After Christmas and the big push, I am now reflecting on some issues i have.
This entry is to air some of the questions i have been confronted with lately.
Right before i left to go out of town for 2 weeks, I decided to listen to a good friend of mine and go ahead and risk my ego again (isn’t that what artists do so well after all).
I sent some images into a local gallery, this place being a goal of 5 years from now, I went ahead and chanced introducing myself to them. Unbenonce to me, they actually wanted to see my work in person so I took some work over and got an incredible critique and sold some cups to them wholesale.
So, my foot is in the door. Now, I am not what I would call a production potter, however, they have asked me to change some things about my website to make it more user friendly. The gallery manager asked me to get together my images in a printable format or to make a portfolio of all that i do with all the color options. She showed me some of the big time potters books where all of what they make is listed as well as the color options. I learned a lot from this visit.
Is this the direction i should be going in? I want to be in that gallery so badly and grow this foot in the door that i have, but am i ready to make objects over and over again without being able to change some things. Am I needing to make another “wholesale” type work that will sell specifically at certain galleries and shops?
Something that i have always enjoyed about my work is being able to change when i want, try new things, surfaces, etc. But, will the wholesale world stop this for me? I know that other potters do certain things for wholesale and other work for different venues, but am i able to keep up with that with a small child at home?
I’m excited to be able to have started this relationship with this gallery and others, the feedback is priceless to me, especially since I’m not in a public studio anymore where the feedback was at my doorstep.
Working is all i can do. Keep working. that has been my motto all along.
But, I’m curious how others came to where they are in marketing their work right now. I just bought the book Crafting as a business by Wendy Rosen, which seems to have very valuable information in it. I was curious about the Buyers Market for American Craft which is held in Feb. in Phil. I was wanting to go there as a visiting artist to see what it’s all about. They suggested this book to newbies.
It’s hard not being around a lot of potters to ask anymore. I’m really starting to feel the heat of not having community around me like i used to.
There is the clay club that meets in various places around that I have not participated in like i probably need to. Then, there are relationships with other potters that i have kept up and those are priceless. Also, taking a workshop or class here and there and teaching have helped to keep me in conversation about clay, these are all good i feel. But, there needs to be more.
Funny, the first thing the book suggests to do is find community and a mentor. I think I will move on this somehow…..
This brings me to the blog.
Meredith Heywood at whynotpottery.com has come up with this amazing idea to have a show with all these potter bloggers. The show is to present the value of having a blog as a potter and how the writings have helped connect and fulfill a missing link in the studio; community. This is so interesting to me as i strive to find this in my own world with clay.
I’ve enjoyed reading about Meaders pottery in cleveland, georgia. The thick tradition of the pottery being in their blood. This commitment is beautiful to me, but i wonder, did any of them ever feel trapped by it? Making the same things over and over again, the orders were large and the workers were few, that means they probably worked all day everyday making the same things.
I used to work for a production potter that worked this way. We were filling wholesale orders. That is what I did, make the same objects over and over. Not sure this is what i want.
whoo, that was a lot. Better take a break. I can’t think this way for too long or i’ll get depressed.
Back to the studio i go…..only 30 min. until nap times over!!!
Against all Skutt manual advice, I placed my kiln outside, here she is covered with a tarp to shield from the winter weather. Haven’t had any problems yet with this set up, although i looked out there this morning and it was at 29 degrees…brrr. don’t think that will hurt the elements, anyone ever experience any problems with electric kilns outside?
beautiful isn’t it.
The guys sledding, we just happen to have one of the best sledding hills we’ve found right on our driveway…but you better be well stocked because you can’t get down it.
ok, here’s what was most popular. I called this the triple dipper and i sold out of them. you can use it for so many different things that i think that’s what is appealing about them. It’s very funny though, i can never predict what will sell. this is something I always hear from potters.
