A few times each year, I attend Artisan Markets to showcase my artwork and sell my handmade goods direct to the public. It is a TON of work to make enough products to fill the booth space, gather all the products to individually polish, package, price, pack, build custom display and advertise to the right audience. The majority of the shows take place outdoors, often in cold or windy weather leading up to the holiday season and require long days, lifting and hauling heavy boxes of products, many hours to set up the display just right and standing for 8 straight hours, leaving me tired to the bone. Doing these shows mean long weekend days away from our young families and missing the kids’ sport games and weekend social events and take days to recover, clean up and re-set. But it normally pays off financially and emotionally to stand in front of your artwork and speak to appreciative audiences about how it was made, the background stories and inspiration behind the creative of products. I feel overwhelming amounts of pride to represent my artwork and watch how people respond to these products I handmade with love, and hold dear to my heart. Friends see glimpses of my work throughout the year, but when I put it all together in a tetris display bursting with color and textures, it is a sight to see. I encourage everyone to touch and feel the pottery, hold each mug or bowl and take their time to find just the right piece for their purpose. I like to provide ideas for use or brainstorm good gift times for customer’s friends and family. I am filled with pride and appreciation for the friends and followers who brave the varying weather and weekend plans to come visit, admire and purchase my pottery and watercolor prints/cards. Buying artwork directly from the artist/maker also allows the full value of the product to go directly into the hands of the creator - instead of only half of the cost which is what happens when consumers buy products through a retail shop. I am thankful for wholesale and consignment partnerships I have with retail shops but it is painful to give so much of our hard work and efforts to the the middle-man and make so little profit on goods that take so much time, effort and resources. Thank you to all who shop the Artisan Markets! It means the world to me.
