Earl Brunner on fri 12 apr 02
I wasn't very good at the business side of it 20 years ago and I burned out.
I
didn't make enough of the things I liked to make the best. Find the time to
make
the fun stuff once in awhile.
Funny, just last week we had our Empty Bowls Event here, sponsored by our
local
potter's guild, I had three things in the silent auction that we do to
boost sales
a bit. One was a 18 inch platter with a boring glaze, one was a large
mixing bowl
(with a band of cobalt blue with combing through it). and the third was a
very
sculptural pot that is actually on my web page ( the bottom one in the
stoneware
section). Both the rather plain platter and the serving bowl auctioned for
significantly more than the sculptural pot. I could have made at least 5 of
each
of the platters and bowls for the time I had in on the sculptural pot.
Craig Clark wrote: (in response to Joyce)
> But things have changed. I often find myself focusing on pots that I
> know will sell rather than neccessarily making pieces that I like the
best.
> I've become more driven by the bottom line. I don't spend much time
anymore
> on sculpture (takes a bunch of time and is costly to make.) I've
drastically
> increased the amount of money that I charge for lessons. In the old days
> someone could show up, stay for a couple hours and leave me ten bucks and
> I'd be happy.
> This brings me back to where I stated on this. Your blissfully
ignorant
> comment. I was and at times wouldn't mind being again.
> Thanx for the post
> Craig Dunn Clark
--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
mailto:bruec@anv.net
Joyce Lee on fri 12 apr 02
I've only been in two shows..... each for three days..... each with =
shoulder to shoulder crowds first two days. I had every mishmash of =
pottery that I make spread out on tables ...... attractive tables with =
expensive coverings, true, and several levels of wooden display forms.
Available was raku, grey/white shinos as well as peach/orange ones, =
tenmoku, copper red, rutile blues, greens, layered glazes, chuns and =
others I've probably forgotten ..... no chance of remembering correctly =
...... I didn't take pictures and everything sold. There were mostly =
thrown or thrown&altered bowls...... all sizes ... because that's what I =
made best ..... and pitchers probably even gestural, but if so strictly =
by accident; they did make folks smile; made me smile too ..... tons of =
teabowls.... I loved them; figured everybody else would, too. Not so, =
of course, very few sold in the beginning probably because they were =
almost all "one of a kind" .... I didn't even know that was a strange =
way to sell teabowls! But some guy from L.A. who was selling across =
from me bought all I had left at the end of the show. I was so ignorant =
of Ceramic Sales Decorum that when he offered to swap ... I, not knowing =
that this was SOP in most shows ..... I told him I couldn't use whatever =
he was selling (don't recall what it was). Then he bought mine at the =
original price because I had no idea that some potters lower the price =
at the end of the sale rather than cart it home.... besides, I didn't =
live that far away and some of those teabowls were my favorites; =
otherwise, truth be known, I'd have given them to him.
Most of my work was pretty bad ... actually, just plain bad ... but I =
didn't know it at the time. I offered some items with petroglyphs on =
them but didn't want to use southwestern "famous" ones so created my own =
... silly looking but I liked them. I did have great glazes though..... =
I had access to Clayart AND I'd taken Robin Hopper's Glaze and Colour =
Development two week workshop in British Columbia that year.... made a =
couple thousand test tiles.... plums, grays, oilspot, lichens etc. Oh, =
yes, during that year I switched from ^6 oxidation to ^10 reduction .. =
so, along with the raku, I had three firing styles also. Although most =
of my "work" was functional, I did have a few artsy pieces just because =
I liked their look, not because I knew anything about art of any kind =
..... not really... had some appreciation ..... that's all. But I =
thought they blended well with the other work .... while somehow =
standing out at the same time.
Much later I understood why the visiting professional potters exchanged =
knowing glances as they encouraged me to stay with the show and become a =
"regular."
By the way, nothing was labeled; I had nothing available to suggest how =
a pot might be used. I personally often do not use a pot for its =
intended purpose, myself, and thought (foolishly) that others would be =
the same.
Anyway, they all sold ... both times. Would they again if I repeated =
the display (if I could, that is)? We'll never know for I know better =
now .... for those shows I arranged displays by color .. no matter the =
type of pot .... my hope was that the lighter colors on the left (facing =
the table)
would blend into the slightly darker ones etc on down the tables .... =
light to dark .... three long tables in a rectangle with the wall as the =
fourth side.
Tell you the truth, most of my customers were not potters nor pottery =
afficionados .... they just wanted to buy pots.... something handmade =
.... for Christmas presents.. and didn't want tea towels etc..... and =
probably couldn't or wouldn't pay for paintings or jewelry.
Joyce
In the Mojave thinking that sometimes ignorance IS bliss .....
Craig Clark on fri 12 apr 02
Joyce, just came in from a wonderful day at the beach with my daughter,
a friend and his son. They live about 50 miles South of us in Galveston and
we try and make a weekly, or atleast bi-weekly pilgrimage. It really is
quite nice down there in the winter but it starts to get hot right about now
and the crowds begin to gather. We'll probably only go for another month or
so before our summer break......to many people....to hot. We just don't
leave with that great a feeling.
Driving back up I-45 I was listening to one of my favorite all time
programs, "This American Life" hosted by Ira Glass. There is an increadibly
rich, almost visual tapestry that he manages to create as he relates tales
of true life mostly from small town USA. You can almost feel the place as he
spins the oral histories and interviews the locals. Great stuff.....about
life. I always feel great after listening to a few of the stories,
regardless of where I am before I start listening.
Your post left me with a similar feeling. It was the "blissfully
ignorant" that left me smiling. This made me think about the first couple
street shows that I did. Set up in a carnival type atmosphere in the middle
of the city. Drinking wine, beer, great music,dancing, basically having a
blast. Sold a goodly number of funky pots but didn't make much money. I was
practically giving away my stuff at that point even though I thought I was
doing quite well. Mostly having fun and looking forward to the next excuse
to bring out a buncha pots in the middle of a whole buncha folks. Eat, drink
and be merry.
It is different now. I'm aware of, though I'm not always bothered with,
how to set up and maintain a professional display. There's no dancing,
drinking or bachanalian revelry at the shows. I'm selling some of my pieces
for ten times what I used to get for them. I'm trying to be a professional
business person, kicking and screaming. I genuinly enjoy being a potter and
am trying to make a decent living (emphasis on trying....still haven't been
at this all that long).
But things have changed. I often find myself focusing on pots that I
know will sell rather than neccessarily making pieces that I like the best.
I've become more driven by the bottom line. I don't spend much time anymore
on sculpture (takes a bunch of time and is costly to make.) I've drastically
increased the amount of money that I charge for lessons. In the old days
someone could show up, stay for a couple hours and leave me ten bucks and
I'd be happy.
This brings me back to where I stated on this. Your blissfully ignorant
comment. I was and at times wouldn't mind being again.
Thanx for the post
Craig Dunn Clark
619 East 11 1/2 st
Houston, Texas 77008
(713)861-2083
mudman@hal-pc.org
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joyce Lee"
To:
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 7:13 PM
Subject: Re: Show Display/long&personal
I've only been in two shows..... each for three days..... each with
shoulder to shoulder crowds first two days. I had every mishmash of pottery
that I make spread out on tables ...... attractive tables with expensive
coverings, true, and several levels of wooden display forms.
Available was raku, grey/white shinos as well as peach/orange ones, tenmoku,
copper red, rutile blues, greens, layered glazes, chuns and others I've
probably forgotten ..... no chance of remembering correctly ...... I didn't
take pictures and everything sold. There were mostly thrown or
thrown&altered bowls...... all sizes ... because that's what I made best
..... and pitchers probably even gestural, but if so strictly by accident;
they did make folks smile; made me smile too ..... tons of teabowls.... I
loved them; figured everybody else would, too. Not so, of course, very few
sold in the beginning probably because they were almost all "one of a kind"
.... I didn't even know that was a strange way to sell teabowls! But some
guy from L.A. who was selling across from me bought all I had left at the
end of the show. I was so ignorant of Ceramic Sales Decorum that when he
offered to swap ... I, not knowing that this was SOP in most shows ..... I
told him I couldn't use whatever he was selling (don't recall what it was).
Then he bought mine at the original price because I had no idea that some
potters lower the price at the end of the sale rather than cart it home....
besides, I didn't live that far away and some of those teabowls were my
favorites; otherwise, truth be known, I'd have given them to him.
Most of my work was pretty bad ... actually, just plain bad ... but I didn't
know it at the time. I offered some items with petroglyphs on them but
didn't want to use southwestern "famous" ones so created my own ... silly
looking but I liked them. I did have great glazes though..... I had access
to Clayart AND I'd taken Robin Hopper's Glaze and Colour Development two
week workshop in British Columbia that year.... made a couple thousand test
tiles.... plums, grays, oilspot, lichens etc. Oh, yes, during that year I
switched from ^6 oxidation to ^10 reduction .. so, along with the raku, I
had three firing styles also. Although most of my "work" was functional, I
did have a few artsy pieces just because I liked their look, not because I
knew anything about art of any kind ..... not really... had some
appreciation ..... that's all. But I thought they blended well with the
other work .... while somehow standing out at the same time.
Much later I understood why the visiting professional potters exchanged
knowing glances as they encouraged me to stay with the show and become a
"regular."
By the way, nothing was labeled; I had nothing available to suggest how a
pot might be used. I personally often do not use a pot for its intended
purpose, myself, and thought (foolishly) that others would be the same.
Anyway, they all sold ... both times. Would they again if I repeated the
display (if I could, that is)? We'll never know for I know better now ....
for those shows I arranged displays by color .. no matter the type of pot
.... my hope was that the lighter colors on the left (facing the table)
would blend into the slightly darker ones etc on down the tables .... light
to dark .... three long tables in a rectangle with the wall as the fourth
side.
Tell you the truth, most of my customers were not potters nor pottery
afficionados .... they just wanted to buy pots.... something handmade ....
for Christmas presents.. and didn't want tea towels etc..... and probably
couldn't or wouldn't pay for paintings or jewelry.
Joyce
In the Mojave thinking that sometimes ignorance IS bliss .....
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