Dog Shows, have you explored the possibility of selling at some pet supply stores or at Humane Society fund raisers, things like that? I've been to lots of craft shows where someone is selling homemade dog treats and accessories, so I would think you should be able to tap that market as well.
In any event, thanks again for signing up and best of luck to you...oh, and keep us posted on your progress.
Working from a finicky tablet, so my replies will be brief; the tablet likes to disappear my writings.
I started out in a NYC suburb. I'm now living a couple of states away, but still close to NYC and Philadelphia. The pet market is one of the healthiest. Dog shows are declining in attendance, in part because the anti pet animal rights activists have made owning a purebred dog seem like a crime.
I'm as creative as I ever used to be but I don't have people to bounce ideas off of or whose experiences help me make better decisions. I depend almost entirely on the sale of my artwork for my income.