Look at me look at me!!!

[dm2004]

Ok,

After talking to some people about my art, i got some ideals. Ok plan one; is to send letters with a CD of my art to local gallies. see if i get some hits. Is this wroth my time and money? Or just a letter then if i get a repley send a CD. Two, send out letters to landscape designers asking if they need a freelanced artist?
I see alot of homeownes now putting money into their lawn and garden. Well i guess i'm tried of seeing those damm gazing balls!!!! that's not sculpture! I wrench when i see those in a green lush lawn!
Just looking for some outlets to get noticed. I'm just shooting for "the local" artist right now. I got the rest of my life to see what happens after that.

DM2004

[WBK]

Hello DM.
I may be only a beginner Sculptor, but Landscape Design is something I can share about. You might fair better by approaching some Nurseries or Landscape Materials Suppliers. They may ask you to place an example of your work to start things off. A local artist here in the Phoenix area makes a fair living doing exactly that with sandstone and copper water features. Prices range from 750. to 5,000. or so. More if he installs it. He has photographs of some larger (monument sized) stuff in the 10,000. to 15,000. range. Find one closer to the Upper income section of town where well to do folks frequent looking for annual flowers and plants. Depending on where you are, it may be to late in the season.

The reason I suggest that is most of the time the a residential customer will like the idea of a sculpture focal point, but getting them to spend more then 10-15% of the total landscape budget will be difficult. So do the math, figure the sophisticated Home Owner will spend approximately 5% to 7% of the value of the home on landscaping and 10-15% of that on your work.

That said, I'm sure someone out here will disagree. So pick up the flag and run with it. Approach some Designers. What have you got to lose? You've got all winter to come up with some beautiful alternatives to gazing balls and lawn gnomes. :D You'll be performing a public service.

[ironman]

Hi DM, First, check out the galleries, if you do abstract work, don't send the stuff to galleries who only show realism. try to find a gallery where your work will fit in.
Second, write a good cover letter and please make sure you have "spellcheck" turned ON when you write it! spelling's not your long suit. Tell them who you are and why you want to show in their gallery and how you think your work and you will fit in with what they show. Don't get too wordy with this, I think concise and to the point is best.
Third, I always send slides, but I guess a CD is okay and they're becoming more acceptable every day. Just make sure that the images are of high quality and the CD can be opened from any operating system. If you send slides, send a SASE for the return of them.
Fourth, Send a resume, even if it's a short one. It'll grow in time.
When you get rejected, and you will (we ALL have), don't let it get you down. It may not be the work at all. The gallery may reject you for a number of reasons,
not looking at new work
too many artists already
don't think your work fits in.........blah, blah!
My best leads and recommendations have come from galleries that have rejected me so be nice and ACT professional. I, when possible, try to get to know the gallery owners/directors through multiple visits, that way you can find out if they're looking at slides, new work, etc. It also puts a face to the packet that you send them.
Good luck,
Jeff

"damm gazing balls!!!"?

[dm2004]

Hello DM.
I may be only a beginner Sculptor, but Landscape Design is something I can share about. You might fair better by approaching some Nurseries or Landscape Materials Suppliers. They may ask you to place an example of your work to start things off. A local artist here in the Phoenix area makes a fair living doing exactly that with sandstone and copper water features. Prices range from 750. to 5,000. or so. More if he installs it. He has photographs of some larger (monument sized) stuff in the 10,000. to 15,000. range. Find one closer to the Upper income section of town where well to do folks frequent looking for annual flowers and plants. Depending on where you are, it may be to late in the season.

The reason I suggest that is most of the time the a residential customer will like the idea of a sculpture focal point, but getting them to spend more then 10-15% of the total landscape budget will be difficult. So do the math, figure the sophisticated Home Owner will spend approximately 5% to 7% of the value of the home on landscaping and 10-15% of that on your work.

That said, I'm sure someone out here will disagree. So pick up the flag and run with it. Approach some Designers. What have you got to lose? You've got all winter to come up with some beautiful alternatives to gazing balls and lawn gnomes. :D You'll be performing a public service.

wbk,

My friend's mom has a landscaping biz; well she's going to put some "feelers" out for me. She's more the "sellswoman". Does alot of doctors' lawns and upkeep. I live in a small town just outside of pittsburgh, it's well "back woods". You can see a sharp diffrence in living, so i'm not going to sell hi-end all the time. But it's only 45 min from pitt and most of the "money" comes up here to buy "craft/folk art" mostly though the summer and fall. So i hope i get some hits.
The one thing i feel should be lest talked about in studio classes is networking & sells. Maybe even minor in sells or something. I had no ideal where to start.

WBK i think you'll do fine as a sculptor (read your intro). My advice to you is do something that is "wrong". What i me is build something that people ask "why"? It seems at lest to me; people stop and look at my art when they don't know. Like a car crash.

Thanks for the advice wbk
dm2004

[dm2004]

Hi DM, First, check out the galleries, if you do abstract work, don't send the stuff to galleries who only show realism. try to find a gallery where your work will fit in.
Second, write a good cover letter and please make sure you have "spellcheck" turned ON when you write it! spelling's not your long suit. Tell them who you are and why you want to show in their gallery and how you think your work and you will fit in with what they show. Don't get too wordy with this, I think concise and to the point is best.
Third, I always send slides, but I guess a CD is okay and they're becoming more acceptable every day. Just make sure that the images are of high quality and the CD can be opened from any operating system. If you send slides, send a SASE for the return of them.
Fourth, Send a resume, even if it's a short one. It'll grow in time.
When you get rejected, and you will (we ALL have), don't let it get you down. It may not be the work at all. The gallery may reject you for a number of reasons,
not looking at new work
too many artists already
don't think your work fits in.........blah, blah!
My best leads and recommendations have come from galleries that have rejected me so be nice and ACT professional. I, when possible, try to get to know the gallery owners/directors through multiple visits, that way you can find out if they're looking at slides, new work, etc. It also puts a face to the packet that you send them.
Good luck,
Jeff

"damm gazing balls!!!"?

Jeff,
Yea i know my grammer is bad, it's something i've always had problems with. I have a (LD) dislexic (sp) and lang processing problems. No problem reading just can't spell worth a damm! :D If it was not for football i would have never got to college or gone. I got the brawn and my older brother got the brains. But at lest i can throw a football and not look like a girl! He helps me out with the writing part, like my own personal staff!! ;)
Yea There's a web site for galleries in pa i've bumped into. There's quit large list of galleries in westren pa. Well around pittsburgh and outlining towns. I'll see what happens.

Thanks for you input
dm2004

[WBK]

My advice to you is do something that is "wrong". What i me is build something that people ask "why"? It seems at lest to me; people stop and look at my art when they don't know. Like a car crash.

Thanks for the advice wbk
dm2004


I think I know what you mean. The first step in communication is gaining the attention of the person you are trying to communicate to. At that point you have an opportunity to deliver a message. If not, they just walk by.

Thanks for the tip!

[veloman]

dm2004
give your local newspaper a story about yourself,they're always trying to fill space at some time or other.The readership can get into the thousands-play the numbers game.

Do well...Veloman