Selling gourds in small spaces can be tricky!
Selling gourds in small spaces takes thought and planning to quickly catch the attention of your buyer before they move on to another space. In this post, we are going to assume you want to sell gourds in a local gallery or tourist shop. Let’s see how artist Patricia Black does it successfully.
Finding the right place in your community
In this post, we are going to assume you want to sell gourds in a local gallery or tourist shop. This is a great choice because they get traffic every day and your recognition in your community as an artist can only help your sales elsewhere!
You begin by researching the galleries in town. Are they privately own or are they artist guild galleries? Many local art guilds operate in tourist areas and are great venues because of the amount of traffic they get
In some cases, you pay a fee to belong. I talked to two who charged $100 a year. You may have to volunteer time working the gallery. They all have different requirements.
The time I spend working in the one I joined was great fun and I became friends with many of the artists working in other mediums.
What to look for and what questions do you ask?
Sometimes this information is on their website, or you can call and get some information before you meet with them.
Also, determine if there are tourist shops that carry locally made articles. They may pay you a wholesale price for your items or they may take a 20-40% commission.
When you go in to talk with the owner or manager, be prepared to sell yourself as an artist. Put your humility aside and speak with expertise. Also, take pictures or a few samples of the work you want to sell with you so they can see the quality of your work. You may also have to provide them with an artist statement or a notebook with information about you and your work. You will need business cards made to provide to your customer. When you sell gourds in a small space you need to keep your promotion material small and visual.
Once you have found a spot , Think on it for a while
Always “case” the store before you take action and approach the owner. Do they already have gourds? Will your work fit in with the others? What are the prices of the art? What colors would stand out in this store? Some of these galleries are in old houses with lots of charm, others have a more contemporary vibe.
How much space does each artist have? What artist information is provided? Take time and really study the places you want to show in. Afterwards go sit down with a drink and take notes of what you saw and your first ideas. Then you can go home and start putting your artist information together.
What will your costumer want to buy?
Next, you are going to have to decide what you want to sell. But you need to turn that question around. What is the customer there to buy? If they are tourists, they want something small and packable or something that will travel well. They want something that has the flavor of the area they are in. If I am shopping in New Mexico, then I would be attracted to an item that reminds me of other artwork in the area or the culture in the area.
These are the kind of questions Patricia Black has been dealing with all of her art career. When I looked at her display, in a local guild gallery, I found her work very appealing. She had found ways to make her gourds stand out in a couple of small areas. Over the years, she has developed ideas that allow her to make a living selling gourds in small spaces! I saw some strategies you can also use. Let me point out some tips for you to consider.
Life to me is creating art. I cannot imagine a day without it.
New Mexico gourd artist, Patricia Black
Patricia has had a passion for art her entire life. Right out of high school she worked as a graphic designer for the giftware industry and the wine industry. Over the years, she has gained recognition for her paintings and is a published watercolorist. She also operated a gallery in Colorado.
But she fell in love when she saw the art world from the perspective of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Here she was welcomed to share her work in many different art galleries and moved there to dedicate every day to creating art.
Working on gourds opens a new area of creativity for her. The three-dimensional form brought new challenges to her skills as a graphic designer. After growing small gourds she was inspired to create dolls.
“I am not shy about color and I am not shy about design!”
Small spaces means small objects
Her gallery experience shows in the type of gourd art she is creating. Keeping her objects small allows her to show more in a smaller area. This is an important consideration when you are showing and selling your work.
Yet no matter what you create, they must speak to you and accomplish your intentions as an artist. You can’t sell what you don’t love!
Just be mindful of giving each piece space to preform it’s charm!
Pat’s method for selling gourds in small spaces
Here are some things I saw working well for her. Most of the work on display had the same color scheme that made each detail on the mask or doll stand out. She used bright reds, turquoise, and metallic colors. These colors are popular in the Mexican and Native American culture of this area so they looked appropriate to the location, yet different. Then on each mask or doll, she incorporates sewing, wood burning, and beadwork into her designs.
"As an Artist, I am drawn to form and color. Never one to shy away from various subjects, styles, or mediums. Most of all I love the graphic side of art – bold lines, tight brushwork, steady hands."
All these elements make her work look complicated. It also tells the buyer that they took a long time to create and warrants the high price tag. The other element that sold the work was the quality of the craftmanship which comes when you keep repeating a few skills over and over. This also helps speed up the production of pieces.
Even her masks are small and intricate.
“Every morning finds a new beginning in art or a continuation of a project, every evening anticipation of the next day. I intend to give others enjoyment through my pieces with creativity, quality, and at times humor. Life can be serious that we all need a reality break at times.”
I love this doll idea!
Graphic patterns on the body add charm and a southwest flair to each doll. I love the use of skews for legs and the feathers add humor to the pieces. All made from small gourd parts. These could be made in any size. They could also have a magnet on the back for on the refrigerator.
Use this form and add details that fit your skills and cultural location. These really drew my eye to her display and were very tempting to buy!
Thought you might enjoy her clever homemade drying rack! You might consider taking this idea and thinking about what kind of decoration and accessories could you use that represent your selling environment.
Another doll idea perfect for a gallery show are these gourd dolls she calls her cute, Good Luck shaman dolls. Each plays with a native American symbol with humor and the graphics add to the interest. There is plenty to see if you happen to pick one up.
Maybe you could create female dolls called, “Bad Hair Day” dolls or “A doll with an Attitude!”
Here are other items with a different style that were displayed in a different spot. The theme here is different with more classical designs.
Ideas we can take away from her work
Patricia knows that she needs to sell to keep her art career going. She has mastered various mediums and has learned what topics sell in each kind of venue. This is where the gallery owner can help you decide what to create.
Her tricks for selling in small spaces include the following ideas. We learned that she keeps her color themes consistent for each display. She uses different materials on simple forms that add interest to the subject and show off her artistic talents and gourd skills. She adds humor to many of her pieces to draw the buyer’s attention. Dolls, masks, and small pots are always good choices for these venues.
Along with her work was a binder filled with articles published about her and pictures of other gourd items. The attendant shared personal information about her work and offer me her business card in case I wanted to contact her later about buying a piece. I found her work in the historical Mesilla district of La Cruces, New Mexico.
When you become part of these venues you are always welcomed. Finding a new artist with something unique to sell is a gallery owner’s dream come true. Once they are interested in your work, then let them help you sell your art with receptions, “meet the artist “nights, and writing articles for local news.
These fine art people could be just what you need to place yourself in the community as a local artist! Who knows what other opportunities could come from this adventure? It may not pay off immediately, but as you learn who your buyer is, then sales will come and selling in small places, whether in a tourist shop or church bizarre will be easy.
If you are already part of this art scene, please share your tips and experiences in the comment below or bring it up on our Facebook Group Page.
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Thanks for the positive comments. Please share my work with anyone who might be interested. You can support the work by buying things from the store. Many like the downloads so they have a paper copy in their workspace.
Thanks for the positive comments. Please share my work with anyone who might be interested. You can support the work by buying things from the store. Many like the downloads so they have a paper copy in their workspace.
Thanks for the positive comments. Please share my work with anyone who might be interested. You can support the work by buying things from the store. Many like the downloads so they have a paper copy in their workspace.
Thanks for the positive comments. Please share my work with anyone who might be interested. You can support the work by buying things from the store. Many like the downloads so they have a paper copy in their workspace.
There are not many websites on my topic. Most gourd groups across the country have Facebook Group pages. You can get ask questions and they often share what they are working on. It is great fun.
Thanks for the great comments and please come back to read others. Find them all listed on the blog page under the post archive button!
Thanks for the great comments and please come back to read others. Find them all listed on the blog page under the post archive button!
Thanks for the great comments and please come back to read others. Find them all listed on the blog page under the post archive button!
Thanks for the great comments and please come back to read others. Find them all listed on the blog page under the post archive button!
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