My First Art Fair Booth 

Thanks. I'm showing for the first time this weekend. I don't have a tent, electronic payment system, racks....I'm just going to do it anyway.

Other artists saying not to try and sell your work till your art is "ready" are either elitists or fools. How exactly do you know when your art is good enough to sell?... when someone is willing to buy it!! Far too many gatekeepers in the art world. Props to you sir, and thanks for the encouraging video!

Carl, Thank you for this video and all the content you produce. Your communication style and the way you interview other artists has been incredible helpful to me. I really appreciate you and your efforts.

Thank you for this, Carl ... I'm in the same boat; I was accepted for an art show in the fall and have ZERO experience at it ... this was so helpful!

Great tips! Thanks!!

Carl, I can see you're a kind and humble guy, Thanks for this valuable advice, it gave me some pointers to start my own pop up art exhibit. God bless you and your family 🙏🏼

Very Awesome Video. Thank you!

Great video 👍👍

Hi Carl - thanks for sharing! As someone contemplating showing my artwork, I found this very encouraging!

Great video, good job👍

Note: Weights are important but we found WATER easier to manage and we can dump out afterward so we dont have to load it back up into the car, like sand.

Thank you kindly for posting this! I was just selected to participate in my first show ~ as fate would have it, I found this video. So many questions were answered! I'm encouraged to take my work on it's first "Field Trip!"

Really helpful video!

Thank you for making this video Carl! It couldn't have been viewed by me at a better time. I am also an older painter (51 years old) who will be participating in my very first art festival. I had a lot of concerns that you addressed in this video. The overall message I'll take away from it is just get out there, have fun, and SHOW PEOPLE MY ART!!!

Thanx Carl, perfect timing. I was shopping just that booth & glad to know how good it was. 😍😎

This was great. Your mom is cute. And yes it does count. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much!

Great video!

I love this video! Thank you sooooo much! It's really encouraging and I agree with your opinions.

Carl, you’re a good man doing good work. Thanks for the video.

Thank you for sharing your invaluable experiences.

Thank you. For advise and sharing your experiences.

Damn! Very encouraging and helpful, thank you.

THANK YOU CARL FOR DOING THIS VIDEO. I am getting ready to do my first art show and boy did you help me out! In fact, before I saw this video, I bought the same tent you did after looking at so many. The awning was a significant factor. Wish me luck!

You’re videos make me so happy! I really love them, they’re so informative and thorough! I’ve found them so helpful. I’m glad you had a successful show keep going 👏🏽😄

Thanks for sharing. You did such an amazing job talking us through your experience. And congrats on your first show. You have given us courage .

This was very helpful, thank you for sharing!

Thank you, much appreciated!

Thank you for sharing your experience! 😇

This is the most informative video. Thank you very much!

Thank you so much for all the information! Very very helpful very interesting you seem to be such a pleasant person I'm drawn to what you have to say. I would like to see your artwork, and maybe even in a close-up. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I haven't ever gone to a art show, but I plan to go just to browse around I see what other people are doing. Hope to see you there! That would be awesome. I paint as well and hope one day soon to show at an art fast. I find that your information would be very helpful. Thank you and great success! Watching from Southwest Louisiana.

Thank you so much for your video! I am having my first art show two weeks from today and I appreciate your helpful information and encouragement!

I bought the same tent,$269 off Amazon prime.Much nicer,heavier,sturdier quality than my previous one,which was 148,and fell apart soon.

It would have been great to see in this video what you sold and your price points since you talked about it.

This was delightful and informative. Of course given the state of the world no art fairs to signup for. But I’m encouraged to find a way to show my art. Thank you.💗

Thanks for the good advice!

I am so glad I found this video. Thank you for your advice! I am setting up in my first market next weekend with my pyrography. I was discouraged by there being other artists who may be better than me or what if nobody wants to buy anything. My nerves have been put to ease after watching this video and I'm excited!!!

Thank you for explaining in detail of a craft show, found the information helpful.

First attempt to publicly show my art other than Facebook.I went to an outdoor Market venue- crafts, etc. It was their first time holding it. I invested in a Walmart white tent canopy and was able to run a line around 3 sides to clothespin up paintings which I had in clear bags. I also had a plastic tablecloth on the ground on 1 side with framed items. I had a card table with small framed pieces and my business cards....sounds tacky but actually looked nice. All my prices were $15- $50 . All work was plein air oil and watercolor, mostly 9x12" of local scenery in FL. I loved talking with people and had many look at paintings for 5 minutes and received many compliments [ you are so talented; these are beautiful; I love this building/view/; know where this is, etc.].. .almost everyone who was passing entered the "booth" for a closer look. People at this event were not prepared to buy art. I had the Square charge card reader and used it once. I sold 3 small pieces, 1 to a friend. So, I was exhausted at the end of the day. I stood at my easel and painted the last 4 hours while talking to viewers. I required help setting up and breaking down the canopy . It was also a lot of work loading and unloading. I think I could develop a presence by attending these once a month events but couldn't make it without help to set up, breakdown, and take a 5 minute bathroom break- never took that break. The event was 8-4; set up at 7. I would have done better at an art fair, but then I would have to pay $300 to have a space- charge much more and offer prints /giclees. My goal was to be able to have others enjoy the art and spend the money I earned on more art supplies. Maybe I should hold a garage sale art event next winter...FL is so hot.

This is exactly the tips I was looking for since I am planning on setting up at a local art market and needed some tips. Thank you!!

This is so helpful!! Thank you! Much love and blessings to you 💓

Thank you 😁🎨

Thanks for the freeway video! :) I have my first show this Saturday and I'm trying to figure out how to display my canvases when not having easels

Hi Carl. fantastic presentation it help me lots since I am doing my first art exhibition soon. Thank you for sharing your experience

Great content!Thank you for sharing!!

Great information ! Thank you!

Well done.. lots of good tips...especially your expectations was good and encouraging!!! all the best!

Very helpful. Thank you!

Loved your video, so much great information! Oh and your granddaughter definitely made me tear up with her awesome marketing idea ❤️😊.

Good for you, brother. I, too, am an artist, was in a gallery, sold originals and prints, but now I'm stagnant. :( - that said, I am trying to find a good deal on an art show package so I can travel a bit and show/sell my art. Best to you in all you do. I think you have very interesting and attractive art from what I could see in the video....

thank you for sharing your art fair experience, Carl. Where is douglasville.?

Thank you for the very thoughtful and well delivered experience video. I have a house full of paintings and I've been really struggling with the idea of operating a booth/stand at a fair. You've made some really good points, and you are correct, to sell, you must show. Nicely done!

Thank you for sharing you insight. I have a show coming up in September so I am getting helpful hints from artist that have done a show before.

Very informative! Thank you

Very inspiring

I will have my first show in March. This was very helpful. Thank you!

Great information! Great vid!

Thank you sir! Great information.

I really enjoyed your video. I am getting ready to do my first outdoor show in October. My daughter is joining me. She makes wooden signs and I paint, mostly watercolor but have been doing some acrylic. I am really nervous about setting up my booth. I did get a canopy but I'm still looking for a way to hang pictures. Thank you for putting this video out there it really helped.

Great video, and lovely art too. Very inspiring. Thank You.

Thankyou this has to be one of the most informative and pleasant videos i have watched on this subject. I'm pleased it went well for you and wish you continued success. Looking at your art it's not hard to see why it went well for you. Best wishes and thankyou.

So you started talking about Douglasville and I was like...Georiga? And you mentioned Ga later on. I live in Paulding, right next door, and that is so cool that you are basically right down the road and got to do that event. I'm currently in school for art and game design and I'm working on trying to go to craft fairs and such to sell my artwork. I'm glad you did so well. And I hope you have got your art into galleries since that was a big goal of yours!

You are giving me the courage to get out there and just do it! Thanks for your channel, and would love to see you, bloopers and all, set up outdoors on video. I am trying to figure out how to manage pochade box, tripod, and backpack on uneven ground. I am a watercolorist, and just purchased a sienna smallest sized box. Going to try it in my yard today! Got to just get over the shyness factor. Perseverance! Thank you!

You are the next Bob ross! I subscribed

This is exactly what I needed to see. I'm debating about showing in a local fair. I am so in tune with your motives of experiencing people seeing my work, but not doing this all the time. Since your video is four years old, have you since done more fairs?

Great video, thanks so much for sharing your experience. I'm plannin to setup a booth for first time and have been very nervous. I really loved the way you explained everything in the process including your tips. I'm very happy that you had a good sale. Your artwork is great and you seem to be a really great person! Thanks again and all the best

Thank you so much for taking your time to share!!✨🌀 this is very helpful 👌🏾

Be backs, is what my family called them back 30 years ago.

Fantastic information and so well delivered. Thank you 🌸

Sounds like an awesome gig! This was quite an encouraging video!

This is helpful, thank you. 🤔

Man bro - you’ve stepped up the game on the RU-vid presentation, but that’s not surprising because you are the one in the one that actually knows how to make videos - lol! Wish I could have made it down there. Are you going to set up an Amazon influencer Page? The show set up looked great!

You have a great channel.. Its hard to keep up when you don't produce any videos... Hard for me to stay a sub. I missed your last two videos because I forgot who you were... Well I'll hang in there a little longer

Nice video. Thanks! Have a question...Did you wire your small paintings before hanging them on the flat hooks on your grid walls? Or did you hang the artwork directly onto the grid wall hook? Thanks.

💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞

Carl I came across this video as I am looking to do my first art show. You mentioned that if you had more "beach scenes" you probably could have sold more. I have a couple questions. I am a photographer (landscape, wildlife, fine art). I do a variety of work within each one of these genres. I'm currently in North Carolina and may be relocating to Florida. If I start doing shows, I want to display a variety of work - landscape, wildlife, fine art - and as I say variations within each area. Is this a bad idea?

Thanks for sharing your experience. Just one thought, personally I found the hanging red tags distracting to your presentation. On the other hand, maybe those spots of red attracted viewers!

Thanks for a great video and helpful hints. I have been painting for years but never did an art show. Why, I don't know but the time has come to get out there. I just opened my own art gallery and studio at my little puppet theater. I also teach art for Grades K -2 What great insperation. Thanks for the outdoor tips. How do you price your art? Do I really need a cube for payment or can I just use cash or checks? Thanks

"its a young persons job" im 18 and im thinking baout doing this... i ofc need more art first but im just wondering if it makes good money. i heard sme people say they make hundred and even 5k in two days...

Very helpful Carl . Two questions1 u say smaller art sold best. What size do U consider small 2 framed and unframed. This is my biggest dilemma how many of the same pic should I bring to a show

Well Carl I did two shows in the month of October one week apart. My first experience was I have to brag was very successful and almost didn't do the second mainly because of inventory. The second show I really didn't expect to do that much but while booth setup was fresh in my mind and the changes I made to my displays I just wanted to set it all up again for the experience. I did about a third of what I did in my first show. I do have another question, I was looking at a couple of festivals this winter but I am reluctant to signup because I not sure how to stay warm. Have you had any experience in winter festivals and heating your booth? If so what did you use for a heat source? Thanks in advance or your time.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Carl. I found this video so informative and INSPIRING as I'm flirting with the idea of doing my first art fair next year. Your vid answered so many questions I had, and also stimulated more questions! May I ask...did you offer any prints or were there only original paintings for sale? I ask because the print option would be a nice low price alternative to buying an original for those that aren't ready to drop a lot on a painting. Speaking of pricing, I like your square inch + frame ballpark approach. Did you find there was a price ceiling that people balked at? For instance, is anyone at a fair willing to spend 4 figures on a painting? What did you find was reasonable for smaller paintings - are art fair buyers okay with mid 3 figures? How much would be good to charge for a nice 12x16 art print?

Is this Douglasville GA? When is the show? Who do I contact?

A goal of mine this year is to have my first art festival booth. You're the first video in my research! After watching your video, I have one question. If it's a two day show, do you leave your artwork overnight? Or take them home and redo the next day? I've been wondering about that. lol I'd be worried of vandalism or theft.

How do you set your pricing? Do you have a system or do you just pick numbers? Lol

Did you feel like you got a fair price for your paintings? Or did you feel like you had to lower prices because of the audience?

How has this tent held up?

Thank you for this! I am doing my very first art booth next month and find this video very helpful!