[TheForge] Re: Starving Artist

[Ekaterina Harrison]

Frosty ,

I believe I have been very lucky. When I moved to this remote area I  
did not expect to be able to market my work locally. In fact, because  
I did not expect to be able to do so, I did not even try. Even my  
phone number was unlisted because when I got the phone I was not  
thinking business.  I completely forgot about that little detail until  
a few years later when a new client informed me that I was a bit hard  
to find. Doh! LAMOF I REALLY was not trying to play hard to get!!!  
But, interestingly, most of the good work that I have gotten has been  
by word of mouth. Whereas, when I have been desperate for work or  
trying hard to find a gallery I just got more frustrated!!!! GO FIGURE!!

> Maybe just send me a couple pics of what you make and
> I'll let you be.

I use to have a web site that had some pictures of my work, but in a  
most spectacular brain fart I erased the whole thing when I was  
updating the operating system on my computer! LOL (laughing out loud)
When I get the site up again I will post a link.

Ekaterina

On Mar 28, 2008, at 9:21 PM, theforge-request at mailman.qth.net wrote:

>
> Message: 10
> Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:13:57 -0800
> From: "Jerry Frost" <akfrosty at mtaonline.net>
> Subject: Re: [!! SPAM]  [TheForge] Re: Starving Artist
> To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> Message-ID: <01c901c8914a$ee4b0340$7101a8c0 at albatross>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
> 	reply-type=response
>
>
> From: "Ekaterina Harrison" <ekaterina at wildblue.net>
>
>
>> Hi Frosty,
>>
>>
>> As I said earlier, I built much of my shop and
>> equipment out of this  stuff. I take a walk through
>> there from time to time to see what else  I may
>> discover, get ideas from and use. There really is
>> quite a  variety of stuff there. It is an old
>> homestead that also had a sawmill  on it with much
>> heavy equipment. There are dozer tracks, huge saw
>> blades, farm equipment (all the way back from horse
>> drawn to tractor  driven), antique cars, roller
>> chain,gears, pipe, a big bunch of wood  and a whole
>> lot more.  Really cool stuff! It does have a few draw
>> backs though. The "junk" is scattered through out the
>> whole property  and is a bit of an eyesore overall.
>> It is going to take a long time to  clean it up and
>> sort out the "good junk" from the garbage. So, I
>> wouldn't complain about a clean bush, tree and moose
>> infested  property. Afterall, beauty does wonders for
>> the soul. I would really  like to see this property
>> regain its natural beauty.
>>
>
> You'd think all the trees, bushes and moose are
> beautiful till you try forging, raising, welding,
> etc.ing some into a saleable piece. <grin>
>
>>
>>
>> I have struggled for quite a long time with making
>> bids and trying to  figure out just how long a
>> project would take. As almost every time I  am trying
>> something new, most of the time I can at best do a
>> calculated guess.  Of course, often it is way of the
>> mark because I  missed unknown details or simply
>> overlooked some details. Then one day  it was
>> suggested to me that I simply tell my clients that I
>> work on  time and materials, as so many contractors
>> do.  This is what I did and  continue to do. Working
>> this way I make better money then I ever have  and I
>> feel more freedom as I am not constantly worrying
>> about  underbidding or overcharging. I was worried
>> about doing this in the  first place as I ASSUMED
>> that my clients would demand a firm bid.  However,
>> after working with my clients, I realized that my
>> clients  want to have a unique piece of art or
>> functional art that works for  them specifically.
>> From my experience, I find that in this kind of  work
>> fluidity is very important and often includes changes
>> and  improvisations in mid-project. This of course
>> makes bidding even  harder. I simply let my clients
>> know that because there are so many  unknown
>> variables, for me to do a bid I would either have to
>> seriously  overbid to make sure I don't undermine
>> myself or run a huge risk of  loosing on my side. I
>> let them know that in my opinion working on time  and
>> materials is most honest to both parties. Usually I
>> provide a  general estimate and work out the details
>> of the design with my  clients to best suit their
>> budget and desires and we continue to  communicate as
>> the project unfolds.
>>
>> Ekaterina
>>
>
>
> I still don't know what you make, except it's good
> enough people are willing to pay you time and materials
> to make it for them. That's a hard to beat business
> plan you know. Profitable bidding is one of the hardest
> craft to learn there is. the bigger the job, the more
> likely you're betting the whole shooting match on one
> bid.
>
> Maybe just send me a couple pics of what you make and
> I'll let you be.
>
> Then again, maybe not. <grin>
>
> Frosty
> -------------------------------
> If it ain't forged
> it ain't real.
> Wrought iron is.
> The FrostWorks
>
> Meadow Lakes, AK.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------