I’ve just returned from Printfest, the UK’s best little festival of print, in the small town of Ulverston, Cumbria.

Although physically exhausting for me, (Ulverston is a 5 hour drive away from Bristol) it was, as usual, full of the most wonderful art lovers and buyers.  The kind of customers you hope to meet a few times a year, but in this case they’re all in the same place at the same time. And the best thing is they seem to absolutely love being there, it’s a highlight of many visitor’s calendars, and they genuinely love to see all the art and talk to the artists.

It got me thinking how do they do it? And, could I apply some of the same magic to my own business, on a micro scale, so to speak?

Firstly I have my theories about how Printfest attracts these lovely people.  

Most of it is not glamorous, but the result of hard work over the years.  Printfest has been going for over 20 years now, and it has consistently shown really high quality art, with no duff years or decline.  It was started by people with a genuine passion for printmaking, rather then a money-making exercise- and it shows. 

Interestingly, it’s selected and curated.  So although some might say less than totally inclusive, it knows exactly where it stands, and so do it’s visitors.

They’ve also continued to keep the things that work – a great venue, a very non-overwhelming 40-45 artists, and a real care for the experience of the artists and visitors (the only art fair I’ve been to where you are met with smiles and help on arrival, help carrying work into the venue, free tea and biscuits the whole weekend, and staff to man your stall so you can take a break if you’re on your own).

All this means that it attracts art lovers and artists who know they’re going to get a great experience, year in and year out.

So how can I apply some of this to my own art selling business (and yes, it is a business)?  Much of it translates into the old maxim of know, like, trust – show up consistently enough and people will start to trust what they’re going to get from you.  

Quality needs to stay high (and presentation of the artwork).  That means I won’t be embarrassed to show anything, and the collector knows they’ll always be looking at the highest quality art I have available. 

Connection is key – to me as the artist as well as the art itself (most visitors to Printfest enthusiastically take up the opportunity to talk to real life artists about their inspirations and techniques and we’re more than happy to oblige).

Selection and curation is something I’d not thought about before, but it stands to reason that a potential art buyer can be overwhelmed by too much choice, or indeed many different types of art.  Sometimes, not showing everything all at the same time, and/or a gentle guiding hand to showcase the artwork at it’s best, is the way to go.

And, of course, the gentle art of caring – for ourselves as artists and humans.  What do we need to make and show our art?  What would make this more ease-full (almost always tea and biscuits)? How can I help myself?  As Geoff McKeown says in his book ‘Essentialism’, you must ‘protect the asset’ (that’s you!).

Also: what would really caring about the customer look like? What would help them?  Clear pricing and conditions, an easy way to buy and receive the artwork, a lovely choosing and buying experience.  Sometimes this just means asking, ‘How can I help?’ Old fashioned, but it works.

I can see so many areas where I can improve on the way I attract people who love and want to live with my art (and some I’m already doing, and just need to do more of), but if Printfest shows me anything, it’s that they are out there, and to take my time and not give up. I hope you’ll stick with me while I work it all out or maybe take some inspiration from this blog to sell your art too.