….and breathe…
Well I’ve only gone and done it….taken part in my first ever Arts Festival Trail…!! (The Melbourne Art and Architecture Festival)
Popped over on the Friday night to meet one of the organisers and the lovely hosts at Doves Garage who couldn’t have been more welcoming and helpful – bringing us cups of coffee….thank you!
Arrived at 8.00am Saturday morning to set up – boards and tables were all in place – so it was relatively straightforward. Met the other two artists who were exhibiting alongside me; the lovely designer, maker, painter and illustrator Erica Just and the equally lovely Connie Wan-Docksey (the Tiny Maker) who creates beautiful bespoke papercuts. Doves Garage Showroom is a fabulous light space and we all thought that our differing artworks made for a varied exhibition.
I will admit to being extremely nervous, definitely lots of butterflies, but both Connie and Erica had taken part in Trails/Fairs before so were very generous with their tips and support…
I was looking upon this first experience as a learning curve, not knowing quite what to expect in terms of levels of interest or sales…Having been round lots of this type of event as a visitor, it was very interesting being on the other side of the table… art is so subjective, some people came in, looked round and went out all in a matter of seconds, others made beelines for the more illustrative work of Erica or the papercuts of Connie – people watching is fascinating….
As Saturday progressed visitor numbers increased and people began taking an interest in my work – lots of compliments about my colour palette, use of materials and energy and mark making… one lady wrote ‘Really enjoyed your work, really felt the weather’ and another gentleman, who visited twice, wrote ‘Wonderful, expressive, playful use of colour and texture’… Those of you who advised me to take my sketchbooks along, thank you, they created a lot of interest with people looking through them, asking questions about materials and techniques – one lady said she would love to buy one….
….and, eventually, I broke my duck and made a sale of some cards and then…a small mixed media piece – Singing Hills…
…..whew…..that made me feel so much better…
I managed to pop out early on Sunday….when the streets were quiet…
…before heading back to the Showroom… After a slow start, it was Sunday after all, we had more lovely visitors… Again, lots of interest, and yes, it was great meeting and chatting to people about my work… and I made more sales; more cards and ‘Where The Wind Sings’ – a medium sized mixed media piece….to a lovely lady from North Wales…she even came back for a second look as she loved my work…
I did manage a brief walk round…just before the showers…. music, smell of food, people, great art – all the hallmarks of a fabulous festival…
And what of my learning curve….practical issues such as another browser or easel would have been useful as would a larger table…perhaps a more diverse selection of cards and even some prints just to provide more of a range of prices…
Several people suggested a book of my sketchbook images as they loved them so much – something to think about…? Lots of people asked if I ran workshops or did demonstrations/videos/YouTube clips – (something else to ponder) – although I think the cutting room floor would be full of the deleted clips of me faffing about and, as for the demos, I would definitely need to get the hang of painting and talking simultaneously…
Would I do another Fair/Festival…? Several artists have said that festivals can be a bit of a slow burner, so perhaps judging after only one seems a little unfair… it certainly helped promote my work to an audience who aren’t necessarily avid social media devotees. Having said that, social media obviously has its uses; one lady made a bee line for my stand saying she follows me on Twitter and loves what I do…and another lovely young couple have already messaged me via Instagram because they loved my work – horses for courses as they say…
I covered the cost of the stand which is a plus, and made a bit more as well….it will be interesting to see if I get any sales as a result of being at Melbourne – time will tell…
Participating in the Festival is a welcome addition to my resume and helps to start building a track record if/when I apply for more fairs/exhibitions etc….
As for today, well possibly a bit of doodling along with some R & R…
I would just like to thank the Melbourne Festival organisers for all their help, Dave and the staff at Doves Garage for being so welcoming, Connie and Erica for making the weekend so nice, all the lovely visitors, especially those who kindly purchased a card/painting/stopped by for a chat….and last, most importantly of all, my wonderful husband without whom none of this would be possible…..
