Last weekend Mom and I displayed our art at a small business fair in Newton. I displayed my original paintings, my prints, and some of my children's books. Mom displayed her stained glass and provided a beautiful fern as a prize for a draw. Oh, and I also included free cookies, because you've got to have something free at your table!
My reflections on the small business market experience
This was my first art display ever, and I am really happy with how it looked! I was delighted to see how my art looked all crammed together in one place, and I was also very pleased with how the prints turned out. As I manned the booth and received compliments and payments, my artistic self esteem was certainly given a boost! I have often wondered, "why can't I sell my art?" Turns out, if you take your art out from its box in the basement and place it in front of people, it has a much higher chance of selling! What a concept! It made me want to try doing more art/craft fairs in the future, so if you know of any in Manitoba, you should let me know.
My Favourite Sale: Autumn Oak
My favourite feature of our art table was the Autumn Oak collaboration. Mom created a stained glass version of my Autumn Oak painting, which we were able to sell to a lovely lady who had the perfect place for it in her kitchen. I thought it was so neat to see the same image in two different mediums.
What sold, what didn't
I was not able to sell any originals. I wish I had, because I want my paintings to find homes! But I suppose it's harder for customers to envision where a big, framed piece of art could go in their home, whereas it's much easier to buy a small print and stick it in a drawer until you need it. Thus, the prints did better than the originals. I was interested to see which ones did best. The best selling prints were Carl's Sunrise, and Evening Visit. You can buy both of these on my website, too!
Conclusion: would do againI
I didn't make a billion dollars like my inflated imagination had hoped for, but the in-person sales experience was very enjoyable for me, and I think I can use what I learned to do better next time! So, I consider this first market quite successful, if only for the way that it made me long to make more art, and to make it available for people! Maybe you'll see me in the next craft fair, who knows? :)