I've been talking for some weeks about the fact that I had decided to exhibit at a local Art Fair and have related tales of the tasks involved. Well Sunday was the appointed day and I duly arrived with a car packed to the gunwales with paintings and various bits of impedimenta to support and display the work. An hour to set up prior to the arrival of the public and dismal weather conditions outside guaranteed to put off any but the real afficianados.
View down the hall prior to opening
The Carney CollectionWhat an interesting day. Numerous conversations with other artists and passers by were a fund of information about the prospects and the likes and dislikes of the public. There did seem to a general consensus that one off events are not the best way to attract sales, people seem to enjoy a number of browsing opportunities prior to making decisions about picture purchase.
Trying to second guess the taste of visitors was responsible for me loading the front of my display with watercolours, largely flowers and a couple of local scenes. However, I was to proved wrong on this occasion as there was more interest in the oils than there was in the watercolours.
Well there was a steady stream of people braving the elements and showing a real enthusiasm for the efforts of the exhibiting artists, but there was little evidence of purchases being made. In fact at the end of the day most were reporting 'no sales made'. So for me it was an even greater surprise to find that I had bucked this trend by selling four of my oil paintings. The paintings leaving me are the ones pictured below.
It will take a few days to process all of the feedback and reasoning why these rather than other pictures were the ones to move people sufficiently that they put up their hard earned cash to acquire them. A big thanks to them for the way they have appreciated my work and more than covered the not insignificant outlay in preparing for the show.
Wingate Quarry - 12" x 10" Oil on canvas board
Chemical Beach, Seaham - 12" x 10" Oil on canvas board
Gun Hill - 20" x 16" Oil on canvas board
Canyon Light - 16" x 12" Oil on stretched linen
8 comments:
Great to hear Mick, well deserved! The second is my fav.
Well done Mick! They look good.
Congratulations Mick, you have done so well! The first is my favourite and also the Norfolk painting.
Dan - It's so rewarding to have kind feedback from one of my inspirations.
Peter - Thanks so much for your support.
Caroline - Thanks a lot. I'm not surprised that you enjoy the Norfolk painting. It's very much your type of subject matter. I could devote myself to similar subjects and have much source material to inform them but I have been trying to vary my subject matter and medium.
interesting post mick
it is hard second guessing the public.
i believe if you paint what you really want,if you paint from the heart then there is a chance to connect...
anyway i'm really pleaqsed you sold a few,wich will give you confidence for the next paintings
Rob - Thanks, you offer good advice. The ones that sold had a little more of me in them than some of the others.
Hi Mick,
AWESOME!!! So glad to see you got your work out there Mick. Nice too to have had the time to meet and talk with the other artists in the show, that's always a fun part of showing. Sales over here as you know have been slow (better in the last two months) and I've heard it's slow there too so we're all on par. That was so excellent to hear you had four you didn't have to bring home with you. Too happy for you Mick...it's nice when the hard work pays off.
Congratulations buddy!
Ron
WOW... Congratulations on "bucking the trend"!!
I know how much work those fairs are and to have ANY sales is a plus, and four - a real coup!!
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