Festival Day Reflection

Hi,

Wow!

This was way different from the tiny craft fairs I used to do where hardly anyone took notice and I came away vowing, 'Never doin' THAT again!'

I wish I'd had someone taking photos while people were in my tent. It was filled with admirers for most of the day!

I made a few sales, and I had lots of people asking me questions about larger work and whether I had a website.

Rarely did I need to offer my business card. People actively sought them out. Many of them brought my website up on their phones on the spot!

The things I've learned from Maria Brophy, Jason Horejs, and the Professional Artist Institute helped make this day successful.

I'd like to share just a few of those wise gems with you.

Make people feel like they are walking into an art gallery or a home.

The banner where my name is displayed is a soothing neutral grey heather, much like you'd find in the upholstery of an elegant modern home.

Notice the antique hand crocheted tablecloth overlay where the small works are displayed. And there's the 3-tier upcycled stand from my studio.

An interior designer might cringe at this combination, but it's what I had and it evidently did the job. It made my heart glad that people felt welcome.

Keep things open.

I wanted people to come in and take a closer look without feeling trapped. So I kept the middle open and lifted the side panels halfway to create an open feeling. The side benefit was a nice cross-breeze.

I greeted people as they entered, but gave them a few moments to browse rather than accosting them at the door.

I am glad that I left some visual space between the larger works.

Often, someone would come and stand in front of a particular painting for several minutes.

I don't think this would have happened had I crowded the paintings too close together. However, I think I could have brought just a little more in retrospect.

Make it about THEM!

Often I would hear someone make a comment to whoever was with them. It gave me the opportunity to ask people about themselves.

One woman drew in her breath upon seeing "Spitshine" and said that her dad had worn shoes just like that. I asked her, "Did you like to watch your dad shine his shoes too?"

This started a delightful conversation where she shared a little of her own touching story.

Show a little of your process.

People are fascinated by how artwork is made, what inspired it, where does one even start?,...etc.

But they can experience information overload really fast.

So I chose to share just a little about why I do an underpainting before adding full color.

Offer a variety of sizes and price points.

I had work ranging in size from the miniatures at under $100, up to 20"x20," at $1800.

I hesitated to bring anything larger, lest it get damaged.

I do occasionally have prints made of selected paintings, but it's on a very small scale at this point.

This was enough to handle my first time out.

Be generous, but don't give away the farm.

My giveaway was small. I offered a selection of miniature 2"x3" paintings to choose from.

I also kept the entry form simple; "Name and best way to contact you if you win."

I counted up the entries Monday morning and there were 48.

What I did not tell them was that even if they didn't win, I planned to send them a tiny token gift as a thank you.

I will be making a lot of phone calls over the next two weeks!

Make people feel heard.

Perhaps my favorite part of the festival was getting to know the people of the Grosse Pointe communities on a more personal level.

I had such a delightful chat with Claudia, this cheery young woman, when she first entered my tent.

As a creative soul herself, it was fun to hear about her own journey and aspirations.

So when it was time to pull a name from the birdhouse, I was thrilled to see Claudia's.

She was still nearby when I called to congratulate her and was back to collect her prize within a few minutes of my call.

Finally, Success is more about people than pocketbooks.

The question is not what is on the price tag, but whether someone connects deeply with what I've put on the canvas...deeply enough to want to own it.

This I do know; when I focus on painting the joy and calmness I feel with my subject, others are also filled.

I'd say this was a VERY successful day!

Now it's time to go make more.

I spent some time this week out near Pointe Mouillee State Game Area to refresh my store of inspiration.

Here's one of the photo references I snapped.

I should soon have a good many small landscapes and a few larger ones, maybe even a couple 36" sofa-sized ones.

Ambitious!

May your week be filled with birdsong!

Jan

P.S. I have something exciting to announce next week.