Two very different Open Studios [23] - Alice Sheridan: contemporary artist

How do you do it? This week we share our reports from two very different open studios. One spans over 3,000 square miles with one that covers an area of just 3 square miles.

In this packed episode we also discuss the surprise of finding you enjoy something you didn’t want to do, and the importance of facing challenges – even if we would really rather have a duvet day.

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So how was it for you?

We share the lessons we learned from exhibiting at Open Studios this year, the things we got right and what we’d like to change going forward.

As we dive into our sales and wonder how many of them were due to event publicity versus our own following online or from past collectors, is this still a good option to share your work?

A few thoughts and ideas to build on:

People enjoy seeing work in progress, sketchbooks and anything you can do to show how you make your work
It’s a plus to have things at all different price ranges so that people can choose the level of investment that suits them … this can include cards, prints or small works on paper.
It’s a good idea to offer an incentive for visitors to leave an email address – perhaps a raffle for a small painting?
If someone likes a painting but doesn’t buy, get an email address and follow up with a photo.
How it feels isn’t always how it actually is, so track your data (counting visitors, sales etc).
Follow up after the event with an email thanking visitors and collectors.