Hi, I am a new member and new to the art festival venue. I am a custom picture framer as well as a painter so framing my work is not a serious expense or difficulty for me. I am, however, thinking of bringing the bulk of my work to my first show unframed. My thoughts are that it will; 1) keep my costs down, 2) make transport and set up easier and 3) eliminate the "I just love the painting but that frame won't work in my decor" comment. Does anyone have any thoughts/experience with this issue?
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I have been painting on gallery wrapped for a while now...and have a shop full of framing equipt. They are lighter and ready to paint on. My cost of time vs profit are so much better and I use the boxes to go to a show. Good luck
Re: # 3 You can use the "don't like the frame" to keep the conversation moving in the direction of a sale. Just do a little jiu-jitsu and reply with "I can make you any frame you like" or "absolutely, frames are a matter of taste, but you do like the painting"
I had the same remark last weekend. My photos are all in identical frames. It keeps the booth looking uniform or tidy even if the same frame looks right or wrong on different photos. Not sure if this would apply the same way to paintings.
And if people are showing signs of interest in a photo and did mention the frame it's not too hard to pull the photo out of the frame. Just keeping them engaged in thinking about the purchase is a good thing and it gives them a chance to get to know you and how your brain works - it seems to be part of the allure for people attending the art fairs.
One thing is certain. You can't sell a painting that isn't there, frame or no frame.
Thanks Jack, I appreciate your thoughts. Using the same frame is always a good idea as far as presentation goes that's for sure!
I use identical frames for my block prints, too. They go well with my style and make a more coherent display. But I have matted unframed prints available too for people who either want a different frame or can't afford the framed one.
I'm thinking that I should use just one or two different molding styles for the pieces I plan to bring framed...argh, more work!