Over on ‘Things Handmade' there is a bit of a reflection as to why the author is making, pricing items , exhibiting etc.; especially when she believes she is making work to satisfy herself and not primarily to sell.
I must say I was delighted to sell one of my two Cyrus Cylinders in ‘The Made to Fit’ exhibition. I had priced them both but with no real thought of either of them selling. I was pleased with both pieces, both the thinking behind them and the execution. When I heard one had sold I was genuinely surprised, but as I said delighted that someone literally loved my work enough to pay good money and give it a place in their home. It is still a strange feeling, as unlike selling items on a craft stall I have no idea who the piece has gone to, and there is a certain sense of loss – but that is only minor.
I have over dyed the pieces of cotton and silk, manipulating the fabric again and immersion dyeing. I also made a stencil in the Jane Dunnewold fashion and used this with opaque fabric paint on some of the pieces.
well done on selling some work. I make a point of using the money to buy a treat, a piece of cloth I had though too expensive or a new book. Hope you have the chance to treat yourself with yours.
ReplyDeletevisitors to the studio sometimes ask me whether I make a piece because it sells & I say I make a piece because I've been inspired , because I have to. If I put that piece into my studio & it sells, even tho I'll miss it, then that gives me permission to carry on making that kind of piece, for as long as i want to. Yes, it is a compliment!
ReplyDeleteI just found your WoW piece on dying & I must have skimmed over it when it came out (I didn't know who you were then!) as I'm afraid of the process & therefore afraid to invest in all those wonderfully named procion dyes. It was so easy to understand, thank you, so I will invest one day & carefully go thru the w/s bit by bit.
Love this post!
I love how your dying has turned out. Could we do this in class?
ReplyDeleteI think its very flattering that someone is willing to part with their hard earned cash to own a piece of your work. I don't think there's any shame in wanting to sell. Its an exchange. Is it any different from say a band wanting to make an album and sell their particular skill?
ReplyDeleteOh, I meant to say how much I love the work in this post.
ReplyDeleteI always have a sense of loss when something of mine sells. Especially if it sells quickly after I have just finished it. Or in the case of my latest commmission that I worked on for five months. Sending it off was a double edged sword. Like letting a child go. But the good edge is the feedback when the person who asked for it and then loved it in the end tells me this. That is true satisfaction.
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