Linda's Halloween-themed table setting for the Studio Tour
This years 2012 Studio Tour has come and gone. Linda and I look forward to each years Studio Tour because we get to meet people who we can talk about the art with. Some of these people buy the work and we make new friends and meet old ones who have come by in the past. The best part is getting to hear their feedback on my work.
The studio main wall
We had plenty of new work up on the walls and heard some great comments on the paintings. I had a large painting I wanted to show but didn't have time or the money to order a new frame for it so I made another floater frame out of oak. The frame came out great and we had some great comments on it.
My large 4 feet by 5 feet oak floater frame
With the economy the way it is we offered some smaller paintings which went over well. Half of my sales came from these little guys. People want an original and they want it affordable and I wanted to make some sales so it all worked out for us, the buyer and the Wildling Museum which sponsors this event.
Our good friend Holly Cline from the Wildling Museum who sponsors this Studio Tour. This is her last year as she moves on to bigger and better things. I am so going to miss Holly, she is a great person and has done so much for me and a lot of other artists up here in the valley...good luck Holly!!!!
The little gems ready for browsing....
One of the reasons behind the Studio Tour is to allow people a view of what happens in the creative process so I like to show the tools of the trade and answer as many questions as I can about painting as well as show my work, the finished result. I had people stop by who are beginning painters and seasoned ones as well. They always enjoy getting answers to questions they might have, tips I offer and the rapport of artist to artist. It's fun! I have parents bringing their college and high school students to see a working artists studio and it is fun to answer their questions and ask about their classes and their art experiences so far.
My plein air easels and the "promo" table...yes, if you don't like talking about yourself you can always let that table do some of it for you but you need to do it too.
Notecards, my book, business cards, show flyers etc....promote yourself because no one else is going to do it for you !
Also...make credit card sales!! Right now it is easier than ever for an artist to accept credit card sales. You used to have to go through a difficult process of getting a merchant account which cost a lot of money monthly. Not anymore. Nowadays all you need is a smart phone and a little adapter that slides into it's earphone jack. There are a few of these companies offering it...we use the Square. Worked great and easy to get...in fact, the device is free when you sign up with the service which charges on a per transaction basis or monthly depending on how much you sell monthly.
My best helper!
Having Linda to lend a hand in all of this is "priceless". She handles sales, food, helps set it all up and take it all down too. She also helps answer questions since she now can do all of the art speak, haha.
Overall, it was a good show. Great people, good art, sales...and pumpkin pie!
10 comments:
Looks absolutely awesome, Ron.
Thank you Gina!! No matter what situation is predicted show-wise we still like to gear up for a good show. Saturday was a steady stream of visitors but Sunday was really slow. We both had a fun time though.
Wonderful event, great photos and insight and of course your lovely paintings. Hugely enjoyable post.
Hi Mick,
Thanks buddy! It was a real fun 2 days. Lots of work in preparation but in the end we had fun. It's always good to hear from people about the art.
Looks like a great weekend! It's nice for the people who so enjoy your paintings to get the chance to make a closer connection to the artist. I think it gives the paintings more personal value to the buyer. Glad it turned out a success. It's glorious to see the really large paintings up there too!
Hi Dianne,
Yeah, the non painters really seem to enjoy meeting the artist and asking about your past. The painters want to know all about technique, paints, brushes etc.
The buyers enjoy the background of the artist as well as the painting they are going to walk away with. It's really fun explaining the painting location and why I chose it to begin with...funny stories about the painting go over well too. It's all a lot of fun, Thanks!
Sounds like a successful show and a great time! Thanks for the photos and post - I feel like I actually made it there, haha. I can even taste the pumpkin pie... We'll be back next year!
I'm counting on you being there Christine....We'll have pie again, it was awesome with whipped cream! Missed you guys this time around in the early morning hours. Hope you and Jack had fun over the weekend.
WOW, Ron... It sounds like this year's tour was the best yet!!
I think I remember poor weather impinged upon several of the last few. Sounds like you made quite a few sales, too, which is ALWAYS wonderful!!
CONGRATS!!
PS.. One of these days soon, I hope to run in to you again.. I always enjoy seeing your work and chatting.
Hi Marian,
It went as well as could be expected and despite a slow Sunday we still had a great time. The work looked good and we had a lot of great comments from those who made it here. Hope to see you too....maybe I'll get into this upcoming show with CAC.
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