Joe Mills - 2010 June

Custer Art Festival Recap

June 21, 2010 By joemills Leave a Comment

The Custer Art Festival was a success. One thing I learned…you never know what to expect. Saturday was extremely slow, and I was not looking forward to Sunday. I was going to be happy to pay off the table. It started off with a couple of early sales, and before I knew it, I had sold every Chicago poster I brought to the festival. My wife brought me a few more, and I even sold those. It was an embarrassment of riches.

Speaking of the Chicago poster, one thing became crystal clear this weekend…certain things just sell better at these festivals. I sold almost all Chicago and Lego pieces. As I mentioned after Do Division, people relate to them instantly. It made me realize that if I do another festival this summer I need to have similar artwork to sell. It is not to say the other stuff does not have an audience…it is just not at a street festival. Not to say I want to be known as an artist who only goes to these types of festivals, but it is something to keep in mind. Honestly, there is a lot of garbage sold at these festivals. I’d either like to set myself apart as opposed to being lumped in with everybody else.

So the question remains…do I keep working festivals?

Filed Under: Business

Sydney Poster – Dimensions

June 19, 2010 By joemills Leave a Comment

The change above will probably mean nothing to most of you, but it was an important step for me. When I created the Chicago poster, I wanted it to be tall. As I found out, the size I chose was not a normal fit for a frame. The best frame for it was 20″x30″. I began working on the Sydney poster as 18″x24″ since that is more “normal”. During that time, I have found many more 20″x30″ frames in the stores. It is not as easy to find, but it is not impossible. Plus, I just think it looks better as a tall poster. So, I have change the Sydney poster to 16″x24″. This means I need to add more to the bottom of the poster and make sure it makes sense with the new dimensions.

This decision was definitely more aesthetic than business related. I know I need to make some decisions because I want to grow my business, but I also have to stick to my gut as an artist. I believe, and continually read, that good work and ideas will sell. I am going to stick with that mantra.

Filed Under: Artwork, Business

Sydney Poster – Town Hall

June 17, 2010 By joemills Leave a Comment

Since many of the buildings and attractions are unfamiliar to most people in the United States, I thought I would show a comparison. I recently completed the Sydney Town Hall. The difficulty with a building like this is the detail. I have to put enough detail in it so you recognize the building, but I do not want to go overboard. Or, I might as well just do an illustration of the Sydney Town Hall. If the design is very ornate, I try to focus on the major features like the columns and windows. Then, I try to make sure it does not look flat, so I will include enough dimension so it still keeps the same feel. Also, the color of the Town Hall is drab, so I decided to use something in the same family that is more vibrant.

I have one more “major” attraction to complete before I start adding more details and people. The end of the school year was a ambitious plan, so I’m looking to complete this by the end of June.

Filed Under: Artwork