Sweat, Painting, Art Show & New Display

For the past month, we've been diligently planning and working hard to create a new set up/display for Blue Giraffe Art Works for art and craft shows! We wanted a way to display more works of art and larger pieces. After doing lots of research online about what "professional" artists use for their shows, we did a bunch of pricing and nail biting over just what the world has to offer a poor starving artist. Most pro artists use big display panels called Pro Panels... these suckers run about $250 for ONE PANEL (and not much cheaper even used)! Any artist's display usually has 4 at a minimum. My brillant friend Lindsey recommended shopping at the Habitat for Humanity Restore-Store for old shutters. We found 5 old wooden shutters and 2 sets of bi-fold doors that were promising! Spent a total of $75! (Beat THAT, Pro Panels!!) So we cleaned 'em up, painted them with several coats of fresh ivory paint, and hinged them together, adding feet to a couple of the shutters. 

This year we were smart enough to plan a mock setup a week before the big show. Usually we just kinda think about it and end up always running out to the store the night before the show to buy last minute things. We had a good run through and didn't need to purchase anything extra at all! So for the first time in BGAW's show history, we didn't feel or look like amateurs! 

So here's what everything looked like all set up at the show (feel free to admire our display panels and arrangement):

The table and my handmade sign!

The view from the front of the booth

On the second day I decided to do a portrait  to grab people's attention as they walked by. The portrait is of my dear kitty Lucy (picture to come soon). I noticed that majority of the people who stopped to look in were KIDS. There's something about my bright colors and imagery that just draws in the children. But hey, I'll take that! Parents always investigate what their kids are interested in!

Don't the shutters look great? We were able to display so many more big pieces of art work. I made a banner for the front of the table, and this year I had a bunch of prints made, framed them, and put them in the green bucket in front of the table for easy browsing. My mom added the cute rabbit rug for a more home-like feel. I think the shutters also add to that effect, making you think the painting could be hung in your own home.

SO, while I didn't sell any paintings at the show, I made lots of contacts and have some promising commissions! It was the first year to have artists at this show- The GHBA Home & Remodeling Show at Reliant Center. I think most of the people who walked through the "Art Garden" were totally shocked there were artists there. Hopefully next year they'll be expecting art and come ready to buy!

If you're an artist trying to figure out how to display art without investing in Pro Panels, think about using old shutters! They add a great effect and are cheap, though they'll likely need some loving touch-ups. 

Also, to celebrate our success, I sent out an emailer this week to my subscribers! If you're interested in joining the list, just email me at micah@bluegiraffeartworks.com 

Thanks for reading!