For years, I did various boat shows and occasional craft shows. All these happen on weekends when most people are relaxing. But of course, as enjoyable as they were, I was working. The show visitor sees you relaxing in your booth. But you are nursing the aching back from a Thursday afternoon set up for a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday show. Or perhaps you are attempting to figure out how to pack all your stuff on Sunday. These are the endearing thoughts running through your heart while waiting for Mr. Moneybags to stroll along, buy out your entire stock, and allow you to head over to the stage and listen to that Beatles tribute band.
About now, you may be suspecting that I do not miss that drudgery. Well, yes and no. I do not miss all the packing in and out, foolish people who think that any price is negotiable, and desperately needing to go to the bathroom with no one to attend to the booth – none of those I miss. But the interesting people you meet and the companionship of other sellers, yes, that I miss.
It’s hard to break free of the activity cycle of doing shows. If you are a crafter or an artist, when you are not selling, you are making. Fall behind in the creative activities, and you have nothing to sell at a show. Frequently, your craft or art is a part-time business or avocation, meaning that while others relax and nap in the hammock, you are sketching designs, carving, or procuring materials for your work.
Even if you are not doing shows, there is a nagging voice saying why are you doing nothing? You should be in the shop or working on those new designs. I spend time convincing myself that I deserve the time off and that it helps me recharge my creative energies. I may have learned it in a seminar or workshop on relaxation. Sometimes I even believe it.
Discover more from Louis N. Carreras, Woodcarver
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
For the first few years I lived here, there were shows where I could hang my paintings. No more. I miss it because I usually sold something and it was fun talking to people about my work. People (to my surprise) were interested in the HOW.
shows cycle in terms of what’s being offered at them. I do few now. I only do shows where it is juried entry, or where I know the quality expected, especially requirements that they actually be artist or craftsperson made.
There are a lot of trash shows, trash art and trash craft filtering around right now. There always has been some, but right now there is a lot of stuff that looks like it’s right out of the art supply store.
Yep. Out here there are not many choices. There are craft fairs with every festival but the investment to enter and buy the needed equipment for a booth is out of my reach. What you say is true. I don’t mind really since I’m in the back-of-beyond. But I miss the San Diego area for a lot of reasons and one big one is juried gallery shows AND the two shows a year put on by the Julian Arts Guild to which I was a member. A couple of “galleries” recently opened in town but they’re not galleries. They’re gift shops.
Oh yeah. The gallery gift shop. It seems to be a fairly recent innovation around here. The ones I’ve seen don’t even seem to be decent gift shops. I keep toying with the idea of the online shop, because I’ve aged out of three day shows. Being that I tend to produce “one ups” rather than near identical products I don’t think Etsy would work for me. Maybe right here In WordPress. How do you do on Etsy, Martha?
Your work would probably do very well on Etsy! Give it a shot!!! There is a market there just like everywhere else. Paintings don’t sell on Etsy. My notecards have no “gimmick” or cuteness or anything that makes people “ooooh!” Sandhill crane notecards sell during crane seasons across the country. My stuff is so niche it’s a niche within a niche. 🤣 I’ve had commissions to do pencil drawings of livestock guardian dogs with sheep.
Last year I donated 10 packs of crane cards to the Friends of the Wildlife Areas to sell at the crane festival. Apparently they sold out in an hour. If I had $200 to sign up for that festival, and the equipment (and money to buy the equipment) to hang paintings AND wanted to get there at 7 am three days in a row, I might sell something. It’s an enormous show with everything from handmade backpacks to fine art.
My work does OK among people who know about me or know me. I think some people buy “me” at least as much as my work and it is published in a local art magazine, which is cool. I’ve thought of going to Taos to sell myself I mean my work, but I don’t paint the kind of stuff people go to Taos to buy. I AM famous, however, in two sparsely populated counties in Wyoming and that tickles me no end. I love it.
Tent, tables, table cloths, props, business cards all are investments that are expensive. Even though I’m not doing shows I keep my stuff on hand because it was so costly to get. It lasts, but the initial investment if there is no additional revenue stream is a hunk.
I have to get panels to hang paintings on as well. I had the idea of renting a couple chain link fence panels and doing a show in my front yard during the Crane Festival. My friend would help, I could serve tea, coffee, and cookies. Or just pound nails in the wood fence, hang paintings on the bare boughs of the lilac hedge and clean up the yard. Post an ad on the Crane Festival Facebook Page. And do it again in September during the potato festival.
I like that idea. Very simple and cheap.
On the other hand – I’m on Facebook, although I don’t like it, but their marketplace sometimes has low cost or no cost alternatives that may be worth looking at.
I don’t like Facebook either, but here we are and there it is. I thought about my idea some more and all I need are T-posts. I have nice pig-wire fencing in my garage and a display like that with paintings of the San Luis Valley would be beautiful, perfect. Four posts in front of my pretty cedar 6 foot fence, hang paintings on two sides and on the cedar fence and I have a gallery!
Make sure that if you do it to get photos, some shows want shots of your display.
Good idea! Thanks aLou!