After the distraction of last week’s unplanned non-art topic, I realised that there was one more step to my painting process that I forgot to talk about! And that is: what happens to the art that I produce, or, how do people acquire my art?
With the current pandemic and lockdown, it’s actually pretty natural that I would have forgotten that part, because, to paraphrase Jerry Lee Lewis, there isn’t a whole lotta sellin’ goin’ on! Normally, I would be painting with an art show in mind. I am part of three local artist groups, and in the last few years, each group would normally have one or two shows a year. The Lennoxville Art Group would usually hold its big annual show in June at the community center, and another smaller winter show at the library. The Ayer’s Cliff group would have the occasional show at the fairgrounds or at the village school, and I have participated in other local shows in Bury, Bromptonville, etc. I joined a larger artist group in Sherbrooke that usually has several shows a year, but hasn’t had one since I joined last summer, although they do have a website and a few visibility projects going. I also would normally be spending part of the winter in Florida, where I have been given a permanent exhibition space in our complex’s clubhouse. Last spring, I was accepted to a weekend art festival in Lyster, Quebec, which would have been my first festival outside my local area. But of course none of all that has happened since last March, and although organisers are hoping to operate shows this summer, others are in standby mode, waiting to see which way things are going….. Thankfully I was able to display and sell a few ACEOs at a local café last fall, but it is currently closed for the winter. I was also honored to have a few small pieces commissioned in the last year, two of which I am working on right now, so there have been a few sales this year. Enough anyway to get some new art supplies! In normal circumstances, each art show would generate at least one or two in-person sales. I also have greeting cards made of some of my paintings, and I usually offer those for sale also, as not everyone can or wants to buy an original painting, but this allows them to still enjoy the image for only a few dollars. Days at an art show, which include setting up and taking down, can be long and tiring, but I really enjoy getting to meet the person who will “adopt” my artwork, and of course record their name and details for my records. Since the pandemic began, I have moved all marketing efforts to building my online presence. This includes my website, where I offer cards and ACEOs for sale, as these can be easily mailed to collectors. Although I do have a link to my online portfolio, I have not included my full sized paintings for sale on my website, as I feel, perhaps wrongly, that paintings really need to be seen in person, and shipping anything with glass is both difficult and expensive, not to mention the risk of damage to the art. I have sold a couple of small paintings online to a collector who just fell in love with them, and these were shipped without mat or frame, but not everyone wants to or knows how to mat and frame a watercolor, and some paintings are just too large to be mailed without risking damage. That is one of the reasons I have been doing some waxed watercolors lately; because the surface is waxed and the paper is fixed to a rigid support, they are less subject to damage. I also have made some works available as prints, directly from a Print-on-Demand shop located in Montreal and called Art-Of-Where. Of course in person visits are out of the question at the moment, at least until the current lockdown is lifted and studio visits can once again be conducted safely. So my artwork hangs on every available wall in my home, and the excess accumulates in my studio, mostly unmatted and unframed, waiting for days to come when we once again are able to visit art shows in person. I hope to see you at one of them, or perhaps even in my studio, very soon!
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AuthorMy name is Claire Bureau. Archives
March 2023
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