I have being doing comtemporary ceramics for
the last three years as a hobby. This year I have decided to try to sell
some of my work at craft fairs. I was wondering if there is anyone here who
makes a living doing ceramics? I enjoy all aspects of the business, the
cleaning, firing and painting etc. I would like to eventually sell my
finish ware.
I'm not interested in the wholesale business of it or becoming a teacher.
It seems that the money is into selling the greenware or bisque to studios.
I don't want to go into mass production of any of my work. I want to sell
my individual pieces as "one of a kind". I'm wondering if there is any
money to be made in selling the finished product?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Jess
You can do anything if you put your mind to it. :)
You've got to commit, though.
And I wouldn't pretend for a second that it isn't a struggle.
good luck
peace ;)
Hank :)
--
SapArt Studio & Gallery
www.sapart.freeserve.co.uk
Hand-made ceramic original sculptures and gifts,
cats,dogs,elephants,teddybears,
lions, tigers, chess and much much more.
some here may remember me....i used 2 post on clayart a couple
years ago....then i posted some truth on the subject of which u
inquire and my posts were banned.....can u imagine being banned from a
usenet group???
well the truth still is that u can make all the fine ceramic art
u would like but the only way 2 sell them is for less than the
material costs(cost of mud) because u will be competing with people
who r subsidized by the government 2 the tune of $40-$50k a year.
These people r commonly called teachers. They like 2 call theirselves
artists but r usually hacks....their prices r dirt cheap and they will
tell u 2 sell your great thoughtful work 4 nothing 2 "get your name
out there".....They will also stab u n the back at every turn because
any real art shows their hobby crap 2 b the hobby crap that it is
HEHEHEHE......
True value of ceramic art can only b set by lots of time; i
think dieing long ago is required. then if your pieces survive they
can sell for the prices that fine art command...meanwhile the posers
will undercut u right out of business and they like it like
that...afterall they make their money from the government and only
value sales 2 prove that their vapid crap is ART....then when people
see their vapid crap and their fine credentials they r led 2 believe
that the vapid crap is ART and the circle goes round
there is no greater joy than connecting with the positive side if
the universe long enough 2 create a fine work of art...i KNOW
unfortunately joy will not feed u so the way the BUSINESS of art
is set up now true artists r harrased (banned from usenet groups)
until they hide and either stop working or conform and become teachers
so your choices r....1 become a teacher and produce vapid crap or
2 find some1 like my wonderful wife who will support u until u have
been dead long enough 4 your work 2 sell 4 the correct price
Damn you need a drink
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for
lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."
-- Benjamin Franklin, 1759
Can't figger out how you got booted from clayart, they seem to be one of the
most open minded groups around. Rejoin and see.
You gotta admit that painted ceramics, and the "artists" who do this work
are at this time a dime a dozen...There was a time when this work was
carried out true artists, who out of necessity, worked for the large
industrial giants. Then 30 years ago or so the equipment and materials for
the "do it at home" crowd dropped to an affordable level and the boom was
on.
The average quality of the "artwork" was low, and the prices were lower.
Serious artists could not compete with these craft fair selling, greenware
buying, and community ceramic shop firing weekend warriors. How was the
ceramic artist, who makes their own originals, makes their own molds, etc.
etc. hope to compete when the public doesn't know the difference, and sees
the huge difference in pricing.
For now the advice is simple, be true to your artwork, the studio potter
movement went through the same problems and came out a winner as the buying
public became educated about pots. Hopefully the same will be true with the
ceramic arts movement, though I doubt the effect will be as noticeable.
<arti...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:39ff45ad...@news.earthlink.net...
Tommy Humphries
It used to be a newsgroup called bit.listserv.clayart....but i just
checked my groups list and did not find it so i guess it was taken off
the usenet and placed where it could be better controlled and censered
by those good open minded folk of which you wrote
I guess this is the only clay related newsgroup now
-artimator
arti...@earthlink.net
Why don't you put some pictures of your work up on a website, then we
can look and admire and you would reach a much wider audience.
I assume from your address which you don't actually have a website at
the moment, but it's worthwhile thing to do, and it does bring you in
front of a wider group of potential buyers.
This is after all a world wide newsgroup.
--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
The answer of course is a true Constitutional Republic. "If you can keep
it."
A Constitutional Republic protects the lamb from the lynch mob that is
democracy. 51/49 ? No thanks, not on anything substantive.
--
RonQ
"I get these messages from other planets.
I'm apparently some kind of agent from another planet,
but I haven't got my orders clearly decoded yet."
William S. Burroughs