The Joys of Selling Ones Art
Hi everyone, ....it's been a hectic week and month and I guess it will be a hectic year, with me helping my daughter with her fitness, with me going walking with her every afternoon. Yes, I know...I'm gaining from this via good health through exercising daily. I am also helping my mom with her doctor visits, paying bills, visiting friends and much more. I make sure to spend one day a week with my Mother helping her do whatever she may need to get accomplished. I am also organising for all the upmarkets to come and those already done and I'm also painting, creating printable planners for my Etsy shop and dealing with my normal business clients that I coach. I guess that's why I feel a bit tired but as I always say the bit of exercise I do always helps.
I did my first upmarket since last year, a few weekends ago, where I sold three art pieces . Upmarkets are great because you meet really great people and you get to be seen, but I learnt that people don't buy original art as its a bit pricey and they want bargain gift items for Mothers' day, Fathers' day, Christmas, Birthdays and any other special occasion. So I know now that the smaller less expensive art pieces are what I need to carry. I started painting pieces that fall between the sizes 9ins x 12ins or 10ins x 10ins and more. Sizes that are easy to transport or pack and more affordable for the customers who visit the upmarkets.
Its a shame Trinidad doesn't have a craft village like I saw in San Diego. There were separate cottages with cobblestoned pathways between them and each cottage housed a different artisan. There were eating stalls and benches to sit and watch the trees, it was beautiful. One could spend the entire day there moving from cottage to cottage, checking out all the different products being produced by the different artisans, from paintings, jewelry, blown glass bottles, and painted fabrics and much more.
Maybe one day Trinidad will have something like that. We do have some things that someone tries to provide a way for the many vendors in Trinidad to show and sell their wares. There is the Green Market where, in a very local, natural environment vendors sell local foods, organically made dishes, organically grown produce and other items, such as jewellery, creams, wooden wares, copper items and more. But this is nowhere near as nice as what I saw in San Diego, so we still have a ways to go to have something that nice. Ohhhhh!!!! And I must let you know that I sold 2 pieces at the upmarket.
I am very thankful about this as I don't always sell enough to pay back for the table cost, so I am always grateful and thankful to God when I've sold to cover that expense at least. I also look forward to selling my pieces because I know it will now adorn someone's wall and I will bring satisfaction to their senses. It also means that I can paint more. Another way vendors are able to sell their products is via all the different Upmarkets that different organiser arrange. There is one in the South Land and e few in the East as well as a few in the North. I registered for a few in the East last year but my sales were very low so I haven't booked any tables there this year.
South was OK but again coming down to the end of the year my sales were low and that was a bit disappointing as you normally see great sales close to Christmas. This year I've limited my bookings to the North as the Economy is a bit strained so spending on too many tables and not making back those costs isn't something I can handle right now. I have to choose wisely. Let me show you what I sold. I sold an abstract on canvas panels and two watercolor pieces.
The smaller pieces are my favourite. I love doing those. I must say my Watercolor paintings have taken a backseat but I will have to return to it soon to replace the pieces I sold. This is one of the three sold and I really enjoyed painting this.
So that's all for this week. Chat next week Monday and don't forget, Go Check My site and Buy what you love here or visit my second art site at www.gafra.org . Love you guys!!! : )