A Day at the Zoo

This past weekend was a busy one for me.  Friday night I did the Mesa 2nd Friday Night Out.  I took my new mascot - the pink monkey who wears one of my "Pet Affirmations" and hangs around the tent with Tim and me.  I hung him from the tent poles, and he changed positions on occasion and tried to attract attention... but alas, no Pet Affirmations were sold.  This was his training night. 

The big day was Saturday... we did the ZOOtique at the Phoenix Zoo.  It was a fun day, had a lot of people walking around, but did not have many sales.  And - no Pet Affirmation sales for the monkey.  :( 

One thing I have learned is that you have to have the right crowd for your product, or make the right product for the crowd.   So, I made special Animal Print solid copper ornaments for the ZOOtique Sale.  What dedicated zoo lover could pass those up?
 

Unfortunately, the monkey did nothing to influence those sales either. 
I think I might need to lay him off... hard as that will be, because he is really cute with his lopsided smile, and all. 

The Silver Pieces are Finished

Twenty eight pieces went into my kiln... twenty eight pieces came out.  I was lucky this time - 27 pieces were good!  That is not bad odds... but shows that even after doing this for years, mistakes do happen.
My first photo shows the finished pieces.  After firing, they have tumbled for a day in stainless steel shot... adding shine and strength to the fine silver.

The second photo shows the broken piece.  I must have wrapped the silver too tightly around the glass - the silver snapped!  The glass also fractured... so I will not be able to re-do this one. 

Or will I????  Maybe use a new piece of glass???  Hmmmm... have to think it through.

Pending Silver Run

I have spent the last two weeks working on several fine silver and dichroic glass pieces... finally, they are in the KILN!!! 

My fingers are crossed that all goes well with this run.  I think there are some very nice pendants here, some fancy filigree earring dangles too! 

This may seem really boring to you, but opening the kiln at the end of a run is always suspenseful ... you can have the joy of finding beautiful pieces - or the disappointment of finding cracked glass and lumps of metal.  I will worry about it all day.

Here's a sneak peak....

Resurfacing After a Long, Hot Summer

I am back.  That 4th of July Art Walk took more out of me than I knew!  I was ready to give up this metal clay art selling business . . . but decided instead to take the rest of the summer off - and to start again in the Fall.  So, Like I said - I am back. 

I am again creating new pieces.  It feels good, I must admit that I have missed it!

I made it to the retail stores and galleries: 

• I have new silver pieces on display at the Art Method Gallery on Marshal Way in Scottsdale
• My Bronze and Copper pieces are found at The Cottage at the Farm at South Mountain
• Bronze and Copper also at Evermore Nevermore in Mesa
• Just down the street in Mesa is Sundust Gallery... new pieces are there as well

My Schedule for November 2010:

• 2nd Friday Night Out in Mesa on Friday, November 12th, 6pm - 10pm
• ZOOtique at the Phoenix Zoo on Saturday, November 13th, 9am - 4pm
• Downtown Chandler Art Walk on Friday, November 19th, 6pm - 10pm
• Downtown Chandler Block Party on November 20th, noon - 8pm

Staying Cool at Summer Art Walks

I have done art walks in downtown Mesa the past two weekends.  It was almost UNBEARABLE in the Arizona heat! I did manage to survive it by drinking LOTS of water, staying in the shade, and using water-holding gel filled scarfs.  What a great invention!!!! I just soaked them in water for a few hours before the show, then stuck them in the cooler.  Then when I got to the show, I pulled one out and draped it over the back of my neck.  I have more than one - so I was able to switch them every so often.  Definitely a permanent part of my hot summer art walk supplies!

If anyone has any other suggestions for beating the heat at art walks, I would LOVE to hear them.

Marketing Classes at Sundust Gallery

My husband, Tim and I have been taking Marketing classes at Sundust Gallery in Mesa.  I have one class left in the series, and can't wait for the days to pass until I am there again. 

Ron Floyd is the owner of the gallery and is EXTREMELY knowledgable on the ins and outs of marketing art.  I work with metal clay, and my husband is a photographer... we have both been impressed with the useful information Ron has shared with us.  What he is teaching is good for any type of artist.

I recommend this series of classes to any artist who wants to improve their business savvy, their image, or branding.  The link to the Sundust Gallery website is included, so you can learn more about the class offerings.

http://www.sundustgallery.com/

Web Photography

I have never been totally satisfied with the quality of pictures Tim and I take for our web and etsy sites.  They are acceptable, and people get a good idea of what I have created, but what I want is to be able to upload pictures that make them drool. 

If you have spent any time looking at the products listed on etsy, you know what I mean.  Some people are able to take pictures that make their products look fantastic.  You look at the picture, and fall in love with the product instantly.  That is what I want. 

Tim and I spent time with a professional photographer yesterday.  We  hoped that he could teach us some new techniques.

I learned a lot.  The main thing, for good close-ups of small things (like jewelry), he recommended using a macro lens.   Actually, he said the ONLY way to take great pictures of small things is to use a macro lens.  I have a Sony Cybershot ... and Tim does not own a macro lens.  This explains why our pictures have not been fantastic.