working on a new booth shot.

11.23.12

My booth shot as of this week.

Earlier this week, I decided it was time to haul out the canopy and Propanels and work on getting together a new booth shot for applying to art fairs.  I've been reading a lot on the Art Fair Insiders forum about how to make your booth shot better.  I've learned a lot from the artists on that forum and enjoyed trying this week to implement what I've learned.

Here are a few observations...

• Juries like to see a unified body of work in the booth shot.  I need to continue working on this, but I have noticed some similarities in my work as I went through this process this week.  So that was kind of fun for me. :)
• I need to keep painting.  More work will help a lot with getting a great booth shot together.
• I have come a long way since that first attempt at a booth shot (see below).
• Setting up in the backyard really helped me to see my work as a whole and to evaluate where I am.  I think doing this every few months to re-evaluate would be a good idea... kind of a way to see if I'm really ready for venturing out into juried art fairs.

So, just for kicks, I thought I'd post my first booth shot. 

My booth shot as of July 2011.

I can't help but think it's no wonder the jurors didn't accept me.  Although I didn't see it at the time, this booth shot makes it obvious that I needed more time to work on building up a body of work.  (I still think that now, after adding more pieces and weeding out some that aren't so great.)  I'm glad, though, that I tried, because it got me started on the journey.

I still have so far to go...

art fair 101.

11.11.11

So I've been to three ArtBridge Thursdays events so far, and each time I learn something new that I can take away for the next time.

After the first week, I learned to always make sure to take the correct exit, and even if MapQuest says to take a different exit number, sometimes it's okay to go with your gut.  Mine was right, and I didn't trust it the first week. :(

That first week, I tried and was unsuccessful with attaching my banner to my EZ-Up canopy.  And I realized that I needed a container of some type for the various odds & ends of things I need at the art fair.

This is my solution, which I very much like so far:

My handy-dandy shelf thing.  I love having this as a tidy place to keep all my odds & ends at the art fair in one place.

Week two, I took the correct exit and made it to the venue at 4:00, which is the earliest we can begin setting up.  Yea! :)  I brought sticky-backed Velcro to use for attaching my banner, but realized I forgot the banner. :(  I also had a couple new paintings and several small prints that I framed to add to the display.

And I added a business card holder just below my artist bio...

My artist biography, along with my new business card holder. :)

For week three, I happened upon two Pier 1 matching tall director's chairs for an awesome deal.  See?

These two chairs appear to be barely used, with Pier 1 price tags for $50 still on them.  We scored this deal for $13 for the pair at a thrift store last weekend!  :)

I also added a "Shipping Available" and "Giclee Prints $20" sign to one of my walls in the display, as well as a sign showing the credit cards I am able to accept.

Shipping Available, and credit cards signs.  It's a little hard to see here because my track lights caused a bit of glare.

I was able to get my banner up on the canopy.  What do you think?

My ArtBridge Thursday booth, Nov. 10, 2011

We noticed that many vendors brought Christmas lights and garland to get the holiday shopping spirit going.  My daughter had suggested that idea and I had liked it, but didn't get the lights out for last night.  It's on my list for improvements for next week's display.  And I have plans for some Christmas/wintry sorts of paintings.

Last night, looking at my display, I reflected that I have added new paintings and made little adjustments here & there to my display.  This experience is really like "Art Fair 101" for me.  We're getting a lot of practice lately with loading, unloading, set-up & tear down.  :)  Overall, it's been a good learning experience so far. 

transformation.

12.30.11
 

A couple weeks ago, my husband and I went to Goodwill on half-off day and bought a few canvases. I was able to get a couple paintings that someone had started and given up on... they didn't have any texture built up on them, so I figured they'd work nicely as inexpensive canvases to paint on. Slightly hideous painting #1 became a gift for my brother- and sister-in-law.

And here is the beginning of the transformation of slightly hideous painting #2...

Me with the painting we got at Goodwill, getting ready to paint over it.

The background for the fantastical painting I'm doing for our younger sons, the "J brothers".  It will have sea creatures or something like that.  More to come later...