We went to the Strathearn Art Walk here in Edmonton last Saturday, set up our booth, and displayed the paintings we had for sale. It was a huge amount of work, and by the end of the day I was completely exhausted. Dana is 16, so she was fine, try doing that at 71 (72 on Friday). After all that effort, I sold just one painting and two prints. Still, the people who bought them seemed genuinely happy, and we received plenty of compliments, which helped.
One thing I learned: don’t bother bringing abstracts to this particular fair. Most people barely glanced at them. There was one woman who came very close to buying one — I could tell she loved it — but at $390, it may not have been in her budget.
So what did I learn? First, I need a different venue for the abstracts. I enjoy painting them, so I’ll have to find another way to get them in front of the right audience. Second, our display setup felt a bit bland. Looking at other vendors gave me some ideas for next year. Third, I want to add small sculptures — probably caricatures of animals and people — to the mix. And finally, start earlier. I didn’t begin painting or planning until March this year. With more time and preparation, I’m sure we can do much better in the future.