Studio Visit March 9, 18
Hello Friends! Periodically I create a post that is an overview of what's happening in my studio. Some weeks we work on one thing, others we work on 50 things. Last week and this week have been of the "50 things" variety and have had an intensity of demands that has found me trying to catch my breath by 11am most mornings!
samples for CLOUD PORCELAIN our production tile like with Ann Sacks Tile & Stone, and a few fireproof Firebox Tiles ready to be packed up
TONS OF SAMPLES!
In theory samples are great. Potential customers have to see what they're about to spend a few thousand dollars on, of course!! But they are a total pain in the butt to make, they have to be sent immediately, they take tons of time (30 minutes each)and are like dirty dishes, they just keep on coming. I'm really pleased that with my new Firebox website, I set up a better system - there are finite choices, the customer has to pay for them and we have up to 2 weeks to make them.
As a matter of course I include snippets of information about the financial end of being an artist in my posts because it's a huge aspect of the field that very few people know much about. The reality is that, like in any business it's an essential part of being an artist and, also if you're a buyer of anything handmade, it's useful to know what goes into it!
From a financial perspective samples are a necessary evil. About 25% wind up as orders and cost $25-$45 each. This cost considers time for the communication(s), gathering materials, rolling slabs, cutting, glazing, firing the tile(s), sanding them, creating a label for each along with an enclosed letter, creating a shipping label, bringing to fed ex, and then invoicing for the samples. Within my studio, I've wrapped samples into "overhead costs" but I've never liked making them!
WHISPER GALLERY I
I completed my art piece for @mrblinddraw's Whisper Gallery I which was an incredibly rewarding experience in terms of creative challenge (stepping outside of my ordinary process), to work with the other artist's creating for this project along with @mrblinddraw, and to create with and for the Steem ecosystem was also a new and rich experience for me!
SUBLET DUTIES
Because my rent has more than doubled in the past few years, I sublet as much of my space as possible to other artists and this week I moved 2 out, cleaned up and am getting ready to move 2 in. I'm planning on moving in the middle of this year and shedding landlord duties will be a huge relief for me. We also had a new furnace put in this week which is just one of those things that eats up 15 minutes here and there.
I have a collection of tile I sell through the international company Ann Sacks (owned by Kohler), and we're inundated with orders these days. This is a good thing for business of course! These tiles are made from cast and pigmented porcelain slip.
above is our casting area with measured pigment absorbing into buckets of porcelain slip
And here are some of these CLOUD tiles finished and put together before shipping. This Landscape design is very painterly featuring half raw and half pigmented tile and the line between in organic taking on the feeling of a thick brush stroke or a horizon line:
You may have seen one of my posts about this project since it's a biggie and has been going on a few months. I'm continuing to cut tile for this bit by bit. The cutting will take me into April I believe.
And lastly, you may remember seeing the Dogwood MosaicI made in December and January. This piece has now been grouted and I look forward to seeing photos of it in place at the couple's home! Here is the installer's instagram post which took me weeks to notice despite the tags because I'm too busy on Steemit ;-)!
This piece is 17" tall and was custom made for couple to be a symbol of their love for each other and nature. If you're interested in the economics behind this piece, I wrote a post about it: https://steemit.com/money/@natureofbeing/the-economics-of-a-mosaic-commission
Big thanks to you for supporting my blog, by doing so you enable my art-making!
Dear @natureofbeing
I wanted to inform you of an opportunity that #promo-steem has for @sndbox and other major projects on the steem blockchain.
We are the media partners for the London Crypto Currency Show on 14th April. In return for this, we have managed to get our hands on 14,000 usd of promotional access in the form of 2 x hour long presentation seminars and one 4 x 3m exhibition stand.
Instead of using the presentation time and exhibition stand to ourselves we decided to let the major projects and notable steemians use it. So we are giving away talking spots and the opportunity exhibit at our stand for free.
This is quite a big deal since the London Crytpo Currency Show is organised by the London Investors Show, a well-established, long term investing exhibition which brings in crowds of 2,500 experienced investors through its doors at most events. This is therefore an excellent opportunity for the steem blockchain to make a strong mark at one of the premier blockchain events in the UK, and Europe basically for free.
Please see this blog for further details. I hope you are interested in either sending someone from your project to talk at one of the seminars, supporting the event or spreading the word to other major projects or notable steemians. https://steemit.com/promo-steem/@starkerz/exhibition-opportunity-call-to-steem-projects-at-london-crypto-currency-show
I look forward to hearing from you!
@starkerz
Thanks for making space for blockchain presenters!! Really great that you're offering this opportunity. I don't think I can make it this time but appreciate the offer and what you've put together.
No worries, looking forward to the next time!!
I'm just catching up from a week of being slow on steemit. I love coming to your steemit blog. Always inspiring :) and i love seeing what's going on. Sorry the comment is so late.
hi @jfolkmann, thanks for coming to see my blog whenever you get there :-)), so glad you like it and thanks for telling me!
I love it !!! It looks so perfect !!! Amazing rug !!!! :D
But .... God those are a lot of boxes !!!! :D
Now I truly understand your busyness !!!
Lots of love girl !!! [take breaks, drink a lot of water, eat a bit of chocolate for energy and yes, steem a bit and keeps us posted!]
@meanmommy33, lol, yes life has me running a bit ragged these days, and I'll take your suggestions <3
don't overwork yourself !! Or I'm coming to get you from Oregon to go to... -what's close? San Francisco? Canada?- somewhere to blow some STEEM ahaha off ! :D
Dang, the business side of an art studio seems like such a headache!
But, wowzers! That mural is all the things! That Goldfinch looks like it's about ready to fly off the tile! Gorgeous piece!
This birdie looks like the ones you photograph Traci !!! :D
That's cause it is, @meanmommy33! 😊
I've actually taken pictures of all three at various times - you've seen the Goldfinch (yellow guy), but I have pre-Steemit shots of the Chickadee (to the right of the finch), and the (Song? Chipping?) Sparrow up top. @natureofbeing did an incredible job of making them look lifelike!
love those little birdies :-))
we have a suet feeder out the kitchen window and goldfinches and chickadees are our constant friends. so fun to watch! the top bird is a Nuthatch although could just as well be a sparrow.
Dang it! How did I miss that stance? I'm sure bird enthusiasts everywhere are judging me... LOL! In my defense, we have tons of White-breasted Nuthatches at our feeders (with their solid black and white faces) and I've only ever seen a Red-breasted (with the stripey face) once. All the stripey faced birds that show up are typically sparrows. But again - you nailed their stance, so I'm definitely losing bird-geek points over this one. 😊
yeah the business side of anything is a bit of a drag from my perspective!! it's not really where my interests lie, but it bites me in the butt if I don't take it into account at every turn. Thanks for your comment and support!
I belong to a bunch of indie author support groups, and I bet if someone broke down the posts by subject, business (complaints, questions, suggestions) would probably be number one. The heck with art patrons - we creative types need business managers! 😂
The ability to do many things at the same time is a rare ability. And this is what I deduced from your many exploits. You must be a super human.
One needs such ability to be able to overcome every day challenges. Steem on.
@eurogee
not sure I'm very good at juggling many things....kind of makes me miserable but we all must do it sometimes, right?!! thanks for your support @eurogee
Yes.. Highly necessary. Happy Sunday
It sounds and looks very busy considering that you do a lot of stuff yourself, you are an artist, a marketing as well as financial manager. That is very important when you have your own business and especially you want the things to run how you want. It is difficult to delegate it to someone. I fully understand how it is for you, also it seems like your website works good for you too. Once everything is set up how you like it must be easier. Thank you for the chance to take a look in your creative area, I love those buckets with pigments, again it is very creative type of work, to find what people would like to see. The CLOUD tiles really look like someone made the lines with brush. And I am very excited to see your pool house mosaic. How you can find so much time for everything? You are very dedicated person and perfectionist. I hope you still have time for yourself and your family :) Have a nice nice weekend!
Thanks for your comment @stef1, I would LOVE to delegate half the work I do!! Plus then I'd have more time for steemit ;-)), but hiring more people gives me another job as manager and is super expensive so it's a mixed bag. Yes one needs to delegate, absolutely, but I don't love the paradigm of running a crew...I've done it more often than not and I'm just not sure these days that it's what I want to have but am not sure what the answers are right now, trying to figure it out!
This comment is older than Mt. Mazama, but then, no one ever accused me of being timely. I suppose late MAY be better than never. But I've finally had time to read your post. And I'm amazed at how varied and beautiful your art work is. The Dogwood Mosaic is gorgeous.
I enjoy your discussion about the monetary end of things in the art world. I am sure it is VERY common for artists to 'just want to do stuff to sell', when there is so much behind the actual ATTEMPT to make money doing it. I think I would be very much an example, if I was doing like work. Not really considering the real cost of doing business. The idea of it being fun, often trumps the idea of actually making it pencil out in the end. Sounds like you have a very good handle on this...which does seem so necessary.
Do you rent out the studio to students? Or other artists making a living? Seems that would be nice to have the income, but sometimes might be hard when in production mode. Or is it segregated into rooms? So many questions, so little time to answer with 50 irons in the natureofbeing fire of things. So no response really necessary, I'm just jabbering away here after my late night bike ride by the river tonight. Have a nice night, and all that good stuff. Ta'
sounds like a lovely thing to do - to take a late night river ride!! I so enjoy your comments by the way.
Interestingly, I was one of those artists who just sort of jumped in and then later thought, oh shit, I can't pay my bills!! Honestly, I'm good with money but also just more interested in making what I want to make and giving it all the time it really takes, so I often don't follow through on all of this great financial info I've gathered. It's tricky...I always want to put great work out there, but have to agree to do work that doesn't pay enough. So then what, do I not do as good a job? or just subsidize with my time? So far I've chosen the latter, but am sort of worn out from it. So...I'm really really trying now to just say no to projects that don't pay enough and say have the courage to insist on the real cost. That doens't really answer your question, guess I'm musing too, ha!!
Have a good night @ddschteinn, as always, it's a pleasure interacting with you!
This is beautiful, but lots of work! But great job!
thank you @frederick-jfg!
You have done such a lovely work above...they look unique ...i love your work ....i also am an artist nut am good at sktching with graphite pencil.....colouring os tough for me...
thank you @obaidb2, sketching with graphite is wonderful, and if you want to work on your color, consider entering @osm0sis's contest:
https://steemit.com/art/@osm0sis/drawing-and-coloring-contest-win-sbd-s
Yes @obaidb2, that would be great! The contest is open for another 6 days. It's easy and fun so I hope you participate :)
Your work is in full swing! It is so interesting to look at the creative process from the inside. Your workshop radiates energy of activity, great work and creative imagination.