Lessons learned, crisis averted, and being practical...........what a year it has been!
For any artist looking to participate in art festivals I hope some of my experiences help you with your interest in art festivals.
First and foremost, be prepared for the amount of work (physical and mental) that goes into participating in an art festival. Usually it takes me two hours to set up and display my tent, about an hour to disassemble. Even though I am very careful with rewrapping my artwork for the return trip home.....everything else is thrown into our vehicle to get us home. The next day is when I return everything too it's rightful place, ex: rolling up tent walls, sheers, organizing display bin, etc. I always make sure that the day before a festival I take off from work to prepare for any last minutes issues, there always seems to be something. Ha. Also, I take the day off from work after the festival to focus on inventory and reorganizing my bins. Typically you set up your tent one day and then return the next for the festival. On the last day of the festival you pack up and leave. Lastly, I think of my art tent as a pop up business, I want it to be eye catching, yet professional.
Streamline: Really think about what you should bring to display your artwork. Do you really need two tables or can you make a beautiful display with one? At the end of the festival you are usually very tired and the thought of having to lug that extra table you didn't need back home can be exhausting. Most artists set up their tent and display ahead of time.....I think this is a great idea. However, one I never followed. I tend to learn on the fly.....for better or worse.
Is the festival really worth the time, effort and money? This is a hard one, because I feel like if you don't try, then how will you know? Since I am still in my gaining experience phase, I tried many different types of festivals this year. Some were great, others not so much. I did receive good advice from a fellow artist, she says she only participates in two shows a year because she works full time, and it has to be a two day event, not a one day event. I tend to agree with her, because I work full time too, and a two day event typically produces more sales. Although, I do love The Shadows in New Iberia and will probably attend in the fall of 2024.....even though it is a one day event.
Give yourself time.....With any business, it takes time to grow. Sometimes I compare myself to other artists, who have been participating in festivals for years and have built up a clientele, and wish I could be like that. We all have to start somewhere so it is ok if you don't have 1000 followers on Instagram and Facebook friends. Eventually you will get there if you stick with it and are consistent.
Crisis Averted: I displayed a painting on the top of my checkout stand and I wanted to move my stand a few inches up to be out of the sun. So I started to slide the stand forward and accidentally raised the top and everything fell off. There went my painting flying into a ditch behind me. Fortunately the painting wasn't damaged and there was no rain water in the ditch......but I realized I need to be careful how I display my artwork. Accidents happen, so I display artwork to minimize damage.
Being practical: Did I really need to build a grapevine chandelier for my tent? I didn't even bring it to the last show..........I was too tired. Now the thing is taking up space in my studio. Eventually I will disassemble it but not until I have free time. Oh did I mention I work full time? LOL Art Festivals require a lot of moving parts. Where will you store your artwork, tent, tables.....etc when not in use? Our entire house has some aspect of Christin's studio stuff, along with her tuff shed converted to studio. Needless to say, it is a commitment in time, storage and money. Hopefully I didn't scare anyone!
Ultimately, I love participating in art festivals. I love meeting people and explaining my art process. You never know who you are going to connect with. You have to be the type of person who can roll with the punches too. I had a woman tell me my fairies (in the paintings) weren't real fairies because they were too large compared with the landscape. I smiled and said, I have to think about that. However, in the back of my mind I was like, you don't get what I am doing. Ha. Seriously, you can't take anything personal. People are entitled to their opinions and they do not mind sharing:)
I did want to share upcoming ideas for 2024: Check it out: I purchased metallic watercolors and Sennelier watercolors.
Here is a (part of an) oil painting I started working on last year but I will be turning into an encaustic painting, titled< "In Her Garden".
So that is that.
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and the best New Year.
Keep creating
Christin
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