Joseph Fireborn Posted February 4, 2018 Report Share Posted February 4, 2018 I have been thinking about selling large work recently as my heart is pulling me in that direction and I need to follow it more. Does anyone have experience selling large work in galleries and such? I am not sure how one even approaches a gallery, do you just walk in with your large pot and be like, wanna sell this? I know mugs and stuff can sell easily but I am more intrigued by my new work which is very crude and doesn't really fit well in the form of cups and mugs. So I am just trying to get ideas on where to sell that work as shipping it would probably be difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firebob Posted February 5, 2018 Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 I do make some larger stuff and it dose sell, but it can take time to sell. The cost that gets tied up into something large can be scary. Marketing larger stuff can also be hard, but I do not do any shipping. I do have one gallery that I try to keep 3 or 4 larger pieces in. My kilns are 41x41x41" and sometimes do vases, jars, umbrella / cane holders that only fit 9 items per load. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted February 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 52 minutes ago, firebob said: I do make some larger stuff and it dose sell, but it can take time to sell. The cost that gets tied up into something large can be scary. Marketing larger stuff can also be hard, but I do not do any shipping. I do have one gallery that I try to keep 3 or 4 larger pieces in. My kilns are 41x41x41" and sometimes do vases, jars, umbrella / cane holders that only fit 9 items per load. Thanks for the feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted February 5, 2018 Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 About a year ago, I threw a 15 inch tall vase. This is not part of my normal inventory, I threw it just for fun. I told myself I would be happy if I sold it by the end of the year. I sold it in July, but by then I was already tired of transporting that beast around. It was bought by a mom/son duo. He bought it for her 70th birthday present. There is a market but it’s much smaller than the mug market. It takes a special occassion. This type of work is better suited for exhibitions, not art fairs or retail galleries. Keep an eye out for Calls for Entries, and start applying. If your work gets picked by the juror, then you let them sell it on a consignment basis. These are not profitable venues, so don’t expect to make much money. They are for prestige. If your goal is to sell occasionally, not for a living, mostly to build a resume and keep the pots moving out of your studio, then it might work for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted February 5, 2018 Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 I have sold large work over the years and of late decide to quit making it. Yes it can add up when it sells but my small stuff is what is constantly moving . Even in a gallery setting it takes space up sitting when I can sell small stuff.I seem to go in and out of having a few big pots around-right now its a no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted February 5, 2018 Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 Most of my profits out of Penn State in the 90's came from 15"-24" high pieces. I had few folks that liked to pick up a large piece of mine every year. They take up a lot of kiln space, but I had a tendency not use shelves with them, usually put one or two in the kiln with smaller jars, mugs, creamers, salt and pepper shakers, french butter dishes, and other things. Packed full, with very little in the way of wasted space. It was cone 6 stoneware, not porcelain and would not warp under the pressure.. I usually had at least 3 pieces supporting one piece in the next later, sometimes I would pack 3 bottles one upside down, two right side up. Takes time, and takes up a lot of space in the booth. However, it was the trick I used to stand out whereas a lot of folks were displaying small pots with a few larger, I had a display of larger pieces with smaller pots around them. Back then, I would use one white glaze, and use lots of sprayed on texture with brushed on accents bringing out impressionistic landscapes. best, Pres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted February 5, 2018 Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 i have seen the same attractive large platter sitting in the same spot in a gallery/shop here in st pete for at least 2 winter seasons. that is a lot of time for no sale at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firebob Posted February 5, 2018 Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 I only do one show a year. If I had a choice to mix clay all day or to pack up the van to restock my galleries I would chose to mix clay if I could. I packed up the van this morning for a few galleries to take tomorrow. I get a few "interior designers" though my shop from the north and they like to buy my larger work. I find having the larger work in the galleries helps a lot to get people to come to my shop. Joseph F Sorry about the thread. I did not see you wanted to delete it until after I posted. I got dragged away form the computer to check my kiln as i was typing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted February 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 Thanks everyone for the replies. It is interesting how larger work is hard to sell. I still am not sure how to break into the market but I am going to try a few different things. @firebob Don't apologize, it is my fault. I appreciate your quick reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted February 5, 2018 Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 11 hours ago, Pres said: Most of my profits out of Penn State in the 90's came from 15"-24" high pieces. I had few folks that liked to pick up a large piece of mine every year. Guess where I sold the oversized vase? The Penn State show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted February 5, 2018 Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 I think if there are pieces that you need to make, you should make them. Just don't stop making the smaller, more bread and butter stuff. If the larger pieces are a different market that tends to move slower, then allow that it may not be your primary income stream. Multiple income streams are a good thing, aren't they? edited to add: make it, take some good images, and look for venues where it might fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted February 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 1 minute ago, Callie Beller Diesel said: I think if there are pieces that you need to make, you should make them. Just don't stop making the smaller, more bread and butter stuff. If the larger pieces are a different market that tends to move slower, then allow that it may not be your primary income stream. Multiple income streams are a good thing, aren't they? Yes! I currently have 0 income streams. I don't sell any of my work, I am trying to change that this year. Last year I sold a few things, but I would really like to make larger objects. Of course, I say large, but my kiln limit is 15'' wide and 17.5'' tall. So large is really medium to most potters probably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted February 5, 2018 Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 A 15" tall vase is big. Bigger than most people can find a spot for in their homes, and more expensive than most people are willing to pay nowadays. 5-6 years ago, I used to sell 1 or two large $275 jars at every art fair. Now I sell 1-2 per year. Over the last 3 years I have gradually changed my body of work to be mostly smaller pieces, under $100. I've had shows where I sold $1900 of work, and my average sale was under $30. It's a lot more work to do it that way, because you're making up for large sales with volume, but small pieces sell well. I will say that over the last two years I've been starting to sell larger pieces again. As long as the economy keeps improving, I think sales of larger pieces will continue to improve as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted February 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 6 minutes ago, neilestrick said: A 15" tall vase is big. Bigger than most people can find a spot for in their homes, and more expensive than most people are willing to pay nowadays. 5-6 years ago, I used to sell 1 or two large $275 jars at every art fair. Now I sell 1-2 per year. Over the last 3 years I have gradually changed my body of work to be mostly smaller pieces, under $100. I've had shows where I sold $1900 of work, and my average sale was under $30. It's a lot more work to do it that way, because you're making up for large sales with volume, but small pieces sell well. I will say that over the last two years I've been starting to sell larger pieces again. As long as the economy keeps improving, I think sales of larger pieces will continue to improve as well. It definitely is more limited. From the pottery shows I have been to, all of the work that was being bought was mostly smaller stuff. The only larger stuff I saw being sold was the red dots on the name tags in the galleries. But those were the award-winning pots, and it isn't like they are making a living selling 1 pot for a few grand every year at this show. I guess I just need to start taking action towards finding places to put my work. I need to rebuild my website, get some work on up it, a simple artist statement and get out around town and see what I can find. I know I live in a ripe area for sales. I live north of Atlanta, it is a very wealthy area a few miles around me in almost every direction, as my house taxes tell me each year... I am sure there are people out there buying good work, I just need to make some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted February 5, 2018 Report Share Posted February 5, 2018 joseph, good luck with selling. you work has changed since you first came to the forums for advice. you are doing well and have developed glazes to work with your pieces. good for you for not trying to sell before you had the stock and designs to make it. sometimes i think that smaller pieces sell at shows that are geared to or located in tourist areas. the smaller things fit in suitcases or cars more easily than large ones. that may be part of the reason small things sell "better". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Up in Smoke Pottery Posted February 7, 2018 Report Share Posted February 7, 2018 Joseph, the vast majority of our work that regularly sells is in the 8" - 12" in height, 5-6 in the 12"-18" range, and usually 1 over 18" over the course of a year (5-6 shows) I still carry at least 2 pots larger that 18" to every show, I never know when they will decide to go home with someone else. I make them because I like to push myself, and I find them challenging to survive a pit fire. If I were you I'd go for it, see where your heart will take you, your work will reflect it. You might even find things you can translate into smaller works. Just don't fill your studio with large pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yappystudent Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 This will perhaps sound preachy but (also I'm late to the convo, sorry) as an artist occasionally you need to follow that inner calling or bad things can happen, like dry spells that stop you working on anything effectively. I don't have much experience selling my ceramics yet but I have some selling 2D paintings and drawings alongside other artist's ceramic work. Most of this occurred during the boom economic cycle of the 90's in the Eureka CA area, so a small city with a lot of small towns up and down a touristy coastal highway, just for reference. Some tips which you can take or leave based on my experiences: If you wish to do truly primitive work I'd aim for the big cities. That kind of edginess won't be appreciated as high art elsewhere, it will be misinterpreted as lack of skill. Minimalist or 'vaguely Japanese' does sometimes sell though in a big town/small city type environment, because the average person can tell it's art, and it's decorative. Gallery employees and managers are there to make money, period. Try and look professional and if you are worried about selling yourself or being nervous, take someone you can trust to back you up. There is much more advice about this online than I can relate, that is, sales from an artist's perspective. Scout out the gallery first physically. Tell whoever is working there you're an artist and ask if you can make an appointment to have someone look at your work. Surprise them by having nice clear cropped photos of it in a little tidy black/brown photo album (don't walk in carrying a pot or a portfolio). I never call, just show up and politely ask, if they want a phone call they will tell you. Usually they want to see pictures my stuff then and there to make sure I'm not a flake. If they ask for pictures and I don't have any, or they're not well displayed, it makes me look unprofessional. IF you're going to hit up real art galleries that just have and sell art, say in a city, you'll want to have a show (that's about 12-20 the last I was told) of work you think is typical available and ready to go. Even if they don't pressure you to have that much up front, you will be sweating bullets as the countdown starts if you do get a space and you have to make work to fill it. Having work standing by will give you a ton of confidence. There is no reason not to make a few large 'art' pieces that express something you're really feeling at the time, and use them to punctuate a show of smaller work. Be this on your website or in a brick and mortar gallery setting. It shows everyone including yourself that you are a "real" maker and serious about what you do. It appeals to people who have the money to take notice. On that note, define what you're going to say about yourself when trying to get your stuff shown, are you a ceramic artist, potter, or both? Just don't give wishy-washy answers or feel wishy-washy about it in your head. Try to find your bread and butter 'small' stuff that you want to do as well, but don't beat yourself up about it. Getting some larger more edgy, artsy pieces out into the marketplace might be what you need to find direction, to clear your vision so to speak. There is nothing logical about creating art in my opinion, if you have it in you, it needs to come out as you see it, not as others would have you do it. There is a lot to know but in the end just do what you need to do for now, also I included this link to another great artist's resource site with a LOT more info on this and a great place to ask more question: http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=32 Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted February 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 Thank you, everyone, for your knowledge and words. I think at this point I am just going to keep doing what I have been doing, with the exception of hammering 99% my work. I am at a place now where I think my current work is desired enough to sell it and I am going to start doing what a lot of you said, make the larger pots when I desire and continue making smalls as well. I am going to rebuild my website for a simple place to post new work and put up a shop. I am going to probably use some type of mix between etsy and my personal shop, on that I haven't decided, maybe Pattern. I figure I need to put together some actual work anyways like Yappy said. Having work ready when I do get someone offering me a gallery spot is the real way to do it, not the other way around. I need to be putting together collections of work on shelves so that I can go and say, here is what I have ready for your gallery. Thanks again all! Huge help in my thoughts over the last week, I have been spending a lot of time meditating on my place in the pottery world. I appreciate the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta12 Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 Another thought for larger pieces.....in larger more urban areas there are businesses that stage houses for realtors or for sellers. I have sold a few things to be used for just that. Staging. Vases. Do you know an interior designer or house stager? Or Real estate agent. I really like the vase you posted in the gallery. It would look stunning with the right flowers or twigs in it. Just a thought. Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted February 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 My sister in law actually does staging and also makes large farm tables. I really need to get my work on her tables in her galleries. Good idea Roberta, and thanks for the nice comments about my vase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 Hi folks, I was thinking about the large vase bit, and have to admit, maybe I made a mistake. those vases in the 90's were really lidded jars. This because of another old fallacy from a prof in college. He would always say if you want to sell something . . . . put a lid on it! I made a lot of jars in the 90's that could have been, maybe should have been vases. However, at the time I never understood how something that big could be a vase. In the long run, I guess it is my wife that taught me more than the old prof about large pieces and such. She knows what to do with them, and changes them for the seasons. Here are examples of 3 from this Christmas/Winter season. One of the vases/jars is from later as it was on a piece that was accidentally fired to cone 6 as bisque. Then glazed after heating it up and using white glue in the glaze,an interesting effect, almost like a salt glaze or wood glaze. The other two are from a time when I used a Bristol type white glaze with washes sprayed on with an atomizer through laces, and other materials for t he landscape effects. The laces were more for texture than pattern, and then I used a brush with the washes and stains to bring out what I wanted and then added more brush strokes for detail like branches and grasses. best, Pres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Fireborn Posted February 9, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 Very Nice. This is what I am thinking for my house as well. I have a lot of places I could put these jars. We never really decorated our home after we moved in. Besides pictures of our son's school work taped to the walls and every cabinet and door in the house... Beautiful work Pres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 Thank you Joseph, seems like if there is a corner, she uses it for decoration. I have gotten used to it and find the pieces fit in well. However, the lids ... .she has them hidden away somewhere. I will have to photograph the pieces with the lids sometime. best, Pres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hitchmss Posted May 18, 2018 Report Share Posted May 18, 2018 In regards to approaching the gallery; speaking with firsthand knowledge (wife is a gallery manager, and has worked in galleries for 20 years now, friends are gallery owners, on and on), galleries utterly hate it when you show up unexpectedly to try and "sell" them something. They are put in the spot of either offending you, or carrying your work, and more likely than not, they'll turn you down just because of unprofessional nature of your approach. The way to approach a gallery about carrying your work (small or large) is to call or hand write a letter asking how they prefer submissions for review and follow their instructions to the letter. If they turn you down, hand write a note thanking them for their time. The art gallery world is relatively small; making highly professional, friendly connections goes a long way. In regards to selling big pots; I make pots that go from $6 to over $6k. I have some friends who sell $2-5k pots at shows quite regularly, but for me I dont. My gleaning from the entire experience is that your big pots wont be valued as much when they are on the same table, or same booth as your $15 sponge holder. So, if you want to sell big pots, create and display a refined booth that features big vessels only, and attracts the customers you want, not the looky loo's who touch everything, and buy nothing. I dont lug my truly large work (48" vessels) to shows just because of the hassle and risk of damaging them, but I do take 24-36" work with me and sell a dozen or two every year in the $500-$1k price range. Often a lot of the customers who do buy those pieces saw me the year before, loved it, but needed the year to realize they should have bought it last year. The truly big work gets sold, typically privately, through connections made and fostered at other events. Galleries, especially smaller craft galleries, dont want to carry big work like that because it takes a while to sell, and takes up a lot of real estate. However, just today, one of my galleries sold a bigger $600 bowl, so they do sell. Big pots do impress the patrons and will sell the smaller pots better. Ive only been in the full time game for 7 years now, and producing 8 or so tons of small pots and doing 22 shows a year is taking its toll on my hands and joints. Long term game plan is to ween off the small pots (either volume, or production method) and focus on making bigger pots. I see some potters who just up their prices on their small stuff as they get older, but then I do see them with the same $60 mug at each show too..... Someone else mentioned the design shows; I have some friends who have gone the route of displaying/selling at the large residential or commercial design/decoration shows. Some have received contracts to put big pots in every room of their 200 room hotels, or a sink in every new condo in the 1,000 unit development. Going this route can pay off, but can be for cash flow. A macro crystalline friend just received a $2 million offer to do a few thousand of his wall sconces for a lighting design retailer; picked up the connection at an art show on the street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzlepottery Posted December 12, 2018 Report Share Posted December 12, 2018 I am relatively new the the craft fair game but I sell a good bit of large work. I've been selling online internationally and to decorators for a few years and they normally buy what I call the "large statement pieces." One thing I've noticed is that at some shows, like the higher quality fine craft shows, having the large work helps to draw in clients and sell the smaller pieces, ($95 for a mug doesn't seem so bad when the vase you really want is $1100). But at other shows, like the ones with younger crowds where people are expecting a deal, I think having the nice work is actually hurting me, people will come up to see the big striking vase and the rest of the work, pales in comparison even though it would have been attractive on its own. Not sure what to make of that, or how to handle it, I still want to bring the big stuff to small shows to make a good impression, you never know who you're going to meet. I have found, especially at some of the higher end shows (like PMA), people who like your work want to "collect" the nicer pieces. It definitely makes sense to at least bring some large museum quality pieces just in case that buyer is there. The bulk of my sales are still in the $80-$120 range, for small vases and mugs and stuff (I do a lot of surface decoration so my price point overall is higher), but boy is it easier to sell an $800 vase once than to fill a giant wholesale order and ship it, or make, lug and sell 32 $25 items. I think I could gross more at a show if I were selling more volume of lower priced items but I'd rather focus on making less work but work of higher quality, than making my studio like a factory to pump out the cheaper items. Not to mention the toll it would take on my body. I do have some pieces that have sat without selling for a year or more but that doesn't bother me, if they're good they'll sell, and if not I'll drop the price and someone will really feel like they're getting a deal, even if they're spending $400 or more. Another note, since most of these large pieces have sold to people who may be collectors, I do worry about selling similar work at a lower price because I'm ready to move it, I don't want to disrespect these clients by devaluing their investment but at the end of the day I'd usually rather have money than pots. I make sure the keep my online prices consistent, because that is the "worldly face" of my brand, but at a show I will lower a price significantly if the situation is right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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