No Show
 

I have hardly peeked into the forum in the past few months and see I have a lot to catch up on. I have been busily preparing for the past 6 months to do my annual show in the Valley. This year, I was finally accepted into the Carefree Fine Arts show and was pretty excited about that.

The show is now over and regretfully, it was a complete and utter disaster. It has been unusually rainy here in Phoenix

Heidi, I'm so sorry that happened. I know if I had invested $500 dollars and had a no show I would have been upset, I can't imagine 10 times that.

I have never done shows, so I can't really comment. And no I don't think you are selling out, the bills have t be paid some way, and even if doing something other than portraits isn't the ideal situation, it is still WAY better than some office job right?

I agree with Mary. Selling out is only quitting. I've had the same thought about the western stuff since I live in Texas. You do what you have to do to be able to do what you love. I am sorry you lost so much...that really bites.

I've only done two outdoor shows and despite some crummy weather for one or two of the days, I got one big commission from each show. Each of those clients led to one or two other commissions afterwards too. So I've had good luck.

The show didn't cost me anywhere near $5,000 though. Was that including all your booth walls and stands?

Heidi,

Ouch! As a painter who has seen MUCH promotional money go down the drain I can emphasize with you. Not that much all at once though but a very rapid flow that was more than that.

Southwestern art? So many are doing it. You might be an also ran rather than the wonderful individualistic artist that you are. I actually think it is the modern day souvenir, not unlike the trinkets we picked up as kids when our parents took us to see real "Indians ".
I think the stuff is trite, hackneyed, sentimental and derivative and I include ALL of the so called "Western artists". I hate to see artists making 'paintings' of the 'colorful' remains of a people and a culture for their own benefit and not for the people they are portraying.

A very good friend of mine and other sculptors can make extra money making toy prototypes. He has knocked out gift items as well, for large gift companies. The Franklin Mint and other companies like that use freelance sculptors.

I understand they pay well and you don't have to kid yourself its art.

I can try and find out more if you wish, but just look in the magazines and papers for the companies and get their contact information and requirements. Some want baby angels sculpted for Christmas etc.

Just some ideas until you can make a name for yourself, which I am sure you will!

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Mary, that's the point - I DO have a desk job and would like to be able to sculpt full time. As I am the main breadwinner for the family, I'd have to be doing pretty well sculpting to be able to give up my day job.

Kimberly, quitting isn't in my vocabulary. If it was, I would never have gotten this far.

Michele - you are right, you never know where the right lead can lead! The 5k included show cost, I made all new pedestals for my display plus bought an area rug, and the main cost was material and foundry costs for making the pieces I had on display. Of course I will recoup those costs if I sell any of those pieces, but it's hard to sell them when they're not on display anywhere. The galleries around here are zipped up tight and I haven't even been able to even get an appointment with any of them to show them my work.

Sharon, I agree with you completely which is why I have resisted doing the trite stuff. I am not Indian and know nothing of their culture, so it doesn't make sense for me to start making Indian art. The area is saturated with it as is and all I can say is "ho hum" when I see it. People keep telling me to make it because that's what sells around here. Hard to know what to do. I did get the name of the head art director at Franklin Mint a while back and sent him a letter. That was quite a while ago and I never heard back.

Well, persistence pays off and eventually, I'll find my "niche". In the meanwhile, I'll just be glad I don't depend on my art to make my house payment.

Anyone jumping into the art show scene for the first time has a lot of up front costs. The good thing is that now you are set to do many more shows, at very little incremental cost. I wouldn't give up on them. Many artists do VERY well that way.

One local artist here does our biggest summer show that lasts three days and sells moderately priced pastels. She sold $30,000 of her work the first day last year and I understand that is fairly typical for her. I don't know how many other artists at that show did that well, though. Maybe many, maybe not.

Advertising in all forms is a roll of the dice. There's a saying, "Half of all money spent on advertising is wasted. The problem is, you never know which half!"

I wish it had gone better for you Heidi, but I believe that your talent will win out in the end. I agree about the western scene, your "Feast and Famine" is so powerful that I'd stick with work like that to mass produce (maybe)? I know I'd buy one, but certainly couldn't afford an original. I like Sharon's idea, there are lots of ways you could make a fortune--Chia pets! ;)

Jean

Hi Heidi,

I was thinking about all the artists in the various outdoor shows during our recent weekend downpours. I know how financially disappointing it must have been for so many, and I'm especially sorry to hear you were one of them.

I wish I had something useful to add here. All I can say is that I so often walk into rooms that consist of three walls of windows, a big screen TV and (maybe) some schlocky decoratory thing that echoes the colors in the furniture.

Since so many houses have pools out here, though, I keep thinking that some kind of fountain/sculpture niche could be made by some enterprising creative artist such as yourself. Move the art outside... have you done this already?

I'd like to clarify my comment about not selling out. I agree with Sharon about the western art, I personally don't care for it, but obviously a lot of people do and that is fine. What I mean by I don't think you are selling out, is that doing other things with your artistic abilitiy to support yourself until you can do what you REALLY want to do is not selling out. Only find something that you enjoy and that interests you. I think Linda's idea about outdoor sculpture is a wonderful idea, have you done any of that?

You are so gifted and amaze me with your sculptures, I have no doubt you will be a tremendous success before it is all over !

I think "selling out" in any profession just means doing something a person despises or feels ashamed of just to get more money, whether they're a lawyer, an artist or a banker.

The question of whether one is "selling out" or not is purely up to the individual's own feelings about the work they themselves are doing.

Heidi,

I have worn so many artistic hats in my life to keep myself afloat. I have done toy packaging art, Cosmo illustrations, discount and high end fashion illustration and my personal favorite, "My Little Pony " art for Hasbro toys.

The most lucrative part time job of all of them was the discount store fashion illustrator. I worked 26 weeks a year, half of the 52 weeks which was split with another illustrator. I made about $45,000 a year part time and had the rest of the year to work on my portrait portfolio and paintings. Unfortunately they went to photos. People would sneer and say, why are you working for that crummy chain? Oh they payed one week after the work was delivered.

I cried when that one tanked. The trick is to get the most money per hour when you have to work.

By the way, just sending a letter to these companies is NOT sufficient. You must send slides and a CV.

Thanks for the thoughtful responses you guys,

This was the 4th show I've done, but the first that I had any bronzes or other pieces available for sale other than just example portraits. I did have the feast and famine piece exhibited as a series of 24 available for ordering. Below is a photo taken in the first few hours of the show on Friday before the clouds rolled in. Quite a few people stopped to look at it, but none seemed interested in buying or even asked how much it was. Probably a good thing since on Sunday, I undoubtedly would have let it go for cost.

My husband and I made all new pedestals because we thought the old ones did not look professional enough. We made these very sturdy and I think turned out quite nice and certainly cheaper than any we could have purchased ready-made. We are all set to do another show - although that won't be any time soon.

I have all sorts of ideas running around in my head for a body of work that would be stunning, easy to cast, and something that the general public around here might buy. I sat down last night and drew sketches for the 6 pieces I have in mind. I'll spend the next year making them between portrait commissions (I do have a customer currently that wants 5 busts made - yay).

I've also heard that the Scottsdale Center for the Arts has an excellent show and includes more contemporary works rather than strictly southwestern. I'll have to send them an application for the next time I get brave enough to try another show and have my new body of work ready.

Linda, I've thought a lot about doing outdoor statues. The problem there is that they'd need to be weatherproof - which usually means bronze or cement. I'll have to revisit that thought.

In terms of selling out, I suppose it

I'm an individual painter and don't work for anyone else, but I've always thought working for Pixar would be THE dream job. Guess the grass is always greener on the other side!

Heidi,

No I am not just getting started. I have been an artist in one form or another for a long time.

I started as an illustrator doing most of my work out of NY for major publications, companies and advertising.

I segued into portraits as a way to feed my passion for figurative art. I am doing mainly my own art thanks to sales here and there that keep me happily afloat.

Hi Sharon,
I didn't mean to imply that you were just getting started as an artist - just in a figurative sense that you have such a bright future ahead of you - seeing what you have already achieved and the skills you have mastered. I know you have worked hard to get where you are to this point and it has paid off.

Heidi,

Goodness, I just turned 25 today and it shows if you are as dedicated and brilliantly talented as I am just HOW FAR you can go in a short time.

A CV is a resume.

Heidi,

Like LInda, I have been thinking of the many artists her in the Valley with 2 month shows that have been rained out nearly every weekend. I have likewise experienced a full out disaster, all the eggs in a one-night basket. I t was horrible.

The extraordinary cost, thankfully (or not) seems to have much more to do with the high costs associated with foundries, materials, etc, that are just inherent in your medium, than with costs that can't be recovered. Plus you now have the inventory you need to show and sell.

I understand your thoughts about "cowboy" or "southwestern" art - the subject matter is so tediously overdone, I think if I see another faceless Navajo woman in a colorful shawl I'll just scream. That being said, you might consider the Phippen Show in Prescott - it is a western show for sure, but I have the feeling that sculptors do quite well there. You could check it out this Memorial Day weekend - Jane Bradley and I will both be there. Then you can see if it's something you would want to do next year.

The Scottsdale Center for the Arts is a much higher end venue that Carefree, and might make more sense for you.

As to the "selling out" thing, I have come to believe that an hour at the easel (or stand, in your case) is never, ever, a wasted hour, no matter what you're working on.

P.S. Sharon, why, Happy Birthday to you:)

Hi Chris,
I really felt awful for all of the other artist there - most all do not have day jobs to fall back on. The Scottsdale show is this weekend and things are looking good for them. Sunny and warm. I just picked the wrong show this year. Funny, I have always thought that the Carefree show was the show of all shows around here. I see that applications for the Scottsdale 2006 show will be available in August.

I haven't heard of that Prescott show, but I'll check it out. Unfortunately, I'll be in Nevada that weekend so won't get to see it first hand. Are you going to exhibit, or just attend?

Yes, this medium can get expensive and I do feel that I "invested" 5k into doing that show, not that I totally "lost " 5k. Big difference, but it feels like a loss when it may take months or years to get it back.

I have seen many of those faceless Indians and of course I always wonder why they would leave off the most interesting (to me) part.

As an ending note, I'd like to say that I do apologize if I say things sometimes that are meant as compliments but not perceived as such.

Thanks for commenting Chris and best of luck and fair weather to you and Jane - if you are exhibiting in Prescott that is.

Heidi,

If you meant me, I never took it ANY other way , REALLY!

A billion smilie faces! ;) ;) ;) ;