Taming the Tangle

Chicago: One Day Only!

Join me and 35 other women artists for a one-day only pop-up shopping event on Chicago's North side. It will be a fun and lively event with so much beautiful art, all handmade by local women. This is my only Chicago show this year, so I hope to see you!

Saturday, May 12, 11am - 5pm
Chicago Art Girls Pop-Up Shop
http://www.chicagoartgirls.com

Preview more work on our Facebook page

and join the fun on our Twitter feed

I am in town until May 17 and still have several private appointments available if you are not able to make the event, I can come to you! Contact me directly at info [at!] kathyfrey [dot] com to arrange a time... I have several one of a kind pieces under $400... a great price point for a totally unique and wearable piece of art jewelry.

Hope to see you soon, and Happy Mother's Day!

Oh the places I'll go... upcoming show worries

Well, this year is the year that I'm going to try out some Florida shows since my application was finally accepted to the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. Since I just updated my website, you can see my show schedule online as well.

I'm less than 3 weeks away from my Florida trip. My boyfriend and his dad left a week ago to drive since they are sculptors and are doing more shows to make the whole cross country trip worthwhile. I'm lucky enough that part of my display could fit in their van, mainly my booth, weights, signs, drapes, and 3 small folding tables (which are rather short), which means that I can fly with the rest of my display, inventory, and other sales and clothing essentials.

In early November I did a show in Sacramento where I set up my booth like this, where the jewelry was pushed out close to the aisle:

This sort of setup would be possible to replicate with folding tables and drapes, although I won't have my cases. Honestly, I really didn't like being behind the wall of cases. I couldn't figure out how to naturally hand jewelry to someone looking. I also just didn't like being separated from my customers; in general I like standing near them and pointing out things so we can engage together. And it's easier to access mirrors in an open booth.

I modified my booth for a show in San Francisco, which was much more successful, but I'm afraid that without my columns, shelving, and cases, trying to recreate this setup with folding tables will look too much like a yardsale.

So I'm thinking of creating an island of tables with some hanging panels in the middle of my booth that I can display jewelry on. I want some of it to look like art pieces yet not be daunting on display. I have no idea quite how to achieve this (I'm thinking frosted plexi to not block too much light?), but it's all I can come up with as an interesting concept that would be easy to fly with. I'll have to make sure I don't block the visual on my jewelry too much if I'm going back to no cases... I want the jewelry to be touched, enjoyed, and tried on but not stolen.

My first step will be to make a mockup panel as a test... I'll keep you posted. Then I will have to create drapes for the tables or some sort of simple covering... Not sure if it should just be the cinnabar color from the sidewalls in my booth or if I should mix in some of the colorful print as well because that's so eyecatching yet not distracting once people are engaged with the jewelry. It adds some fun and flair I think but am open to opinions. Let me know what you think! Do you like the print? Or do you think simple is better?

Spiky seedpod sculpture: my new fave!

A couple weeks ago at the Historic Shaw Art Fair, I had the luck to be next to ceramic sculpture artist Andy Rogers. We have been neighbors before, but it had been a few years. As synchronicity would have it, I had just been thinking about his work the week before when hanging out in Hannibal. Somehow a group of us were trying to remember various ceramic artists who create cool spiky seedpod sculptures... Andy was the one that popped into my mind (although not his name, so it was extra exciting to be next to him to stop my mind wheel from spinning).

One of the fun special treats about being an artist is that if you like a fellow artist's work, you can always suggest the idea of a trade. It's especially great if you both are already familiar with each other's work and are mutually excited by each other's work. We have all made the mistake of doing a one-sided trade, and all I can say is only do a trade if you would also be willing to buy the work outright... this goes for if the work is for your own collection or for a gift.

 

So when Andy mentioned the idea of a possible trade, I jumped at the idea. His wife loves interesting art jewelry, and I love adding to my art collection (and it had been more than a year since I'd done so, way overdue in my book). On day one of the show, I walked through his booth just to see what types of pieces caught my eye and to make sure price points seemed compatible. He did the same at my booth and then we waited till the end of day Sunday to finalize our decisions. He came to me first and picked out a necklace and earrings... some of my favorite pod/leaf pieces that are oxidized with white pearls. It felt right to trade pods for pods.

 

Oxidized Half Wrap Pod Earrings with interior pearl, photo by Larry Sanders, ©2011 Kathy Frey

 

Oxidized Leaf Pendant with Pearl Drop, photo by Grant Boyle, ©2011 Kathy Frey

 

I didn't even walk back into his booth... I asked him if he still had one piece that we had discussed and if he would be willing to trade it since it was his newest exploration. I couldn't get this piece out of my mind once I saw it, and I wasn't being too exact about price point since it was a trade I was happy to make (the difference was minimal in my mind).

 

Ceramic sculpture with crystals growing inside, ©2011 Andy Rogers

 

Isn't it fantastic? Andy was excited for his newest piece to go to a good home, and I told him to be sure to not forget about this exploration... I love the crystals growing inside, the raw crackly glaze, and the details of the little red tips. Everything about this piece makes me excited to explore and break out of the box more. Who says a ceramic artist can't grow crystals!! Kudos to Andy!

 

For the moment I have it displayed on a shelf next to my Gradient Anemone Branches brooch... maybe I will start an abstract sea creatures collection! I love how the spikes of each piece contrast with each other.

 

Gradient Anemone Branches brooch, photo by Larry Sanders, ©2011 Kathy Frey

Booth tweaks for smaller packing

A big challenge for traveling artists is always booth display. There are so many ways to make a beautiful display, but there are always the issues of weight and portability. I know many jewelers who can fly with their displays, which I am still envious of. I'm not sure if I will get to that point, but eventually I imagine it being a goal, especially now that I'm not centrally located.

Financially I have to set that idea aside for now. Yes, I understand the time saving behind flying. But I own my car, two booths, and many display pieces that are not small enough  to pack and ship easily. So for now I'm working within the parameters of trying to make my car load lighter and smaller... more efficient would be nice too. I'm also trying to have more visual umph in my display. I want to bring in more color, yet keep it light and airy.

For the Contemporary Crafts Market in Santa Monica, I introduced fabric-covered shelves, which also boost my storage in the booth. I'm working on some behind-the-scenes packing issues like how to store my backstock as well as bags and boxes while keeping them secure, organized, and dry for outdoor shows. My plastic columns are taking a beating, and I've just been feeling like it's time for a facelift of my overall brand image. For now I'm still using a couple of the columns until I see how I like the changes.

I'm slightly obsessed with this fabric that I found. I love how it matches my logo color and works with the rest of my color palette. It's got a lot of color without being too busy or playful in my opinion. And the images are snippits of botanical patterns, which look a lot like my jewelry.

Here's how the same pieces look in an outdoor 10x10 setup.

The fabric does feel more casual to me, which was one of my hesitations in going this route. But it does pack up smaller. I'm using rather chunky plastic shelves, like the kind used in basements and such. I pondered a different kind that was much flatter but way heavier. Either way I go, I think the other option might have been better so I just decided to pick one. I sewed up the fabric in a way that I could take it apart and re-sew it to fit something else if needed. In general I also went with the cheaper option because there are more changes I want to make this year.

The next addition will be cases. I've grappled with this for years, and even had a case for a while that started falling apart and eventually got stolen in a bizarre NYC incident during setup. So this time I'm trying pieces of tempered glass with glass clips. I hope it's not too fussy for packing. I'm going to do a dry run next week. My concern is do I just put cases on everything as I have it setup, where customers can still walk around all the columns, or do I need to create an L-shape display that I stand behind so I can easily help more than 1 customer without running around and leaving inventory lying out in the open everywhere.

I like being able to interact with my customers out in the booth and walk around in it, yet there are the practical logistics as to why jewelers often stand behind a wall of cases. I might be able to create a small L and have just 1 free-floating column. I think I'll be able to do some tests in my fairy cottage, or even on the back deck if the weather stays clear and dry.

Cases will be a huge change for me. It's going to completely alter the way I interact with people and my booth, yet I'm hoping it elevates the level of my work, cuts down on theft (which, shockingly, I don't have a ton of), and allows me to converse more with people about my work while they look and try pieces on. I'd like to be more of an active participant.

My next show is Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff in Michigan, July 9-10. I'll set up my cases there so I'll have some practice before the State Street Area Art Fair in Ann Arbor, Michigan, July 20-23. I'll share some pics, and hopefully have great sales so I can continue the booth renovation with new fabric banner images.

A simple thank you can change someone's day

A few weeks ago I mailed a necklace to an unsuspecting door prize winner from the San Francisco Contemporary Crafts Market in March.

Mini Ladder Necklace, shown in sterling silver and onyx, photo by Grant Boyle, ©2011 Kathy Frey
The lucky winner received a necklace like this in my "sunshine" color combination which includes shades of carnelian and red coral.

I didn't have her email address to give her a heads up, which maybe made it a nicer surprise. When I mailed it, I put delivery confirmation on it so I could be sure it was actually delivered. Once I confirmed that it was, I filed away the receipt and moved on.

Until last week when I received this:

A lovely, simple hand written thank you note from the recipient. She was so excited, couldn't believe she won, and absolutely loves the necklace. More than that, her little note meant the world to me. I have a file of thank you notes from customers that I keep for those days when I'm feeling blue or unloved. More than that, they serve as a great reminder for me to return the favor. After receiving a thank you note I'm more likely to send a short note of thanks or a thinking of you card to friends, family, and collectors so I can share that same feeling I had when I received one.

As we all know, a hand written card is way more special than an email, so take a few minutes to make someone smile by dropping a card in the mail for any ole reason.

Street Fair vs. Art Fair

Yes, I am alive after my recent bout with Post-show Recovery Syndrome preceded by Melting into a Puddle at the Hottest Show in the World Syndrome (and, yes, I know, it was a dry heat). I'm not as cranky as I sound after showing at the 4th Avenue Spring Street Fair in Tucson last weekend, but here's what I learned (aside from April is way too early for 95 degree heat).

The good news is that this show is named appropriately. This is a street fair, which is different from an art fair. On Sunday morning I did a quick walk through half of the show, and found the quality to be nice. There's a full range of offerings from very low end to moderately high end, and a slew in between. A lot of street fairs are not strictly juried, yet 4th Avenue does try to set a standard that all pieces need to be made by the vendor, so as street fairs go this one is good quality. In general I would say that the jury is not looking at the work itself with a critical eye, yet I didn't see anything horrendous if I overlook the realistic-yet-plastic machine guns and numchucks that I saw at least 30 kids carrying. In general such items will not be found at an art fair. There were a lot of items geared towards quantity production.

The tough thing at street fairs is that there's a lot to compete with, such as:

Jugglers and other on-street entertainment.

Lots and lots of food. Usually people walk and eat, which is scary if they also choose to look at your art.

Multiple sponsorship booths which provide free entertainment and giveaways.

Pop-up artists who do cool stuff on the public areas of the show.

All photos are ©2011 Kurt Tallis from a past 4th Avenue Street Fair.

 

Of course art fairs have food and entertainment (usually music) to attract larger crowds and create more of a destination. Yet it's easy to see why some customers might be distracted or find some of the art booths to be extraneous.

The one bonus to street fairs is that if you have a top notch display, you can really stand out in a crowd. You may not be bustling with people all the time, but your items will attract the right type of clientele if they are at the show (and not too distracted by jugglers). This luckily happened to me in Tucson, yet it was hard to explain to many people my price points ($180.00 was mistaken for $18.00 more than once because that was a more common price point at the show).

All in all, participate in a street fair at your own risk. Collectors and art appreciators will *really* enjoy having nice quality at the show, yet you rely on how many of them actually attend the show. Street fairs are a great way to get your "show legs" if you are new to doing shows and want to practice setup, display, interactions, and sales in a casual setting. If a street fair makes sense due to travel, it might be worth it if you are teaming it up with another show. I will consider Tucson again if I get into the Tempe Festival of the Arts since they are always back to back weekends, which would spread out my travel expenses over 2 shows.

You must be present to win

Last weekend I was showing my jewelry at the Contemporary Crafts Market in San Francisco. Saturday was a good day, yet on Sunday morning we all felt that there were just artists walking the aisles. And we were all tired from the pesky time change... some artists were even late to arrive, showing up after the doors had already opened.

I was falling into that trap, thinking that things might not really get started until after noon. I wanted a latte to boost my energy, and I was feeling a little distracted... it is easy to be lured into walking the aisles, especially at a show I was participating in for the first time. I had friends I wanted to visit and West Coast artists I wanted to meet, yet I don't have an assistant. I did run and grab some coffee while a neighbor kept an eye on my booth, and I walked back to my booth via a different aisle. Luckily I was lured back to my booth... I rarely leave it for long even though the temptation is there.

Why do I say "luckily"? Because there were customers at the show (and I always consider fellow artists to be potential customers anyway). A gentleman walked into my booth and asked me to discreetly wrap up a set of jewelry for him, and he handed me a credit card while he walked off to join his wife. He returned a few minutes later to finish the transaction.

Caged stones necklace and earrings, photo by Thea Volk, ©2011 Kathy Frey
This is similar to the set I sold on Sunday morning!

This was a major sale for me. If I had been standing in the aisle idly chatting, I never would have thought he was a buyer because he popped into my booth for less than 30 seconds. If I hadn't been there I definitely would have missed that sale. That resonated with me throughout the day, and perked me up more than caffeine. I'm always a proponent of "give attention to who is at the show" rather than bemoan who isn't at the show. It can be a mental challenge to always look at the bright side, yet the truth is I had more sales than most of my friends and neighbors on Sunday because I was truly present in my booth, physically and mentally.

All artists know that is hard work. I have tricks, like writing production lists for myself, sketching new designs, or making notes about future display changes I want to institute. I really don't think about packup until the last 15 minutes of the show (if I'm not busy) because I don't want to send the vibe that I'm ready to leave. I will leave when the customers leave. I'm not here just to want to leave... my main focus is to show my work, talk to people about my designs and possible custom work, and to sell the jewelry I'm displaying. I'm also at a show to learn about new display ideas and network if I can do that in a way that doesn't detract from my main focus.

Indulge award winner #2: Sarah Fox

There were 2 award winners at Indulge, the art jewelry show last weekend at the Bellevue Arts Museum. I've already featured wire and paper jewelry artist Tia Kramer, and today I'm spotlighting Sarah Fox, the metalshmithing and felt jeweler extraordinaire.

Sarah Fox in her booth at Indulge, photo by Kathy Frey, © 2011 Sarah Fox

Sarah's jewelry is artful and playful all at once... like the woman herself as you can see! We didn't have a lot of time to discuss her work in detail, yet I have loved it ever since I saw it at SOFA Chicago when my work was also shown there in 2009. That was where I fell in love with her rings, bracelets, and oh-so-wonderful necklaces. Here are some quick snapshots from her display at Indulge:

all photos by Kathy Frey, © 2011 Sarah Fox

The judge who presented the awards mentioned that he has had a passion for work that takes simple material and uses it in a precious way. The Indulge show was filled with fabulous jewelry that used humble paper or other recycled materials.... all of the work was stunning, yet Sarah's has been elevated to truly wearable art.

Her display, much like Tia's display, is mounted like a gallery where the jewelry takes center stage and is hung like art. The Indulge show is a perfect setting for this, where the audience knew they were looking at wearable art. Personally I've toyed with these type of display ideas over the years, yet I'm always concerned that viewers will want to observe rather than look at, try on, and interact with the art... after all, the human form is essential to our creations as jewelry designers. If I'd had time, I would've engaged Sarah and Tia in a discussion about this.... how they interact with customers and get them involved in their booths.

Technicalities of selling aside, I love both displays! And both designers much deserve their awards. They are both outgoing, engaging women who are excited about their work and energetic in their booths, which makes all the difference in the world. They are presenting their work in ways that it gets the attention it deserves and have designed booths that work with their personalities since they both enjoy interacting face-to-face with customers (rather than standing behind tables or cases), and their work is out in the open to encourage touching so people can feel the softness and wearability of the creations.

In my booth I combined both of these ideas by hanging large images (of the pieces being worn so people can see how it comes alive and that it's a wearable art form) while displaying the pieces on pedestals so I can walk around and talk to people, describing pieces and encouraging them to try on the jewelry (I always have a mounted mirror for this purpose).

Jewelry and display by Kathy Frey, © 2011 Kathy Frey

Indulge award winner #1: Tia Kramer

I am at home catching up from all that happened at Indulge, the awesome art jewelry show at the Bellevue Arts Museum last weekend. There were 2 award winners at the show, and I'm going to feature both of them on my blog.

The first one is Tia Kramer, a fellow wire jewelry artist. We met a couple of years ago through a trunk show at the Art Institute of Chicago Modern Wing, where we each show our jewelry collections. I've loved her work since the first time I saw it -- she artfully combines wire structures with handmade paper, which allows her pieces to be sculptural, contemporary, and colorful all at once.

Her work has more than blossomed in the last year -- it has exploded! Here is how her booth looked at Indulge:

Tia Kramer's 5x10 booth, photo by Kathy Frey, © 2011 Tia Kramer

This display is like a gallery. Tia used to be an installation designer, so she brought those skills to her vision, which she could easily make a reality since this show is a home-town show for her (i.e., she could rent a Uhaul rather than trying to design around the size constraints of a car).

Tia also pushed herself to create work that would even surpirse herself. This is a glimpse of one of the large pieces she mounted on the wall:

Palpitation Series, photo by Kathy Frey, © 2011 Tia Kramer

The large necklace in the center is more than just a necklace... Tia created a series of pieces that interconnect and can be a necklace, bracelet, and brooch or one grand statement neckpiece. What a stunning designer she is! And all of her pieces can be custom designed in a specific color palette.

Tia and I met for dinner one night to catch up and exchange business ideas and encouragement. She gave me insight into how she reinvented herself, something I'm so interested in. I have piles of breakout sketches... but how to make a push to create a large collection of new work that really makes an impact? I don't want to sound ungrateful in the least for being busy with orders and reorders of my existing designs, yet there is a part of me that wants to push and blossom even more. To feel that excitement within myself and to see it in the faces of friends and clients who have followed me for years is just the motivation I need!

Tia set aside more than a month to really push herself to create new work. Interestingly enough, her studio is not her favorite place for this. Her studio mindset is too based around business pressures... orders to fill, paperwork to be done, production to complete. So to open up her mind to new ideas, she started creating at home and during traveling roadtrips (this is when a driver really comes in handy!). She simply removed herself from her work environment to a place where she felt creative and uninhibited.

During the weeks she set aside, new work was the priority. She couldn't waiver from this, so this meant she needed the full support from her partner Tim as well as the understanding from friends and family. It's kind of like an extended vacation where you might be out of touch for weeks at a time. Now that's a girl who knows how to set boundaries! And all of those people came to the show to see the fruits of her labor... from afar it looked like a wonderful support network.

Part of Tia's motivation was knowing there were awards at the show. She didn't know she would win, but she pushed herself to put her best work forward. I'm so glad it paid off for her! She had sales during the show as well, although we all know that sometimes artistic drive and vision trump even the idea of sales. Showcasing her newest work was the creative drive behind her display... she let the work tell her what it needed to get the attention it deserved.

I was so inspired... I hope you are, too. The only time I did something like this was for a fashion show in Chicago where I was the sole accessory designer... it was a great break-out moment for me, and eventually most of the pieces found homes. More importantly, though, it helped me to create pieces so that people could see my artistic creativity and passion, which compelled them to purchase a piece that worked with their own style yet reminded them of something outrageous that they saw in the show.

Wire Boa, photo by Thea Volk, © 2011 Kathy Frey

Tia and I discussed many other topics, which I will cover in coming posts. Be sure to visit her website... Tia has one of the best "origination stories" ever.

A step in the right direction

What do you do the night before a show? Often I'm pricing jewelry or madly scrambling to make more pieces. Tonight I'm trying something different. I exercised and had a nice dinner (leftovers from home trump eating out anyday). I did bring some work with me, so I might do a little but will be sure to allow time for winding down afterwards (chamomile tea and a trashy novel!).

I am, of course, thinking about some of the jewelry I'll be showing this weekend at Indulge, an art jewelry show inside the Bellevue Arts Museum. I'm excited about some new pieces (I'll share some more when they are setup) yet know they are a small part of my whole display... there's time for that excitement to build, and if they don't sell that means I can send them off to be photographed (always tricky if there's a creative blossom right before a show). Mostly I'm thinking about some pieces that I would love to match up with their rightful owners, like this one:

Stepping Stones, photo by Linda Savitz, © 2011 Kathy Frey

This necklace is such a fun piece to wear. For me it symbolizes the paths we take in life; I love the organic stepping stones that connect the heart and sacral chakras. I'm hoping by putting my positive thoughts towards it that it may find an owner this weekend! This is a one of a kind piece, so if it catches your eye, do let me know.