- Thread starter Premiershipman
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Premiershipman
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Others,had said that before as well, people expect craft to be cheap...maybe I should leave the sculpture separate for the art market maybe.
Premiershipman
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Well my potential clients have come back and are still being cagey about budget, so I have suggested brightspark's suggestion of making one fish and calculating time etc to make and then base my final price on that.
So if one fish comes out at £20 or whatever, times that by 6 etc and add on price for the rest.
They have stipulated that the budget is not their main concern but they they would like an idea of cost to produce a 'pleasing sculpture'.
We will see how things progress..
So if one fish comes out at £20 or whatever, times that by 6 etc and add on price for the rest.
They have stipulated that the budget is not their main concern but they they would like an idea of cost to produce a 'pleasing sculpture'.
We will see how things progress..
chunkolini
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It's a difficult one, a sale is a sale especially when you are starting out.
is there an open studios event near you?
This type of thing http://www.brightstripe.co.uk/services/herefordshire-art-week-visitor-information/
That is a chance to put stuff in a more 'arty environment' and try a new price structure.
I take part in the one above every year, you can usually bag a space with another exhibitor and go shares in the cost.
is there an open studios event near you?
This type of thing http://www.brightstripe.co.uk/services/herefordshire-art-week-visitor-information/
That is a chance to put stuff in a more 'arty environment' and try a new price structure.
I take part in the one above every year, you can usually bag a space with another exhibitor and go shares in the cost.
Premiershipman
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Hey Chunkolini, we have art studios but no 'open studios' as such.
The missus wondered about separating the sculptures etc off from the main craft stuff we do, maybe have it is Dalewood Art instead of in the main DaleWood Craft Designs page that we run.
The missus wondered about separating the sculptures etc off from the main craft stuff we do, maybe have it is Dalewood Art instead of in the main DaleWood Craft Designs page that we run.
chunkolini
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You do have one http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-22481233
I was very lucky with mine.
A lot of so called artists see the arts world as a closed shop and dont want new people comng along.
I visited a local potter, a top chick, a mad old hippy earth mother. She told me that I was coming to her art week event and she would fetch my stuff over.
And I realised that I did not have the option of not attending.
I was thinking whats the scam. 10% commission and she and her lovely mates flogged all my gear and made me up my prices.
I have done it every year since, it costs £200 to take part last year I turned over £4000 in sales.
Get hold of list from this years event, float around gently sounding people out about being part of someone's show.
There will be somebody who wants to encourage new blood. Talk to the people in charge.
for a first attempt I would try and tag onto somebody who does a proper 'thing' of it.
In some cases it is somebody's front room. My mate has a marquee, jazz band and bar.
Give it a go.
At these events 80% of the people are mooching about looking and about 20% are looking to spend money.
I was very lucky with mine.
A lot of so called artists see the arts world as a closed shop and dont want new people comng along.
I visited a local potter, a top chick, a mad old hippy earth mother. She told me that I was coming to her art week event and she would fetch my stuff over.
And I realised that I did not have the option of not attending.
I was thinking whats the scam. 10% commission and she and her lovely mates flogged all my gear and made me up my prices.
I have done it every year since, it costs £200 to take part last year I turned over £4000 in sales.
Get hold of list from this years event, float around gently sounding people out about being part of someone's show.
There will be somebody who wants to encourage new blood. Talk to the people in charge.
for a first attempt I would try and tag onto somebody who does a proper 'thing' of it.
In some cases it is somebody's front room. My mate has a marquee, jazz band and bar.
Give it a go.
At these events 80% of the people are mooching about looking and about 20% are looking to spend money.
Premiershipman
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Cheers chunkolini, I think I had seen that last year but not sort of taken notice of it.
The clients are now happy to wait for me to produce a fish and then to discuss pricing options so I will get cracking on that and come up with a lower figure for a sculpture with a few fish and a higher figure for one with many fish and see what they say.
And the end of the day they can only say no, but if they really want it.....
After that I may approach a number of the local galleries to see what they can do...
The clients are now happy to wait for me to produce a fish and then to discuss pricing options so I will get cracking on that and come up with a lower figure for a sculpture with a few fish and a higher figure for one with many fish and see what they say.
And the end of the day they can only say no, but if they really want it.....
After that I may approach a number of the local galleries to see what they can do...
chunkolini
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Dont forget at least 15% haggle factor.
Suck your teeth farmer fashion, explain that your kiddies will starve but you can go down by 10%.
The middle classes love haggling.
I will get back to you about galleries later.
Suck your teeth farmer fashion, explain that your kiddies will starve but you can go down by 10%.
The middle classes love haggling.
I will get back to you about galleries later.
Premiershipman
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I have started to sculpt the first fish from the copper sheet pieces - forming it in a dish shaped hollow in a piece of wood using a ball pein hammer.
The hammer marks create a nice ripple effect in the copper so give an nice 'fish scale effect'.
Probably going to cut small pieces of copper and use a hand seamer to create the fins - head could be a bit tricky though.
Thinking maybe to overlay a separate piece of copper for the head to create depth and add a space behind the back edge to give a 'gills effect'.
Trying to decide if I do a 'half fish', i.e. only one side of the fish as full fish could potentially be too heavy for the overall sculpture.
The hammer marks create a nice ripple effect in the copper so give an nice 'fish scale effect'.
Probably going to cut small pieces of copper and use a hand seamer to create the fins - head could be a bit tricky though.
Thinking maybe to overlay a separate piece of copper for the head to create depth and add a space behind the back edge to give a 'gills effect'.
Trying to decide if I do a 'half fish', i.e. only one side of the fish as full fish could potentially be too heavy for the overall sculpture.
Premiershipman
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Ok, ok fair point Matt, I will get some 'in progress' pics up when I get home tonight.
Premiershipman
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Didn't get in progress photos as kids kept 'visiting me' in the garage, so just a finished photo for now...
Sorry for the delay !
Sorry for the delay !
Premiershipman
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Still to come up with options for the eye and deciding if the mouth needs more definition.
Premiershipman
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It's how to do the lip as brazing could make it a bit of a mess or use a thin strip of copper bent round and brazed behind maybe ?
Premiershipman
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I had looked at the 'glass eyes' you can buy online.
I'll have to have a think of how to do it.
I'll have to have a think of how to do it.
strada
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Remember them bill bass singing fish from years ago,they had a sensor in them and started to sing when you walked past them.
I used the eyes out of one of those on a mahi mahi sculpture i did a while back, The eyes were plastic ,i just used epoxy to attach them,then just varnished over the top.The sculpture now lives in fuerterventura,lol
I used the eyes out of one of those on a mahi mahi sculpture i did a while back, The eyes were plastic ,i just used epoxy to attach them,then just varnished over the top.The sculpture now lives in fuerterventura,lol
Premiershipman
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I have been looking at options...still not sure of the best approach.
Also need to think of a price per fish for the client, don't want to ask for too much but conversely don't want to make my work too 'cheap'.
Reckon about 2 hours work has gone into it and it's about £3 worth of copper.
The sculpture they are after will have about 4 to 5 fish plus the reeds and kelp 'background'.
Was thinking £20-£25 per fish plus £40 for the background as I am just starting out and dont want to scare them off with too high a price.
Also need to think of a price per fish for the client, don't want to ask for too much but conversely don't want to make my work too 'cheap'.
Reckon about 2 hours work has gone into it and it's about £3 worth of copper.
The sculpture they are after will have about 4 to 5 fish plus the reeds and kelp 'background'.
Was thinking £20-£25 per fish plus £40 for the background as I am just starting out and dont want to scare them off with too high a price.
Premiershipman
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Well this may not be an issue anymore as the ppl who were wanting the commission have gone quiet.
Sent them the picture of the fish two weeks ago and heard nothing back, they may be on holiday so who knows.
Don't know if I should 'chase' them with a follow up email or not ?
Sent them the picture of the fish two weeks ago and heard nothing back, they may be on holiday so who knows.
Don't know if I should 'chase' them with a follow up email or not ?
