when to stop?

this is my dilemma right now. i am trying to make work to apply to a wholesale show, and coming up with a line of work has been a difficult thing for me to do. usually i make what i want, when i want, without thinking too much about it. but now, i have to make things that match, that other people will like and want to buy. but i can't seem to settle on my designs...i can't stop thinking of better ways to decorate...testing, testing, with no end in sight! i know i am putting too much pressure on myself to make it perfect, and that i'll just have to pick a stopping point because i could go on like this forever!! but this is one of the hardest things as a maker not to. so, when do i stop? when is it done?

so far i am making luminaries with vases and small picture frames to match, and the images are of work in progress. the shapes are simple which is ok...a basic hurricane design. the good part about the shape is that they leave lots of room for decoration. maybe what is difficult here is that i feel like i am making for someone else, and that is hard to do. should i add some color? probably, people like color, but how can i do it without compromising the translucency? should i make them castable? will i kill myself if i get a lot of orders for them? so many questions, and i guess i won't know the answer until i go to the show and see what happens.

its hard to be working in a vaccuum sometimes, with little or no true feedback on my work. i am having a hard time coming to terms with making all this stuff and then hoping that people like it. kind of like working without a net.

ah well, guess i've no choice but to keep on keepin' on! i will have to pick a stopping point for these soon, because if i don't i'll never move forward. i'll just have to be where i am. could be worse....

cups and kilns

new cups!! well, not completely new, but the image is new, and finally i have found a professional photographer to shoot my work. what a relief.

still trying to come up with a nice line of candle holders in preparation for some wholesale shows, and i'm making some progress, which is great. i'll post some images once i get them fired. or, should i say, once i fix my kiln so that i can fire them...had a little re-wiring mishap while putting things back together, so i'm waiting for some parts to show up from skutt so i can get the show on the road. soon.....very soon....

planning for the future

i don't know about you all, but i have a hard time planning for the future. i am plotting for retail and wholesale shows that don't take place until the summer, fall, and even christmas time, and it just seems so daunting! until now i have just been making things i want to make, and hoping that they will appeal to people and sell, but now its time to notch it up. a lot. i have realized that if i am going to be successful at making a living from my work that i am going to have to be a little more aggressive about it.

this can be a difficult place for artists i think. most of us are makers, not marketers or sellers, but in order to make it work we must wear all these hats. i know i am not the only one who struggles with this, but that doesn't always make it easier to swallow!

i have recently hired some help for this, but in trying to give my assistant something to work on, it became clear that i have things to do before she can do her thing. while frustrating, it is also motivating, and seems to be helping me get my act together. a huge calendar went up on my wall last night that goes until september, with deadlines color-coded and underlined. i am visual, after all! hopefully this will help...if anyone has any other ideas on how to make it all work it would be great to hear them....i'm sure we could all use a little help!

ps. the picture above is of some snowfall on burrs in my backyard last winter.