Discovering sale outlets
It has been an interesting nine months since setting up the mosaic studio in April 2017. Having space and time to explore new ideas, re-visit some old design themes and develop my role as maker-educator has been more than fantastic.
It's one thing to make and then display work in the studio. Two Open Studio events in June and then again in December connected me with both the public and other artists and deisgners in Shrewsbury. I really enjoyed sharing my studio with Jill Leventon, a fabulously talented enameller and huge source of advice and experience! It was great testing out ideas, listening to feedback from a whole raft of people and being encouraged to keep going has all been immensely important.
Looking at broadening my selling capabilities beyond my Etsy shop led me to joining the Visual Arts Network and being able to display work in their temporary but rapidly becoming permanent, pop-up gallery in Shrewsbury town centre has been very positive. As has having a profile page about my work on their website. I also volunteer to man (or is that woman) the gallery once or twice a month which is another way of connecting with potential clients. I'm always happy to talk about my craft and that of other makers!
It has also been good to get my work accepted into the shop at Willow Gallery in Oswestry as another sales outlet. It has a good reputation for stocking high quality locally made craft and design.
As it is now early January 2018 I am researching potential galleries to see who may be interested in stocking my mosaics. And I just been asked to talk to Art & Design students at the local sixth form college during their careers week about how to apply their training to a career in design. I'll need to get my ducks in a row for that one!