Goals 2011, "sales Friendly Groupings"

[clay lover]

In responding to one of my posts on the 'goals 2011' tthread, Chris talked about a break down of steps to achieving my goal of getting more of my work in galleries and moving on away from the school atmosphere.

 

The first step she brought up was developing sales friendly groupings.

 

I would like to discuss that idea, because I have been making everything I saw that I liked and having great sucess at the big school sales, but each pieces is a one of a kind. The big production sales work that way with many potters , 100"s opf different pieces, dozens of different glazes, and a wide variey of skill levels. The buyers are used to that, and mill through for more than an hour, picking and choosing.

 

I want to have a cohesive look to my booth for summer sales and and am trying now to get that plan together. My main problem is figuring out how to achieve that with out boring myself to death doing the same pieces over and over. I would like a variety of forms that all cary out the same theme. Or at least have color similarity. The problem I am having thinking about this comes from the process I want to be using now.

 

I came up with some things late last fall that I really liked, very good look, got lots of attention, and gallery worthy if I wanted to put them there. They are labor intensive and I expected a pretty steep price for them and got it.

I know I need a wide range of prices for a booth to work, and I'm having trouble figuring out how to do a complex glazing process on smaller pieces and not have the lower end of my prices be a loss item for me. In the past my booth sales at art fairs have been good , but made up of the $10-$15 range.

 

Can you folks advise me on developing this work and not losing $$$ on the smaller, most saleable pieces?

[GEP]

"My main problem is figuring out how to achieve that with out boring myself to death doing the same pieces over and over."

Many artists hold themselves back with this fear, but there's nothing to be afraid of if you take the right perspective. It's not about restricting yourself to one look. It's about finding a look that expresses all of your aesthetic values, and pleases you so much, that you are happy to make a commitment.

Mea

[Chris Campbell]

Might I ask what items were selling at the $10 to $15 mark?

And ... Have you ever done a cost analysis to see if you made any money on them?

They just might not be worth making.

 

You made higher priced items and sold them so maybe that's your price zone.

There are customers for every price range.

[clay lover]

Thanks for the reply, Chris and Mea.

 

The are that I live in is severely economically depressed, unemployment is 16%. There is no art community around here and fairs and craft shows draw people that often are looking for what I refer to as 'crocheted toilet tissue covers. . And there are many vendors at the "jurried" shows that sell exactly that item and other lovlies of that sort.

 

The smaller things that sell well are not labor intensive but look good and people with no understanding of what goes into making nice potterty like them ,know what to do with them and they sell. Please understand, these are not things I don't want my name on, I give them as gifts and they are well made, just not complex process. The 1 qt bowl without embellishm,ent always sells, trays, sandwich size and some larger sell.

 

My main issue is how to incorporate the more complex larger pieces into a total look with the more simple.

Do I do it by using the same glazes, but not the complexity and detail ?

[Chris Campbell]

My main issue is how to incorporate the more complex larger pieces into a total look with the more simple.

Do I do it by using the same glazes, but not the complexity and detail ?

 

 

Exactly that in my opinion.

From my experience in booth shows, people like to see that very high end piece even though they cannot afford it. They will move down to things they can buy and are glad to have the association with the higher priced piece show in the less expensive piece.

They want to recognize the connection and tell their friends about the other work.

[clay lover]

What's your opinion on a developing potter having several styles at the same booth? Can it be done tastefully by arrangeing things in groups?

I haven't settled down to doing one look . I do a line of rather large equine pieces that are very pricy, they go to particular galleries, then the layered glaze and resist pattern are another, I love to do scrafitto pieces, serving trays with lots carved design, with different color slip.

Could I switch around in my making, working on producing stock in different groups, and still set a good looking coordinated booth?

[Chris Campbell]

Another question that revolves around ... "It all depends ....."

 

Galleries tend to want a cohesive look from an artist so keep your expensive equine things for them.

The sign of an amateur to them ( notice I said to them ) is an artist who has not settled into their style.

They get nervous thinking their clients will just get to like you and you'll be gone or you wont make it anymore.

This makes them look bad since they are the ones that have to say NO and explain.

 

In the booth, I think you can get away with maybe two looks but try to keep your colors complimentary.

People tend to not believe you did both, so get ready for it.

 

Personally I tend to like a both with a cohesive look, one style ... one voice ...

but if you have not settled on a style yet don't let that stop you from experimenting.

[Idaho Potter]

I've had problems for years with galleries wanting one style--only--from me. The problem was I produced my sculpture in many different mediums--bronze, wood, stone, clay, resin, etc.--and the galleries could not accept the fact that the different approach and/or finishes were based on the medium chosen. To me, stone means sweeping curves and lines--no detail; wood means more detail, but still restrictions posed by the base material; bronze is infinite detail whether worked directly in wax or using clay (plastacine or earthen) as the modeling medium, but the final art work costs dearly to produce; clay means very few boundaries which is why it has become my first choice.

 

It's tough when some of your work expresses a serious side and some a more carefree side. This is true with pottery as well. Why should we artists restrict ourselves? Isn't the whole idea of art to express ourselves? Rather than force your talents into a box created by someone else, maybe we need to take the path many authors have taken--psuedonyms. You aren't a multiple personality for wanting to work in more than one direction. If the cost of being true to your artistic self is fewer sales, can you live with that?

 

As with my sculptures, my pottery branches in different directions. Stoneware is mostly functional and conservative in form and finish. Raku, on the other hand is FUN. I've offered both at shows, and to date have not had problems. Because of the different firings and finishes, perhaps this qualifies as two voices?

 

I tried to work to satisfy the gallery owners, and instead found I'd lost my need to create anything. I now work as I please and have found galleries that actually like showing a different side of my work. The fact that they don't show the two side by side may or may not mean something.

 

Whatever you do, make sure your artistic needs are satisfied. If you don't enjoy what you're doing, you're doing the wrong thing.

[Seasoned Warrior]

I've had problems for years with galleries wanting one style--only--from me. The problem was I produced my sculpture in many different mediums--bronze, wood, stone, clay, resin, etc.--and the galleries could not accept the fact that the different approach and/or finishes were based on the medium chosen. To me, stone means sweeping curves and lines--no detail; wood means more detail, but still restrictions posed by the base material; bronze is infinite detail whether worked directly in wax or using clay (plastacine or earthen) as the modeling medium, but the final art work costs dearly to produce; clay means very few boundaries which is why it has become my first choice.

 

It's tough when some of your work expresses a serious side and some a more carefree side. This is true with pottery as well. Why should we artists restrict ourselves? Isn't the whole idea of art to express ourselves? Rather than force your talents into a box created by someone else, maybe we need to take the path many authors have taken--psuedonyms. You aren't a multiple personality for wanting to work in more than one direction. If the cost of being true to your artistic self is fewer sales, can you live with that?

 

As with my sculptures, my pottery branches in different directions. Stoneware is mostly functional and conservative in form and finish. Raku, on the other hand is FUN. I've offered both at shows, and to date have not had problems. Because of the different firings and finishes, perhaps this qualifies as two voices?

 

I tried to work to satisfy the gallery owners, and instead found I'd lost my need to create anything. I now work as I please and have found galleries that actually like showing a different side of my work. The fact that they don't show the two side by side may or may not mean something.

 

Whatever you do, make sure your artistic needs are satisfied. If you don't enjoy what you're doing, you're doing the wrong thing.

 

 

I understand your situation completely and agree. I work in various media including metals and glass. A number of years ago I stopped working for gallery owners because while they may understand what they sell they may not understand your work. I foudn it much more rewarding to work for myself and to find galleries who handle the types of work I produce rather than tring to produce what the gallery wants. The latter was too much like work. I keep a list of people who visit regularly or who have purchased my work and I keep in touch with them. I find that by keeping in touch with people who like my art and have purchased it in the past is the best way since these people will dislpaly my work and their friends wil see it and inquire about the work: the halo effect at work.

 

Best regards,

Charles