Holiday Art Fair

I signed up to be in a holiday art fair locally, and started preparing for it to be an opportunity to sell some art. I didn't expect really to sell any, these fairs are often for gift-giving; people don't show up to buy fine art. However, I wanted the experience to see what it's like to sit in one. 

I was stuck with what to put on my banner as a title, other than my name, and finally settled on:

I purchased some "grids," which are metal standing panels on wheels where you can hang things. I also purchased a table cloth and a folding print bin. I had cards made of some of my art, and some prints. 

I asked my painting teacher how to price my art - it's higher than some of the other artist's artwork; however, it's hard to compare because they aren't doing oil landscapes. Should I drop my prices to be closer to theirs?

"No," he said. "Keep the prices the same, but make prints and other low-cost options for people who might like your art. 

I used VistaPrint and ordered cards, calendars, and prints, and was pleasantly surprised at the results. They aren't Giclee or archival or anything, but they turned out well. I got a point-of-sale system set up on Square. 

Here was my set-up: 

I wound up selling ten cards and 3 calendars, more than I expected. Mainly this was an exposure exercise in the experience of publicly selling art - sitting with the awkward feeling while someone walks up, looks over your art, and then walks away without saying a word.  Eep. 

 To avoid the awkwardness, I did some pen and ink drawing, starting with this.  I'm not unhappy with it - but the house seems to be leaning. 

Oh, and RSV. I got that there, too. I forgot that it's an odd year, and I get RSV about every other year. The irony was that I had scheduled to have my first RSV vaccine the week after the show, but by then I was already sick.  

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