Dinah Snipes Steveni on fri 10 dec 10
Lots of great advice and warnings on the forum. Especially the making of ex=
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tras "in case of" and the R & D work for color/body and so forth. Your work=
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shop and psyche will be tied up for a long, long time. And I really think t=
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hat a Commissioning Agreement between Artist and Customer is a good idea wh=
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ich makes everybody involved have a big think and concentrates minds. There=
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are several good guides out there containing downloadable Forms for Artist=
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s -- gallery agreements which stipulate, for example, that the gallery will=
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not allow the item to be taken home by potential customer on speculation (=
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usually a painting) unless the express permission of the artist has been gi=
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ven. It's useful to have some protection for your labor, and it sets a mark=
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er down as to your professionalism. And folks involved with consignment -- =
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it could be your beloved Aunt Bessie -- but when you bring pots to her sh=
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op have two copies of dated inventory sheet with description, item #, your =
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price, date pieces will be switched out and a signature area for you The Ar=
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tist, and a signature area for Aunt Bessie/Owner, leave one with Aunt Bessi=
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e in the tidy little binder you've provided to keep all your materials like=
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resume material, and an artist statement you'd appreciate being handed out=
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to a purchasing customer. A really belts aned braces potter will have made=
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thumbnail images to accompany said Inventory sheet. All those pots look so=
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much alike to civilians....
Dinah=3D20
http://www.dinahsnipessteveni.com
jd.steveni@comcast.com
Plein Air Washington
FB Dianthus Visual Arts Page=3D20
May Luk on sat 11 dec 10
This just reminds us the importance of doing loads of glaze test and
line blends with colorants in our free time. I have a library of slip
colors (that I like and think would work) in line blends. When
customers want a special color, I will show them what I have. If they
want special colors, I would charge them for the time & buying new
oxides. Once they heard about the upcharge, they usually go with the
colors that I have and recommended.
I am all about building relationship in any orders. I don't make
customers sign contracts. I think it's a bit rigid for my kind of
work. They might sign a PO with the 50% deposit. I have sales outlets
for any work that I make, so I am not that fussy. It will never be a
total lost for me if they bail. I also do not take work that I know I
cannot do or colors that I dislike. I know a group of local potters
and I make referrals if I can't take the job.
I know if the customers are sincere based on how we communicate. The
flamboyant ones who look like they are going to buy a lot quickly
usually not able to go through with the transaction. I had one like
that few months ago. It was a shopping game for him. The guy kept
making changes and told me that I was wrong while he kept telling me
how many fabulous sets of dishes he has in his home and he is good in
swimming and sports(!) We have many phone conversations and I even
made color line sheet to show him what he meant. He just disappeared
after he saw my detailed diagram. What a relieve cause some of the
combination he requested was just wrong in pink. Oh, no...
honeysuckle, i mean.
If a customer wanted out, they would have ways to get their money
back, contract no contract. It's best to build a relationship and
allow the customer to have a good buying experience. Otherwise, why
buy from an independent artisan? Money is tight and there are many
options out there.
Regards
May
Brooklyn NY
--
http://twitter.com/MayLuk
http://www.ceramicsbrooklyn.com/
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