I'm catching up on the Best Art Fair survey results and spending way too many hours sitting right here -- but results coming soon and then I can get on with my life again. What I do know is happening:
- A very cool small boutique-y event that is getting a lot of stories in the Detroit press, the Ridge Fine Art Show in tony Pleasant Ridge: http://www.candgnews.com/news/ferndale-art-show-highlights-michigan-artists-shopping-local-87886
http://www.macombdaily.com/general-news/20151117/holiday-shoppers-buy-local-at-annual-ferndale-art-show - Piedmont Craftsmen Show in Winston-Salem:
- American Craft Show at the Brooklyn Museum:
- Madison, WI's, Museum of Contemporary Art Holiday Art Fair:
http://www.wkow.com/story/30535818/mmoca-is-gearing-up-for-holiday-art-fair
Hey Richard, we're supposed to get our first snow of the season, but not holding our breath here.
What about you, all of you out there? Shopping, showing, playing, praying???
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I went to the library sale yesterday, 12 miles to town with half of it on ice and all of it in minus 1 degrees f, and it was worth making the trip as usual. Here's a sample of highlights. The very first book I picked is one I've wanted for a long time, but price has kept me from buying it either new or used. The Colouring, Bronzing and Patination of Metals has been on my wish list for years, and I cannot believe I found it in Thermopolis, Wyoming at the library sale. It went in my bag along with the others pictured, and a few others not pictured, which cost me $2. I spent $8 on four bags of books and $5 on a fantastic glazed pumpkin spice chocolate walnut bread loaf made by one of the town's old timers. Photographs: Archival Care and Management is also quite a tome chock full of info since it was published by Society of American Archivists in 2006. Simply amazing finds so close to home for so little cash. I'd like to know who in the world donated these for the library sale? I am once again a lucky skunk. WOOHOO!
Awesome. Glad you found a treasure trove!
Complicating all this is that I really only have another 5 days to get this done. Back in August I stumbled in the dark finding my spot early in the morning on a courthouse lawn and fell. I came down at an unusually awkward angle and came down on an extended arm. Making it short, it was still hurting a few weeks later and after several doctor's visits, it was found to have a couple of tendons torn loose from the bone. I'll have surgery to repair the right rotator cuff this coming Wednesday, and will be in a sling for six weeks. I'm not counting on being able to use that arm for at least a month.
For the next 5 days I'll be working all day long doing PS work getting enough work done to populate a booth and getting 4 pieces good enough for jury submissions. I decided to pass on setting up the booth again and will just take out the old wall pieces and drop the images into the matted frames already hanging in the old booth shot. I'd feel better about doing this the regular way but it's going to be at least a couple of months before I can do any lifting.
Sorry to hear of your stumble and struggle, R Dub. Get well soon!
Thanks :-). I've learned out of this to always have a good flashlight on hand. I'm also glad I bought a bunch of pre-cut matboards to have on hand. I should be good to go in time when my spring shows start.
Winter has arrived here in Kirby, Wyoming, too. It's a little later than usual and that's fine with me since it'll be here until the mid-March thaw! I'm about to finish the new studio, so it's muddin' time in sheetrockville! If the damned electrician doesn't come today and grab power, you'll all here me screaming loudly all over the USA since sound travels further in cold weather.
Richard, I've got a woman sitting five feet from me who responds to that name when addressed. I think Annabelle's a dandy! WOOHOO!
It's snowing again tonight. I was all set to start fancy sewing and I had a machine problem that took almost two hours to figure out - loose screw on needle bar. I'm assembling all of the plain natural, walnut and black belts to fill inventory for next summers shows tonight. The metallic leather inlays are purple but show up as blue in picture.
I just filled an order for 22 sets (4 each) of travertine coasters. This was a wholesale order for a local gift shop. When dropping off this order I brought with me 2 designs to see if they want to carry them in the store. (Up till now they have only carried a monogram design.) One of these designs is a large fleur de lis and the other is an LSU design. The manager said almost immediately, "We'll take 4 sets of each." How much easier can it get? LOL
So to answer the question about what I'll be doing this weekend. I see myself working on this order of 8 sets of coasters tomorrow. If I can get them done by about 3:00 PM or so, I'll drop them off at the store. Otherwise I'll bring them by first then Monday morning. I am hoping that this little arrangement with these 2 designs will last past Christmas but I am not counting on it. You know what they say, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
I also stopped by a place that offers consignment. Let me back up a minute. I had some of my coasters, painted glass work (vases, jars, etc.), small painted frames, etc. in a flea market. It was a good fit at all. The lady really sold me on how people were beginning to come in for Christmas shopping and stuff. This was back in mid-September. I decided to go for it. It was week to week, no long term commitment, and I could charge whatever I wanted. I had a weekly booth fee and a surcharge of 10% on sold items. Well, things did not move. I gave it time and still nothing. So last week I told her I was going to pick up my stuff the next week on Thursday, which was yesterday. I was there promptly at opening time and got my stuff. I told her no hard feelings and I'd be back to shop.
So now to today. I went by a place that offers consignment. It was actually me and a friend I had lunch with, sort of a spur of the moment stop. The owner sells repurposed items, painted items (metal, wood, etc.), furniture and such. It is much more upscale than where I was though they are just a couple blocks apart. I am going to call the owner next week and make an appt. to show her some of my work. She actually has standards of what she'll allow in her store and works to keep it from looking like a flea market and more like a home décor store. She charges a flat commission, no booth rental. She is doing away with booths. For all intents and purposes she really has none left but has converted over to vignettes with a cohesive mixture of items in each one. She also get customers coming in for wedding rentals. This helps increase traffic. She is open 6 days a week vs. 3. So I may give it a try.
Anyone here ever one consignment? How did it work for you? What questions should I ask?
Wayne Gretzy is quoted as saying, "You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take" in the Holy Moly Mackeroly (2002) book by Gloria Page I show below, down thread. You might enjoy reading this book, C. Dub. Its subordinate title reads, Reflections on the Business of Art and the Art of Life.
Consignment can work and has worked for me in the past. It's also not worked so well at times. I prefer to sell wholesale rather than consign, but very few opportunities arise wherein a store buys wholesale any original paintings that retail for $3,200. So they usually get consigned if we choose to enter an agreement with a gallery. Repros usually get the wholesale treatment, but sometimes close to home I'll consign some.
I'm planning to go to the Ridge Fine Art and Craft Show in Ferndale, MI. We're supposed to get 3 to 5 inches of snow but it's in the church next door to me, so no excuses! I went last year and it was pretty great, nice variety of high quality art and craft, good turn-out and certainly convenient. Looking forward to picking up a few things for Christmas...