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Jani Freimann

9 Years Ago

My Studio Tour News

As many of you know, I had joined my first studio tour and last weekend was when it went down.

About 110 (lost count a couple times because we were busy) people came through the three days. Most everyone lingered for 20 to 30 minutes looking at all the artwork my friend and I had for sale. I was able to sell enough to recoup my cost and a little more. Most importantly people in my community saw what I do. 40 people added themselves to my email list. It was successful in my eyes. I heard later, that a more established studio that had been doing this tour for several years had over 400 people visit. They had 3 artists in that studio and mine had 2. My studio tour is off the beaten path a bit, but many people that came said that mine and my friend's was a must to see and they were very happy that they came.
I sold two originals, a bunch of cards, a few of my snowman creations (one lady bought $115 worth), many people said they would go to my website and purchase a print of specific pieces (haven't see the results of that yet, but I do have them on my email list now) and were interested in purchasing one of my all-over-art tees, and one promised to buy an original when her new house finished closing (she had come to meet me and pick up an original that she had already purchased of my website).

Things I learned:
1. ...I just deleted this by accident and don't remember what it said...
2. Most people don't have the app for the QR code reader and those that do struggled to get it to read my PDF sheets. May have lost that sale, but they may do it later. Not sure why it didn't work.
3. Should have asked those who were oohing and ahing what they liked about it and where it would go in there house. Maybe.
4. It's fun to be accepted for being yourself. People liked me, my sense of humor and my artwork a lot. I was kind of surprised.

At one point, there was so many people that I introduced myself to the same lady twice. She was wearing transitional lenses and I thought she was a different person, lol.

What's worse is that I did it to another lady three times and she wasn't wearing transitional lenses.
I didn't have a lot of sleep the last few days before the tour.
She was cool about it and we both laughed and I said, "Well, I'm triple blessed to meet you again."

In the photo:
I'm standing next to my pears and my friend's dancers...man, do I ever need a haircut.
I'm also wearing one of my art tees from oarttee.com/artist/janifreimann

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Jani Freimann

9 Years Ago

Some of the artwork that sold.
The originals to these images this weekend during my studio tour
Photography Prints
Photography Prints

...and a framed print of my Birds Of A Feather Blue Birds
Sell Art Online

 

Parker Cunningham

9 Years Ago

Congrats on a successful studio tour! Glad things worked out and it seemed you had a lot of fun!

 

Janine Riley

9 Years Ago

I was just thinking about you & wondering how you did - & I am glad to hear it was successful.
Hi - I'm Janine...

 

Jani Freimann

9 Years Ago

Haha...Janine

I always have Lucille Ball moments like that. Hence the avatar. :-)

It was fun, Parker. Worth all the hard work and lack of sleep.

 

Lori Frostad

9 Years Ago

Good for you & you friend. You are both very talented & I wish you well with the many tours to come! :D
Lori

 

Jani Freimann

9 Years Ago

My biggest Lucille Ball moment last week was me thinking it was a good idea to put flyers in 80 of my neighbors mailboxes. I thought, what better way to let my neighbors know that their neighbor is an artist and having a open studio.

 

Jani Freimann

9 Years Ago

Thank you, Lori.

 

Jani Freimann

9 Years Ago

Janine, or anyone else for that matter, don't change your avatar or I won't know who you are, lol.

Parker, I noticed that you changed yours. Had me for a second. :-)

 

Marlene Burns

9 Years Ago

I wrote a giant comment,Jani, and faa was too slow, and Google gave up.
Ah well.
Congratulations on sharing with us. You will have even greater success next time!!

 

MM Anderson

9 Years Ago

Congratulations on your success!

 

Patricia Strand

9 Years Ago

Congrats, Jani!!! I noticed your comment, that you recouped your cost. Did you have to pay a fee to be part of the tour? I wonder why, since it was held at your own house, and not at a gallery. What do I know, lol.

Sounds like a great success!!

 

Kevin Callahan

9 Years Ago

Great news goog to read such a positive message. Nice work.

 

Wow! Just so happy for you. Kudos!

Do it again!

Cheers, brava.....VIVA

 

Jani Freimann

9 Years Ago

Thank you all.

I will, Vivian.

Patricia, they have a $225 cost to do the tour. It's suppose to go towards the design and the mailing of brochures, brochures and rack cards for distribution, posters, some other advertising, etc. All artists pay that regardless. Even if they are sharing a studio. There has been some controversy over that. A few artists refuse to do the tour because the fee is per artist even if they share a studio. It would be nice if they would give a cut in the fee if people share a studio. My sales more than covered that fee.

I was able to borrow display panels from a local art league I'm involved in, and a gallery I'm in loaned me a card rack and another display unit. That helped me a lot because I didn't have to purchase those things.

 

Melissa Bittinger

9 Years Ago

Wow, that seems expensive for fees. The fee for the one coming up in my town is $40, probably not the level of advertisement that's included in yours. Fabulous that it went so well and you were able to add so many new potential clients to your mailing list in addition to the sales! Definitely a successful venture it seems....oh and you could use your 'own' bathroom too, instead of a porta-pottie like street shows are! LOL!

 

Darice Machel McGuire

9 Years Ago

Jani, that's a great first studio tour! Good for you and congratulations on your sells. Next year will be bigger.

 

Lisa Kaiser

9 Years Ago

Thank you for sharing the results as I was wondering how it was for you. By the way, don't cut the hair, it's beautiful.

 

Suzanne Powers

9 Years Ago

Didn't I try to tell you Jani, you have a magnetic personality and people love you, congratulations on all your success! Thank you for getting back with us and the pictures, good read.

 

Jim Taylor

9 Years Ago

That's great Jani. Seeing the Artist behind the work is all the difference sometimes and looks like you did a good job!

 

Ayasha Loya

9 Years Ago

Congrats Jani! Awesome works of art!

 

Nikki Marie Smith

9 Years Ago

Congrats, Jani! I would love to do that some year, but my house always seems to be swamped in toys. Maybe when the kids are older! I'm glad your show went well! :D

 

Jani Freimann

9 Years Ago

Melissa, it is higher than most tours, but lower than booth fees and includes advertising. The brochures and posters and rack cards are top notch. Still, I'd like it to be lower. 4000 people view the tour. Not sure how they get their numbers as many of my 100 saw other peoples studios. 24 studios showed artwork. Each studio would have to have nearly 200 unique visitors. Maybe they mean 4000 visits adding everyone's visitor count.

Darice, I'd love to do it next year, but my daughter is a senior this year and I want to spent time with her. I haven't decided against it yet.

Lisa, you didn't fly over to see me, lol. My hair just needs a tune up. Not cutting it short.

Jim, that is true. Artwork is better in person and so am I as I'm sure most artists are too.

Suzanne, I must have a something in my personality if I can make people laugh for not remembering that I just met them minutes before a second or a third introduction, haha.

Too bad the magnetic part doesn't make names and faces stick to my brain.

Thank you, Angela. :-)

Nikki, I waited until my kids were more self sufficient. It's a lot of work and will take you away from time with your kids unless you are super organized and self disciplined. I think the hardest part is that I had never done it before and had to coordinate a way to display my work, collecting everything from three different galleries, pricing everything (lots of new stuff and wanted to sell a little lower then my galleries as I'd be getting 100% of the sales), and spending two full days to set up two people's work. There was so many last minute things to do, it was overwhelming. Next time won't be quite as hard.

This whole experience has given me a new appreciation for what galleries have to do.

 

Sounds great, Jani -- congratulations! Those many new names on your mailing list are golden! :-)

 

April Moen

9 Years Ago

I'm so happy for you Jani! Might I suggest investing in those colorful little round stickers like you can buy for putting prices on garage sale items for next time? That way, when someone comes to introduce themselves to you, you just take one of those little stickers and place it on their forehead. Then you won't have to wonder if you've met them yet or not. ;)

 

Suzanne Powers

9 Years Ago

April has a good suggestion! Lol Don't be too hard on yourself. This was all new for you, working around the clock, trying to remember everything - your brain can take in only so much plus probably tired, albeit pumped. It's like a new job you sometimes can't remember the simplest things because you are taking in a lot of information. Next time it won't as new and so much to remember, your brain will cooperate better.

 

Jani Freimann

9 Years Ago

Wendy, I'm excited to have that many more names added to my list.

Spot on, Susanne.

Perfect, April! I can actually make that work into my introduction (giggles).

Hello, I'm Jani, the crazy art lady who doesn't remember names or faces. Please write your name down and wear this sticker during your stay. In fact write your email down too and upon your departure stick your name tag to my sign in book.

I could be like a stewardess directing them. Those pieces over there were created by me and the ones by the isle seats are by my friend, Lola.
Should you want to buy something, the oxygen masks will drop. Please place the mask on Jani first because she is very left handed and always in her right brain. Math is a lost cause without the aide of the oxygen mask.

 

Jani Freimann

9 Years Ago

Crickets?

For a whole day?

Okay, I guess that was a little out there, lol. I'll reel it in a bit.

 

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