holiday art fair recap

it was a long day...and i was a little sleep deprived going into it...but 4 coffees at various points in the day and a husband willing to get them for me made for a more manageable experience :)

some people really liked my displays, others found them "interesting" and maybe not so much in the good way :) but alas, i'm not sure i'm an artist for the masses...

and the art itself received similar responses from many...and quite a bit of uncomfortable laughter...i think lots of women connect with my art but it's not necessarily a part of themselves they wish to show outwardly...

i did some networking - met the fellow who organizes the fall and spring art walks in town...he was very impressed with my work...gave me the names of several places i should talk to about selling my work :) i did get mostly positive feedback and lots of commentary about having not seen work like mine before - that was pretty great :)
got a lot of really positive feedback from other artists too :)

i sold a handful of pieces, but from what the other booth owners around me said, the turnout was abysmal in comparison to years past. that was disappointing, but i feel like i learned a lot and in the process created a bit of inventory and with that inventory i can now approach galleries and other venues about showing and/or selling my work. plus i can add new items to my etsy shop...and i'll have to start thinking about how to market my shop, my work and my self...

my husband is providing input on new projects and talking about how it's not about the money or the ability to sell for me...it's about growth. there's a certain consistency to the art fair regulars - they find their comfort zone or niche and they produce, produce, produce...there might be growth, there might not be...it's somewhat analogous to teaching to the test. and sure, my preference is to create new work...to grow, but there's also a part of me that would love to be a professional artist in the sense that i actually live off of my art and part of that is about compromise - especially for those of us who have yet to be "discovered"...the truth is there is a total disconnect between being an artist and selling your art, i'm working hard at trying to reconcile those divergent notions

ultimately, i'd call it a success :)

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