I was finally able to finish all 20 of the paintings, and I’m busy now getting them varnished, wired, and framed.  But now the event really gets cute.  I’ve had a couple of engraved stamps made, one about 3 inches in diameter and the other only 1 inch around.  I’m stamping the back of each painting with the red series logo, and will stamp the certificates of authenticity with a logo in sealing wax. Then I’ve had tiny lapel pins engraved with the logo so that each collector can get a pin acknowledging them as collectors of the Panca Marga series.  

As we’ve been discussing for weeks now, we know that as creative entrepreneurs, we have to wear all sorts of hats, and become competent in all sorts of fields in order to run successful art businesses.  We’ve also spoken about how all of the planning, marketing, publicity and sales will have to be done by me, because there’s no way I can afford to outsource all of those tasks.   But the part that will make or break the evening is the quality of the experience… and that falls to me to organize as well.

I believe with all my heart that people come to art venues as much for the experience of shopping for art as they do to actually acquire art.  I’m referring to the true collectors, who likely go to a variety of art events around town, and have particular artists they follow, even if from a distance, to see what work they’re producing.  These folks expect more than just an open door and a smile when they enter.  They’re looking to see the art, chat with the artist, hear the stories of the pieces they like, and only then, iff all the stars align, they’ll make a decision to purchase something they love.  If I develop a relationship with them, they may continue to buy my art over many years to come.

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John Bishop Fine Art's "Conversations for Freelance Creatives" is a weekly blog/vlog/podcast that creates a community, a conversation, between creatives in all sorts of fields at all sorts of levels.  We want to discuss what we’re learning, what we’ve experienced, and whom we’ve met in our journey of running a freelance creative business. John Bishop is a visual artist living in Houston, Texas. His work is largely abstract, and explores how to turn mythic, archetypal symbols into individual experiences allowing us to see them in a new way, with fresh eyes. His work can be seen online, or at his studio at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards Street, Studio 108, in Houston.

Website: http://www.johnbishopfineart.com

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Buburuza Productions: http://www.Buburuzaproductions.com

Bogdan Mihai: http://www.bogdanfotoart.com