Art Fairs?

[Kimberly Dow]

Wow, congratulations! I have to re-think my views on the fairs now!

[Karin Wells]

Michele: You have done a great job - congratulations!

How do you attach your signs to the tent? Did you design the signs and give the info to Kinko's on a zip disk and have them print it out? Or did they do the entire thing? Are they printed on a waterproof banner material? All 4 sides?

Also, on props, what do you feel would be effective "quality" props? Display easel? Vase of flowers? In the show I just had, I only had one portrait to show and the rest of my work was still life and landscape.

Interestingly enough, all 5 paintings I sold were hung at eye level. Maybe in the future, I'll only hang a row at eye level and not hang so many things...sometimes less is more. Any thoughts on this?

Although I think it is a good idea, I don't plan to demo at shows as that would drive me nuts. I tried this at PSOA in Washington with Genesis paintslast year. I accomplished virtually nothing at the easel as there were so many people to chat with.

[Elizabeth Schott]

Congratulations on the phone call Michele, I hope you can sprinkle that magic my way.

Your photographer friend looks like she rented two spaces. This was not an option at the show I was in. I like how you showed just a few portraits too. I remember Marvin Mattelson talking about his show where he just put up 3 portraits. Can you post one of the prints so I can see it comparably.

I like the thought your friend uses with props and think my marginal use of them worked well. I remember seeing how Cynthia did the SOG booth, and was wishing I could find a rug. I was amazed a what some people had.

Lynn, I did pass out a ton of cards, bio's and rate sheets. I hear you did the same and I love that you did a demo. I would think with your vivacious personality you wouldn't get a whole lot painted either!

[Karin Wells]

Michelle: I forgot to ask the size of your banner signs.

Does anyone else have input on signage?

[Cynthia Daniel]

Beth,

I got my rug cheap at Lowes. But, it fit my scheme and I thought it worked well. Home Depot also has nice rugs.

[Michele Rushworth]

Thanks for the positive feedback, everyone. I think I may also get a call from a different woman who seemed the most interested. She said she was "researching portrait artists" and knew all about ASOPA, etc. She lives in the most expensive part of Seattle so this show brings people of all demographics in. I'll keep my fingers crossed that she chooses me!

Karin, to answer your questions:

I took a digital file on CD to Kinkos and they printed three banners, each 10 feet long by about a foot tall on waterproof vinyl stock for me. There are grommets on the corners and in the middle of the banners. I attach these to the underside of the canopy structure with wires.

Next year I plan to attach poles to my canopy legs that will extend up above the tent itself and I will attach the signs to them, so I can put the banners up higher.

As far as props, the photographer has a three foot column in her booth with a vase of silk flowers on it, and a couple of baskets with items relating to fall (leaves, small pumpkins, etc.) She also has what look like velvet and other high quality tablecloths on the display tables in her booth.

Beth, I'm not sure if I understand your question about "posting one of the prints". Were you wondering which of my samples were giclee prints and which were originals? In the photo I posted earlier the painting of the two kids reading is a print, and the others that are visible are originals. I have another print hanging on the outside left of my booth. I didn't want originals on the outside walls since I thought they might get banged up in the traffic flow.

I only have one giclee made of each of my favorite paintings, since I don't sell them but use them only for marketing purposes. It costs about $350, including frame, to get one giclee done. I have them printed on canvas at the size of the original painting, put them on stretcher bars and then frame them like a regular canvas.

Also, Beth, as an aside: you mentioned in an earlier post that you talk to parents about getting a portrait of themselves to give to their kids and grandkids. Children's portraiture is almost two thirds of the whole portrait market. (This was told to me at an ASOPA conference by Portraits Inc. of New York and they get a ton of corporate commissions.) Portraits of kids is by far the largest number of inquiries and commissions I get.

[Lynn T. McCallum]

Hi Karin! Try the auction halls. I got two nice 8x10 rugs for $20.00 and $25.00. Go to the country auction, not the upscale one. The rug idea is great but from my antique show days I found that the rugs can be a draw back. They swallowed up what I was selling plus they get absolutely filthy.

My sign I got at a sign maker by my house. $42.00, he and I designed it and it was ready in a couple of hours. He could have done a sign with my art work for $80.00 but I wasn't prepared.

Don't be shy on the demos. Go to a park on a busy day. Practice. Live demos draw so much attention and learn to tune the chatter out. The folks who are really interested in what you do will wait for you to change out a brush or take a sip of your favorite beverage (I know, no eating or drinking around paints, but I need fluids all the time). The really interested folks will wait to get your attention.

Putting a few paintings in your booth at eye level is enough, especially if there is a live demo. That is all you need. We are a skill for hire, not a painting they can carry out that day.

Marvin has the right idea. The draw is the demo and the skill. The art hanging in the booth is the end results of that skill that is possessed.

Less is best. Here is my booth from this weekend,
skimpy but I wasn't selling the booth I was selling myself and my skills (sounds bad).

Now it's time to wait and pray.

[Elizabeth Schott]

Sorry for the confusion Michele, but yes, I would love to see a print next to your original, especially if you have the scan or transparency copy made for the giclee. My photos of artwork are so bad you wouldn't see anything.

But as things always go for me, I am at my show trying to sell my wares and this fella comes up to try and sell me. Turns out he does Giclee prints for a few artists and he thought my work would reproduce wonderfully. Then it turns out he was a form color house (separator) owner that worked with my husband... but that's another story.

I do understand that portraits of children are the largest segment of the market, but I really feel that parents leave a treasure to their kids when they have one done of themselves too. Kind of an upsell, but it is usually something they don't think about.

This is a link to an ad I developed which I display at all my showings.
Portrait Ad

I think it is just food for thought, in a digital, photo world.

Cynthia, thanks for the Home Depot tip, I also remember you had a lovely desk. If I am right, is it a heavy costly one or something you found as a knock off of an inexpensive piece?

[Michele Rushworth]

Nothing I could post here would show you the difference between the originals and the giclee, since they are so close in appearance. Only up close examination of the giclee itself would show it to be a print. (A good thing, actually.)

I would say that the two I have had made (by different companies, but who may be using the same type of printer) have produced output that is lower in contrast and greener in the darks than the originals, despite many efforts at color correction.

[Karin Wells]

I spent a portion of today setting up a tent in my back yard in order to get this picture. I understand that many art fairs require that this be included in the application. I do hope it isn't too obvious but I got a little lazy and only set up two walls.

What a lot of work when the sides of the tent don't fit properly! I do NOT recommend the Costo version of this Caravan tent (even if it was a bargain). It is not fireproof, and I suspect that it iwill not be very rain proof.

As to doing a demo, I just cannot face the thought of it right now. My purpose is to sell landscapes and still life directly and get some feedback from the public about this part of my work. Having a gallery sell my work prevents me from ever knowing who buys my work and why...not to mention that painful 40% (or more) that they take.

I do, however, plan to show just one portrait at a show and keep my portfolio handy. The economy must be improving a bit as I am starting to get more portrait commissions lately.