The Question of Duplicating

Tuscan Farmland, 8" x 8", Ceramic Paint on Tile, © 2005 Jennie Traill Schaeffer, Private Collection (s)

Since becoming an artist full-time in 2005, I started painting and marketing tiles used as coasters, trivets, and framed art. They were a hit and are now 18% of my profits / year, this year selling 36 tile sets all together. This isn't something to laugh at. But, for the time it takes me to paint them and for what I'm selling them at, I'm getting paid on average $16/hour. This is hardly worth it selling this quantity.

The other concern I have is the question of duplicating designs. Initially as an emerging artist I thought, "why not"? Now, I'm starting to reconsider. Yes, it's somewhat easier to paint an older image that I've already done than concept a new one, but I'm getting bored and I think my customers might be appreciative that theirs is the ONLY one. The trouble is convincing my customers to pay more, convince them to trust me to do something custom, or find a new market.

This Christmas I painted four Tuscan Farmland tiles in an assembly-line fashion. I spent about two days working on them. They came out great, but now I think as I redesign my web site for '08 I will retire designs and urge customers to go out on a limb with me to make something great!

Christmas Crunch

This holiday I upped my email marketing and extended a special sale to my customers which led to increased holiday sales. The only trouble being that much of the work was custom or had to be painted. Not wanting to lose the business, I accepted.

As of yesterday I finished my final orders and will be shipping them out for Christmas delivery tomorrow. The frantic pace with which I worked for the past two weeks was challenging on both me and my husband. In addition to one wedding cake portrait, five 6 x 6 tiles, and calendar orders, I got a sinus infection and celebrated my anniversary and 30th birthday. Something's gotta give next year.

It made for a good year-end and I was certainly thrilled that people considered me as a source of their holiday gifts. But, I will reconsider next year about how I advertise and cut-off custom work as well as whether or not I will repaint images for customers.

March 27, 2004, 12" x 16", Oil Pastel on Arches, © 2007 Jennie Traill Schaeffer

Now I'm rushing to get out my much-needed holiday cards since I see the as a very important aspect of keeping in touch with my clients. There's nothing quite like receiving a piece of mail in today's world of virtual everything. Below is the image I'm using for my cards. I'm making limited edition giclée cards so people can frame them after they receive them. I painted this tile a few days before my open studio event and it sold instantly. I think it makes a wonderful image for a holiday card due to its wintry, yet brilliant colors.

Dogwood Winter, 8" x 8", Ceramic Paint on Tile, © 2007 Jennie Traill Schaeffer. Private Collection.

Open Studio Recap

It's been two weeks since I held my first annual open studio/open house. I blogged about this event a few weeks back, regarding my nervousness about it's success. All in all, my nervousness was for nothing.

The turnout was fabulous with about 23 people attending. Though I was hoping for 100 -- I had 23 wonderful people show up to see my work and to buy! It was my absolute best day ever for sales of all of the gallery and art shows I've ever done. There are many things I can attribute this to:

• the art hung on a home wall giving people a sense of how it would look in their home
• 20% of all proceeds went to support Kaleidoscope of Hope Foundation
• I was there; most of my sales of my art have been facilitated by me.
• I published a press release in the local paper.

One of the best parts of the day was that my mom's best friend's husband purchased my painting, Town and Country, a piece many collectors have been interested in. His wife, Barbara, passed away from ovarian cancer last year. They both always wanted to travel to Italy, but unfortunately never had the opportunity. I am so thrilled that he owns this painting because I know it is that much more meaningful to him.

This is definitely an event I would hold again in the future and need to plan further in advance to get a larger turnout. Two of my friends planned the food and catered the event for me; the food was fabulous! To get a glimpse of the work in my house see the photos below, courtesy of my mom.

A Fantastic Local Art Show Supports a Great Cause

Friday marks the 30th Annual Art Exhibition and Sale to benefit Sparta, New Jersey's Hilltop Country Day School. Each year area artists contribute about eight pieces each for display, along with portfolio pieces (unframed works -- either drawings, small paintings, or prints). Additionally, the school features one acclaimed artist to headline the show each year. This year's artist being Rita Baragona, an acclaimed artist of Columbia, NJ who paints flowers and gardens filled with luminous color and rhythmic strokes expressing patterns of change.

I found out about the Hilltop show from a local artist named, Carole Dakake, when I first moved to Sussex County two years ago. It was, I think, the first show I did in the county and I attribute it with really fast-forwarding my career. I made some sales at that show and more importantly, showing there and networking with both school professionals and parents have brought me even more clients and a strong reputation in the county.

It was one of the best career moves to do that show and so I will be participating again this weekend, showing many of my Italy-themed works.

From San Gimignano, Oil on Panel, 10" x 8", © 2005 Jennie Traill Schaeffer

Artwork displayed includes acrylics, oils, watercolors, graphics, pastel, mixed media, sculpture, and jewelry. 30% of all sales go to support the programs at Hilltop Country Day School.

Join me at the Opening Reception for Champagne and Hors D'Oeuvres from 7 - 10 pm on Friday, October 12th. There is a suggested donation for entry of $10.




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Home Portrait

"Enchanted Cottage", 10" x 8", Graphite on Arches © 2007 Jennie Traill Schaeffer

I don't advertise this service but have done several home portraits for clients over the past few years. I attempted initially to do some business with real estate agents by offering this service as a closing gift for their clients. However, over time I realized that this is not what I wanted to spend most of my commission time on. As an emerging artist I keep trying new things and finding out more and more what I do want to spend my time working on and ways to make money without selling out.

I don't believe this portrait, "Enchanted Cottage," is selling out. It was a good drafting / drawing exercise as well as a compositional challenge. I'm happy with the resulting work and anticipate the owners returning from their trip to see it.

More tomorrow about a new member of the studio . . .

Newton on Spec

In-Progress Oil of Newton, NJ, 17" x 30", Oil on Stretched Linen

Doing spec work is pretty common for an emerging artist. I met with the developer of a new upscale residential building in Newton, called Aberlour, back in February to try to work out an arrangement with my art as closing gifts. Unfortunately he had already made a purchase, but was interested in my work and suggested I paint something to hang in the building that he might buy or sell to the new owners. This is the state of the painting now; it's not quite where I want it yet. I must get into my studio before the paint dries on the palette, so return to my blog next week to see changes in the painting.

Business at a Funeral?

Grandma Fran, Oil on Canvas, 16" x 20", 2004
b. 1917? - d. 2007

I had the unfortunate experience last week of going through a family funeral; my husband's grandmother passed away from melanoma at the end of a very full life of 88 or 89 years. Grandma Fran as everyone knew her was a remarkable person; she was a person you would not quickly forget. She certainly had her faults but I was fortunate enough to know her for six years. I never had an adult relationship with my grandparents since they all died when I was in high school.

About three years ago, just before my wedding, I was at my in-laws house with the family and Fran had just purchased her dress for the wedding. This was her first wedding of her three grandchildren and she was thrilled. So, she tried on this stunning black dress and it was stunning. Fran was a very stylish and life-loving person; the dress was a further characterization of her life philosophy. I was so moved by her that I decided to paint a portrait of her.

One afternoon I spent over at Fran's apartment doing a photo shoot in the dress, and then I developed the pictures and determined which I would use for the painting. Once the portrait was finished it was included in my first solo show at the Rockingham Coffee Lounge in Boonton, NJ in 2005. Fran attended the opening and was just aghast -- she was amazed.

Three years later, the painting had been sitting in my studio. After Fran passed away, my sister-in-law asked that we display it at my in-laws' home during shivah as a way to remember her. She died very quickly and was not at all herself in the physical form the last two days of her life. Well, little did I know the kind of reaction I would get. Guests sitting shivah were absolutely amazed -- so much so that one person asked if I would paint her mother-in-law. I said absolutely and passed on my card. (I've yet to hear from this person).

So, this painting, as well as a couple of other works that happened to be in the home, became the topic of conversation. It was at first awkward and I didn't feel that my works and what I do should be the center of attention at Grandma Fran's funeral. However, as the weekend wore on, more people were more interested and I let into my instincts and started somewhat selling myself. As an emerging artist, as a small business owner, I hear that you always are working, you are always selling. I guess there's truth to that, but shouldn't there be a time and a place? I guess reflecting on it now; I wasn't pushing anything, they were for the most part asking me and initiating conversation about my work. So, maybe it's not so bad -- it certainly lightened the mood and that painting of Fran really helped us all remember her vivacity and not so much her death.

Here's to Grandma Fran!