My review of H-art…well kind of!

I started writing this blog, intending to write a review of my first experience exhibiting at H-art (Herefordshire Art Week), but it’s gone off on a bit of a tangent. There’s still a H-art bit at the end, but I think some important things jumped from my brain and onto the screen, so I’ve decided to keep them there…

When I first moved into my Eco-Studio, I obviously had the usual worries about people still knowing I actually existed. I no longer had a “shop front”, and even though footfall at my previous studio was virtually non-existent, and most of those people weren’t actually my customers anyway, it was still a concern.

I guess it’s the reason why so many (small businesses/artists/designers etc) feel the need to have that public facing space. Having that shop front equals success, a “proper” business…but does it really?

Yesterday, during the excellent “Holly’s Business Pharmacy” on Instagram live, there was another small business having these exact same worries. My move was forced upon me, but looking back now, perhaps it was the universe just giving me a push, as it was probably the best thing that could have happened!

I think our brains are all wired to think inside a very small box, but if we manage to break free from that, wonderful things can happen.

I haven’t noticed any drop in business at all since I’ve moved. In fact, it’s probably increased, and I’m now in a place where I can fully live (and do business) by my principles.

Right, the reason for including all this…I think it was those “I need a shop front” thoughts that made me sign up for H-art while I was still working from my temporary space. That feeling that I “need” somewhere that people can just drop in.

I signed up to be part of a group exhibition at The Garron Centre in Llangarron (a pretty little village near to Ross on Wye).

I was part of a group of fantastic ceramicists, metalworkers, wood workers and of course painters, and all the work looked really beautiful. However…most of the sales made were greetings cards and lower priced items, which I did kind of expect. Lots of my leaflets were taken, but I didn’t sell any actual pieces of my jewellery. I don’t know if the fact that H-art insist on listing everyone by their actual name, rather than their business name, had any effect? So I was down as Anna Mcloughlin on all their promo material, rather than Anna Fine Jewellery, meaning some visitors may just have not known it was me!

When I had my own open studio (during the FarOpen art trail week), I had loads of visitors, and most had come specifically to see me, to talk about a commission or to buy a piece they had seen on my website….but, for a group exhibition, I think many more people are just browsing, travelling around the trail and just enjoying “looking” at the art.

This is absolutely fine, and I opened my own studio, really not expecting to actually sell anything during the week, but this contrast has made me think about where I put myself within the art/design world.

I make “fine jewellery”. It’s not an impulse buy, and perhaps it’s not really the sort of thing that people want to buy from a mixed media group exhibition. A piece of jewellery is very personal, especially the pieces I make, that are more often than not made from recycled metal and gemstones that are incredibly sentimental to the client.

I make the sort of jewellery that needs that initial interaction with my client. If you’re buying an engagement or wedding ring, most would go to a jewellery shop, or direct to the maker, not to a group art exhibition, and I think it’s the same for my other commissions too.

So, having had this experience, I think I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to actually be there in person, or my work needs to be displayed in a place where the person looking after the exhibition is also a fine jewellery specialist.

I’m not saying I’ll never exhibit in this kind of setup again, and this is all still an ongoing conversation (with myself!) but I don’t want to live in that little box, and all of the events over the last year or so have made me think very carefully about where I choose to exhibit my jewellery in the future.