By Carolyn Edlund

This coming weekend, on May 20-22, the Surtex show takes place at the Javits Center in New York City. Artists attend Surtex with the intention of meeting prospects to connect with for licensing opportunities. Manufacturers and others walk the show to find new fresh images that will appeal to their customers, to be used in product design.

Work is displayed at the show by international artists and designers who come to this yearly event, and those designs end up on a huge variety of products that we all use every day. New trends start at Surtex, so basically what you see there is the future – art and surface design that will appear on products during the next year or so. A “trend theater” event will be taking place right on the show floor, where experts in trend forecasting give daily presentations.

Graphic designers, surface designers, artists, photographers, fine artists and art licensing agents are potential exhibitors at the show. This competitive industry produces images and designs that end up on textiles, linens, giftware, decorative accessories, floor coverings, stationery, paper goods and interior design products.

The Surtex trade show isn’t open to the public, but artists interested in possible future exhibition with the show can request to walk the show (there is a charge for this). Non-exhibitor visitors cannot solicit any business from art buyers or licensees, but can use their time wisely to determine whether the Surtex trade show is a good match for their business. More information about the show is in my interview with show manager Penny Sikalis here.

Two other shows take place at the same time as Surtex – the National Stationery Show, and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair.

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Don’t Miss This!

Artists & Craftspeople interested in expanding their business through wholesaling:

Want to know how it works and whether you could be successful at wholesaling?

What do gallery and store buyers want, and how do they buy?

Be sure to join Alyson Stanfield, the Art Biz Coach, and me for a teleseminar today, Wednesday, May 16th on How to Wholesale Your Art of Fine Craft.

Even if you cannot join the live call, all participants receive a recording of the discussion, to listen to whenever and as often as you like!

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Enjoy featured artist Julia Hacker’s lovely painting and collage work. Find out more about her art by visiting her website.

When I was 16 years old, I signed up for lessons at a local art school in Minsk, Belarus where I grew up. That very day, a new part of my spirit was born. I was transformed from bookworm to budding artist. I continued to pursue my passion and went on to earn a Masters degree in Fashion Design, then worked for 10 years in that field until I immigrated to Canada. The first few years here were very lonely, yet I felt fortunate to have my love of art to fill the void. All I needed to do was take another course or pick up my paintbrush and my life would regain meaning.

Now Canada is home and my reasons for picking up a brush are very different. I have been working as a full time artist for just a couple of years but have never been happier in my life. I love to experiment with different media and every time I am about to embark on learning a new technique, I feel the excitement of a child in a toy store. Having no formal training in classical oil technique has proven to be beneficial. In the process of learning through experimentation, I discover many wonderful things. Sometimes not following the rules leads one on a path of unexpected adventures.

Over the years I have been inspired and influenced by a variety of artists. Stumbling upon a book by contemporary artist Nick Bantock a few years ago changed my views on collage. His work made me realize that collage could be regarded as great art, on the same level as other more traditional styles. My other mentors have been Gustav Klimt for his whimsical decorative approach and the French Impressionists for their unorthodox sense of colour. And of course, Marc Chagall. While studying in his hometown of Vitebsk, his art taught me that it is not the surroundings that create an artist but the other way around.

Today, I am gathering all I have learned through training, observation, and experimentation and unite it with what is in my heart. I am currently working in mixed media, combining oil, acrylics and collage, in an effort to create a whimsical mystery of abstract and realistic images. I like to choose a theme and develop it into a small series, then move onto a new subject.

Currently, I am exploring the feminine side of life. For years I was not comfortable addressing with this topic, considering it almost a weakness. At this stage in my life, I am finally able to embrace this side of my persona and take pride when working on floral abstracts or the figurative “Esquire Girl” series. In addition, I have often been commissioned to create paintings in different sizes and colour combinations that reflect the collector’s dream and surroundings.

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By Carolyn Edlund

Should you be wholesaling your work? What’s the advantage in doing it, anyway?

Selling wholesale is a proven, successful method available to artists and craftspeople who are trying to build their businesses and make a living. Building a collection of work that can be duplicated and sold wholesale again and again enables artists to establish relationships with galleries and shops that purchase directly from them – and to continue to earn money with repeat business.

When you wholesale your work, your line of products is sold into stores, galleries, museum shops, bookstores, or many other kinds of retailers – at about half the price of retail. The retailers buy your work outright and mark it up to retail prices, then help promote and sell it to their customers who appreciate creative art or craft work.

Wholesaling isn’t for everybody, but if you’re curious, it’s worth finding out whether you can use it as one stream of income for your art business, or even as your full-time business. When artists wholesale, they may attend trade shows, work with sales reps, sell online or sell directly to retailers themselves.

Selling wholesale is very stabilizing to a business. Imagine starting work on a Monday morning in your studio, knowing that everything you will make that week is already sold!

In the twenty years that I owned and ran a ceramic production studio, wholesale was a mainstay of my business. Each week my team and I had about a dozen orders to make and ship to waiting retailers. Our customer base averaged about 150 wholesale accounts at any one time, although on average there was a 20% turnover in accounts annually (this is typical). This made for a very diversified business, with dependable income.

Many artists are good candidates for selling wholesale. They have opportunities to sell into many different markets – home décor and furnishings, accessories, giftware, fashion, stationery, handmade and other categories, many of which have their own trade shows where retailers from all over the country come to find new merchandise to stock their stores.

Wholesaling gives you a chance to work with sales reps also, who are able to take your line into areas of the country where you would never get exposure. Some sell into large accounts where great opportunities may be waiting.

Although lines that are made in production are best for wholesaling, even one-of-a-kind work can be sold wholesale. Artists with production studios that sell wholesale also usually make higher incomes than artists who do not.

Would you like to find out more about the wholesale marketplace and whether it may be a good fit for your business? Please join me in a teleseminar titled How to Wholesale Your Art or Fine Craft, with by Alyson Stanfield, the Art Biz Coach, on Wednesday, May 16th. Participate on the live call, or listen later to the recording.

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Canadian artist Alicia Wishart’s portfolio is filled with colorful, delightful animals. Enjoy her work and visit her website for more information on this talented painter.

What inspires you?

Inspire is a word that is hard for me because I usually associate it with an Oprah moment kind of thing. For me, I’d rather say I paint what makes me happy. I love animals and have used them as my primary source of subject matter since I can remember. How I choose what animal I paint usually comes down to what makes me giddy with delight. Maybe it’s because they are super cute, have neat colours or a silly expression to them.

I also paint ones that are just odd and fascinating like platypus or anteaters. The only ones I’m not keen on painting unless by commission are the usual tigers, wolves, eagles etc. My motto is “If I can find it on a Harley Davidson shirt, then I don’t want to paint it”. Those animals have been done, long live the meerkat!

For my unique colour, my inspiration comes from cartoons. Bugs Bunny cartoons, expecially Chuck Jones ones were huge influences in my life. When Ren & Stimpy came out and I saw all those fabulous backgrounds and colours by Bill Wray, I was in love. My style comes from a fusion of realism and cartoons and my own personal quirkiness.

What are you working on now?

Currently I’m getting ready for the summer festival season so I’ve been painting lots. I started a chimp today and finished an octopus the other day. I have a few all drawn out and ready to go. A whale shark, cassawary, hippo, flamingo, and a few others I can’t even remember right now. When I’m not painting I’ve been making art cards, doing website stuff and working on my Etsy store. There’s never any shortage of things to do.

What are your goals?

My ultimate goals are to travel to places where I can see the critters first hand and not just at the zoo. I would love to get an art publishing deal so that I could get more exposure to my art in places that I might not be able to access on my own. I also want to make an animal alphabet book and bring my t-shirt designs to light.

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By Carolyn Edlund

Courtesy Todd McPhetridge

Where does your art fit in the marketplace?

Your artwork has value. Not everyone will appreciate that value, however. In fact, most members of the American public don’t buy original art or prints, or purchase handcrafted items. Let’s put those people into the category called “not your customers.”

That’s OK, because it’s important to narrow down and define those target customers who fit the bill and who value what you have to offer. I like to suggest to artists that they do some “retail research” to find their ideal customer and make a profile. This might include exhibiting at art and craft fairs, opening your studio to the public, or connecting with interested prospects who visit your website and getting to know them better.

The profile you make of your target customer may include gender, marital status, age, profession, or where they live. What are their interests? Are they passionate about a cause that you support with your work? What do they share in common with you?

Talk to the people who visit your studio or walk into your booth. Your conversations with people considering your art should be 30% talking and 70% listening.  Why are they attracted to your work? What do you have to offer them that they find appealing?

• Could it be the nostalgic images you paint, your theme, or calming beautiful color palette?
• Does your jewelry make a knockout fashion statement that suits their personality?
• Are your images related to a sport they love?
• Does your work appeal to their off-beat sense of humor?
• Do they love the fact that you can customize a portrait of their family?

Art and craft has value in and of itself. It takes talent and ability to make what you make. Don’t ever sell yourself short or make apologies for your work. If you are not confident, work hard to develop your skills and create a cohesive body of work you are happy with and proud to display.

Then – get out there and make connections. Meet people and pay attention to conversations. Find out where your work fits in the art world. You will undoubtedly find out a lot of places where your work doesn’t fit, but that’s valuable too. As you begin to define your target customer, and what they care about, sell your customer on what they value when presenting your work.

See more of Todd McPhetridge’s photography by visiting his website.

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