Hi there,
I am a sculptor who works with most metals but the one I love the most is stainless steel. I have just decided to turn my metal making hobby into more of a business and people seem to think I am mad to try to make a living from selling my metal work..........would love some feedback from other metal workers on my work. take a look if you would like at
Many thanks
For inspiration, check out this guy's stainless steel art.
Yup - you are mad. Learn to spell. Seemless??
>
Good use of material and technique. However, I'm reminded of those alien anal probes. Ouch!
It doesn't matter wether I like it or not. As long as you can sell it and have your own distinct style. Copying someone elses work won't help that much, as it isn't _your_ style. Try to place the sculptures in garden-centers and stand by for some time to see the people's reactions. Talk with them to see what you can ask for.
Nick
My observation: About one in ten "artist first, business person second" make it in the real world. If you are single, young and have a lot of money (or you don't eat much and live in a warm climate), go for it. The general rule is that you need at least 2 years worth of expense money stashed away somewhere to get you by until you become well enough known to get regular commissions. You have lots of competition. It still is the American dream. Can you make things quickly enough to be productive? Do you understand schedules? Do you understand the presentation process that you will have to go through to even bid a job?
Do you know how to go after grants? Do you know all the legal and code requirements that can catch you blindsided?
From one who kept his day job and watched a lot of others eat beans, Pete Stanaitis
deadlyartichoke wrote:
Thanks for the link Ernie I have seen this guys work before somewhere, we are two totally different styles, but I like some of his pieces. cheers deadlyartichoke
Ernie Leimkuhler wrote:
Lol Tom I can assure you they have probed no one. cheers deadlyartichoke
Tom Gardner (nospam) wrote:
Thanks for the observation Spaco, you have raised some interesting points most of which i have considered the one that really worries me is the two years expenses money, this I do not have I am working on about six months, but all is not lost i have had commission work already and I do have some idea about grant applications and budgets and time scales, so here is hoping I am one of those ten. many thanks for the reply deadlyartichoke
spaco wrote:
Sorry bud - I forgot the :). Ken.
">> > Hi there,
Rule # 1: Don't quit your day job. Rule # 2: Examine the market. Rule # 3: Examine the competition.
Rule 1: If you are into things like eating and sleeping indoors and having plumbing and dental care, you need to keep the job that provides that. Those things will take an incredible bite out of any income you may have rolled into the category known as "THE OVERHEAD MONSTER." You have to crank out a lot of stuff to feed the OVERHEAD MONSTER every month before you get to keep one thin cent. (or whatever your currency is called)
Rule 2. What is your market? Will the things you create sell where you want to sell them? Can you show them at art galleries and art shows where you get buyers with the disposable income to buy expensive art objects? The Internet is available, but is overly saturated with foreign crap. Nice stuff, but at a selling price of only a small % of what you want for your items. BUT not to say that if you are good and get customers that you can't or won't sell things on the 'net. You can reach an incredible number of people very cheaply on the 'net. And as a last thought, you are thinking about making what you like ............ have you considered asking people what they want, and building that? It's nice to be an arteeeeest, but it's also nice to have some commissioned items and those you disdain, but that sell well.
Rule 3: Examine the competition. Be realistic. Are you any good? How many others are doing the EXACT same thing? How are they doing? What are they charging? Keep in mind the foreign competition. They're making some really nice stuff at ridiculous prices because they can get a CNC operator that knows laser cutting and TIG welding for about $2 a day. You may have to go to markets outside your location just to escape the competition.
That said, follow your dream. Go for it. So many people don't, and might have been great successes, but for just taking a gamble. Try it on a small scale first. Ease into it.
About the best advice I can say from personal experience is follow the flow to where it will take you rather than fighting the current to get where YOU want to end up. You want a situation where you can make money. If that takes making boring designs to pay for the overhead, then it will allow you to have the freedom to make your own creations and be an arteeeeeeeest.
HTH and GOOD LUCK!
Steve
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