I've had a wonderful year with my woodturning this year. I haven't done the year end paperwork, but easily twice what I have ever done before (likely more). Two months ago, a patron told me that now that he is retired, they would not be collecting any longer. Strike 1. Last month, the owners of the venue I show at each month for a First Friday Artist Studio Walk, told all the artists that they will not be participating in the City wide event again until April 2017. Strike 2. So as I grind out the last couple dozen ornaments and a few more gift items for a two weekend gallery trunk show in December, I just can't keep my spirits up. As many know, that sure doesn't help with creativity. I am also carrying way too much inventory in bowls and vessels, so loosing the venue really hurts. So thoughts that keep rolling in my head; a)mark down prices on inventory for the last Studio walk in December and liquidate as much as possible at crazy low prices. b)Give a bunch away to friends and relatives. c)Step away from the whole deal for the 1 1/2 years and remodel the house and a bathroom first. (Perfect example about my depression!) d) our first Grandchild's birth is set for early Feb. Maybe I should just start building furniture and toys for him. e) work at my photography skills and rebuild my direction with an on-line presence. f) work on gallery representation in other cities. Any words of wisdom or advice? Ever happen to you?
I'm in somewhat the same position as you, but for different reasons. I have never had what I consider a really good outlet for my pieces, and don't spend a lot of time marketing. Great Falls, Montana is a pretty low key and low income area, and not a lot of collectors around. I've got an over abundance of product, and not much to do with it. I could take it to the Farmers Market, or one of the local craft shows, and sell it for much less than I think it's worth. Some of the smaller bowls I can certainly donate to different charitable organizations. Other than that, I'm not sure of what to do. I have some really nice stuff, and enjoy making it. I'm a "maker" and not sure I want to keep making when there's nowhere for it to go.
Guess I look at my hobby differently. When a friend who is a golfer asked me what am I going to do with all my turnings, I asked him what does he do with his golf game when he finished it. Point being do what you enjoy, life is short.😎
My perspective is somewhat different since I've never really tried to make money from turning. My hat is off to those who can make a living or a bunch of money with woodturning (or any art) but I turn for fun. If I had to produce and sell I think it would stop being fun. So many people look at what I make and say wow, you could sell these for..., you could make a killing with..., etc. Ack, sounds stressful.
Don't get me wrong, on occasion I accidentally make a few thousand $$ with turnings and it's always fun and the money is useful. But giving things away can be just as much fun.
Some examples:
- I have turned hundreds of little finger tops and sent them with missionaries to orphanages and other places where kids had almost nothing. I give them to doctors and social workers who deal with children. The stories of the joy the kids get makes me smile. :-)
- There are hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living places, churches and more that would LOVE even simple turned bowls or platters. I once know a guy whose house is so packed full of amazing turnings his wife is thinking of throwing HIM out. Just think of how many people could have even a little of their lives enriched by the simple gift of a bowl. When I suggested this he looked at me like I was a space alien or something.
- The Beads of Courage project looks like an amazing way to add some cheer to a very ill child and family. Our club is planning to send 60 lidded boxes this spring.
- Donate a turning for a raffle, auction, or other fundraiser. We once auctioned a big platter through ebay to benefit a friend's friend who was dying of cancer at age 30, leaving two little girls. It was so sad, buy maybe that little bit helped some.
- I often give friends woodturned things like boxes and ornaments. Sometimes people show me the thing in a place of honor in their house years later, long after I've forgotten about it! Handmade things are SPECIAL to people!
- I like to make an elegant wooden box out of cocobolo or something for friends who have baby girls. I figure they could put diaper pins in it at first, then maybe a bug collection, then jewelry some day.
- We met some people in Italy on a train and I gave them little tops (I often carry around a pocket full). They had never seen things made like this. This started communication and friendship and we were invited to visit with them, local tour guides, cooking lessons with grandma, etc! For a birthday I sent the teen girl a box with wands, tops, ornaments, music box, and more. You could almost feel the excitement in the pictures they sent of the opening and sharing with brothers and cousins. Good fun!
- The most fun I've ever had with lathes is teaching, from kiddos and biggens, beginners and experienced turners from 10 to 70. There are so many kids who would never have a hope of experiencing something like we take for granted unless someone gives them the opportunity and takes the time. And most people have no idea of how a bowl or top is even made so think of the education we can give.
- If someone asks me to make something for them to buy (for a present, usually) I always offer this: there is no charge if they come to the shop, help pick out the wood, refine the design, and "help" with the turning and finishing. They go home with a custom turning they had a hand in making - SO much more special for them to give as a gift! They may never touch a lathe again but now they have that experience and memory.
- A lady asked me recently to make a magic wand for her Harry Potter fan preteen daughter. She would pay whatever I asked. Rather than just sell her a wand I made a coupon for her to give at Christmas, "good for one genuine magic wand custom made before your very eyes by a famous wand maker and guaranteed to be to your liking. To be used for good only and never to turn younger brothers into frogs or for any evil purpose." Good clean fun!
Woodturning is a ( pretty serious ) hobby for me and I don't want it to become a job. So I make what I want, donate alot of things to charity and some to family and friends. My wife always gets first chance at everything before it leaves the house. Whatever you do, don't start that remodeling job. That does sound depressing. Keep turning and have a ton of fun.
I donate to our public television auction, a silent auction donation for a legal aid organization, and for a children's home. Always wanted to get a wig stand donation going in our club for women cancer patients, but not a lot of interest with them. But as always, I could do more.
I've taught a lot of turning, some classes at our local Woodcraft before it went belly up. To be honest, I've never enjoyed it. I tell them how to do it, and show them how to do it, and they do it wrong. I put a hand on the tool and guide it, turn my back, and they do it wrong. It's like I was talking to a brick wall, as they retained nothing of my instruction. I was teaching a guy how to use a spindle gouge. All he kept saying was I would do much better with my skew. I finally relented and told him to go get his skew from his truck. He came back in, plopped it flat on the tool rest, and used it like a scraper. It's too frustrating for me. I'm exhausted after teaching 4 people for 3 hours.
So far no replies from anyone that runs a small business with their turning. I'm much better today, sprayed another 2 dozen ornaments. I'll post the palm/sycamore ones latter.
Re: I already do charity donations, but could do m
John Jordan
Your description of teaching is awesome, reminds me of teaching a bunch of magazine guy a long time ago. Just kidding, you guys were fun.
I would suggest looking for a couple of new galleries, the sorts of things you're making are affordable (I assume) and the ornaments should fit into a lot of gift galleries etc. Nice affordable bowls still sell well if you get them in front of the right audience. Look into a couple of decent regional craft shows-they can be good, and I guarantee you will learn something-patience if nothing else.
Making fairly high end stuff, I'm in the same position with collectors-many are getting old and looking into divesting themselves of work, and there just aren't many younger folks taking their place. Most of the familiar galleries are gone, too.
I should be following my own advice and getting out and searching out alternate venues, painting galleries etc. I've actually tried some of these over the years, but haven't really found a good fit, but I'm always open to trying something new.
Hey John, I saw some of your pieces in the Grovewood Gallery in Asheville not long ago. Beautiful! Sadly I was running a bit short that day and didn't make a purchase... :-)
A potter friend of mine loves that gallery and told me about it. He plans to put a large raku piece there.
Re: I already do charity donations, but could do m
Dale Bonertz
Dick,
I have a small business with wood turning. I rough out bowls and sell them to folks to finish turn. I get frustrated because I feel like when I go to the shop that I should be roughing for others when what I really want to do is just turn something for no particular reason. It is like you hear so many say they don't want to turn it into a business. I enjoy rough turning but there is that little bug in your mind that you feel guilty when turning something just for the fun of it and not turning for the business. I guess there is no perfect answer except just have fun with whatever you're doing and the rest will take care of itself.
I have a couple of flat woodworker friends who make a living working in wood. Both take at least one day a week to work on new designs or to simply just play. They believe it helps them work harder on the working days and often leads to discovering new techniques or new designs.
Gosh I hope I wasn't that bad John, but I'm sharp enough to know better. I was really green when we came for the weekend. What? 20 years ago? The Oneway I ordered, latter after the class, is a 1998. I still retell some stories from that experience to this day, it was great!
I think all my frustration stemmed from the thought of rebuilding again. I'm just working on my 2nd year of retirement, and had really gotten into a fine groove. Just starting to feel a little like an "artist" in that group of like minded people. Something I have wanted since my childhood when there were no art classes in my little farming community. What I still have to keep reminding myself, is that I don't need to drive so hard. Hard to do for a farm boy who had a work driven Father! Dad's been gone 30 years this year, it's likely I am more like him today than ever. At 63, I should be taking the hint that my hardest working days should be getting fewer!
