Good afternoon everyone! I wondering what everyone is working or where you are going this week/weekend?
I am out in The Barn as I write this. I love my climate controlled barn red metal building! :D I have all I need but a toilet. Just didn't want to give up square footage for it. Well, and a microwave, but I can make room for one if I decide to. Oh, and a coffee make. Again, I can make room. LOL
I am out here so I can take stock of what needs to be worked from scratch, what is in need of repair, what can get packed in a tote and be ready to travel.
I do not have a road show till late August. However I have a permanent booth now and the plan is for things to sell. I have to keep it stocked while having stock for the road too. So I am going to try to do assembly line work when it comes to painting vases, bottles, and mason jars. It is easier to do a group then do one at a time.
Of course I have some odds and ends that don't fit into an easy category. For example, I have a paper mache pumpkin that I'll paint from scratch. I have a resin fleur de lis that needs repainting. It did not turn out well when I did it and want to give it a new life. It's never even darkened the door of a show. I also have some ceiling fan blades I want to do something with but I need some inspiration.
I will be spending the balance of this week out here in The Barn and will crack the whip as needed.
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The idea of staying home and working on art / stock sounds amazing. We are 2 days home from every show (every single weekend through Sept and then shows 2 times month thru Nov in 5 states) which just barely allows me the time to pay bills and re-bond with my 8 rescues. Seriously low on stock (oh and also trying to sell our home and buy another with a larger studio space to create!). As newbies to the art world (but oldies in life), we took every show offered (turning down some in order to take others) and were fortunate and grateful to be offered 95% of those we applied to. Now just trying to survive that decision, but with the intention of hopefully cherry picking next year and eliminating those shows that did not work in our favor. It's all a learning experience for us old newbies on the West side of the states. Off to Bellvue, WA tomorrow! Tally HO!
Tina, your schedule sounds crazy! I am hoping you find enough success this year to weed out shows you really don't want to do again, for whatever reason, and do only those where you heart is.
We have not gone on the road as extensively as you have due to having a B & M business that is our bread and butter, it pays the bills. I do love the shows we do, though few they may be compared to others' schedules.
This fall we are doing the same number of shows as this past spring and last year but they are more spread out. That is fine with me. It will give time to restock if I need to. Last fall I had 3 shows back to back. I asked dh at the end of last year, "What would you do different this coming year?" He said not to schedule 3 back to back shows. Well, I did not plan to have them so spread out this fall but that is how they fell.
Now that I think about it, since I am a believer, I believe it was God's plan for it to work this way for my fall schedule. I recently got a permanent booth and need to work on (re)stocking it as I have things sell there. It's almost like this permanent booth is my "5th show" though it's not on the road.
I am excited about what the fall will bring and hope everyone here has great success, no matter what your plans are.
LOL - yes, Cindy, I am doubting my sanity at this point, but if it helps me lose weight, it will be worth it! I figure I'm good for a year of this to figure out our path. I love the concept of a permanent booth somewhere, but I have no idea if that do that in our area or how to find out if that's available. I follow up leads whenever I see them. I'm trying to work the internet as well - FB and Pinterest ads and we have an Etsy shop to maintain. Just joined an online gallery but haven't had time to submit my images!! That plus 2 galleries showing our work and hopefully picking up some more to lessen the need for all these shows. I'm ever hopeful! Since I'm nearing that formal retirement age, I'd love to coast in, but we've only been doing this for a year and there is so much to do to get known and a following that I can't slow down currently!
Cindy are you doing the "Vintage" show in Mobile ? I thought I saw somewhere that you had done that one.
Kendra, yes I am doing the Vintage Market Days in Mobile. I am also doing VMD of Mississippi and VMD of Southeast Louisiana (Amite). My last show is in November and it is Market at the Mill in New Roads. i have done all these shows at least once (Amite and Mobile). I've done Mississippi and New Roads multiple times.
Did you have a question about any of these?
I live near Mobile. If I'm back in town by the show I will try and come by and see you. Hope its a good show for you.
Last evening I signed up for a free online class on painting furniture. I feel I need to start getting formal training, free or paid. I'll start with free and take as many free classes as I can. The one I signed up for starts in about 50 minutes. I better set a timer so I don't forget to sign in a few minutes early!
I will be leaving very early Fri. to go to a show in Old Saybrook, CT. We were going to leave Thurs, but there is so much rain here on the east coast, decided to wait, plus I can use the studio time.
Just unloaded my second kiln load this morning and am packing for the show.
It is a small 2 day show. I did it last year and it was easy in every way.
Kristy, I have never heard of the Waterfront Festival. Where is Webster in relation to Rochester/ Buffalo?
Webster is a suburb on the north-eastern side of Rochester, and very close to Lake Ontario. It's a very nice town! The Waterfront Festival was originally held in Canandaigua for 41 years, but moved up to Webster in 2015
I am doing Carbondale Mountain Fair in Carbondale, CO for the first time. Carbondale is a small community in the Roaring Fork Valley between Aspen and Glenwood Springs. The show has been around a long time (1972). I didn't do it in the past as they took a commission and I heard that artist inflated sales to get invited back. They changed that several years ago, so I applied. I've read that there is lots of live music and performing arts in addition to artists booths. We have an apartment rented with fresh eggs from chickens on site. I'm taking my omelet pan.
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