art business Archives

Artistic collaboration: A sparkling virtual art show

November 12, 2020 by Melanie Schow 1 Comment

Celebrating collaboration

As an artist, I’ve shared before how inspiring and uplifting it is to collaborate with fellow creatives. Just recently, I started back to meeting weekly with my local artistic ally, Kathleen Mattox to talk about all things art. Even if we’re physically distancing, this connection is vital.

Last month, when I saw two of my favorite lampwork glass artists’ gorgeous online show, I just had to cheer. Kerri Fuhr Keffeler and Stephanie Dieleman have been friends for almost 15 years and, in Kerri’s words, “met over their mutual love of beads.” Their creations end up in my own designs all the time.

In this month’s post, I want to celebrate their inspiring collaboration. If you’re a fan of beautiful glass lampwork beads and jewelry, you’re in for a treat! Feast your eyes on their stunning work from a recent online show and look for an announcement about upcoming plans.

(c)Kerri Fuhr Keffeler, used with permission

(c)Stephanie Dieleman, used with permission

Stephanie: “We’ve always done shows together — you only have to pack half the boxes! We usually do artisan shows in US and Canada, but they’re all closed. I wanted to place to sell not just jewelry and interact with customers. We’d been losing that.”

(c)Stephanie Dieleman, used with permission

(c)Kerri Fuhr Keffeler, used with permission

Kerri: “Selling online is much less hassle, gives us more time to be in the studio creating beads and jewelry for our amazing customers. We each have a large customer base and many of our customers purchase from us both, so it seemed practical to group everyone together into one online space where they could easily purchase from both of us.”

(c)Kerri Fuhr Keffeler, used with permission

(c)Stephanie Dieleman, used with permission

Perhaps some would not be willing to share the spotlight, but Kerri and Stephanie understand the many benefits of collaborating with other artists.

Stephanie: “We’re there to support each other. ‘You make lunch, and I’ll post on Facebook.’ It’s nice to have a partner, since we make beads by ourselves all the time!”

(c)Stephanie Dieleman, used with permission

(c)Kerri Fuhr Keffeler, used with permission

Kerri: “It’s so much fun being able to do this together since we know each other so well and we are used to working together as we have in our travelling show days.”

(c)Kerri Fuhr Keffeler, used with permission

(c)Stephanie Dieleman, used with permission

Kerri: “The beauty of online shows is that we can host a show together, even though we live far apart. It’s also really helpful to have two of us to take care of group administration and make sure that our shows run smoothly and that we are able to keep our customers happy and entertained.”

(c)Kerri Fuhr Keffeler, used with permission

(c)Stephanie Dieleman, used with permission

Announcing the next Stephanie and Kerri Show: Black Friday weekend

Stephanie: “The next show is massive—three days starting November 27th, the day after U.S. Thanksgiving. It will be the biggest show of the year with the best bonuses and giveaways.”

If you would like to view and participate, join their Facebook group. I’ll be there too, cheering them on!

The Stephanie and Kerri Show (Facebook group)

Meet Kalliope Sabrina Famellos and Anzula luxury yarns

July 27, 2020 by Melanie Schow Leave a Comment

As an artist, I know the value of community, so I’ve been using my blog this year to highlight local art and creative businesses in the Fresno and Sanger area. In March, I featured Kathleen Mattox, owner of art gallery, Mixed Messages Art. This month, I’m want to introduce you to an innovative local company and its owner, Kalliope Sabrina Famellos.

What is Anzula?

Located in downtown Fresno, California, Anzula produces hand-dyed luxury fibers from ethical sources. Anzula offers 25 different types of yarn—from merino and cashmere to silk and linen—in 140 colorways, shipping to local yarn shops around the US and the world.

Who is Kalliope?

Anzula owner, Kalliope Sabrina Famellos, was first introduced to the world of fiber as a six year old, learning to crochet with her mother’s help.

Kalliope Sabrina Famellos

Even while working and going to college full-time, Kalliope brought along projects to keep her hands busy. Any fiber fan knows that when you work on yarn projects in public, it starts conversations. To Kallope’s surprise, people started offering to pay her for what was on her needles.

Soon, Kalliope was doing booths in Bay Area farmers’ and crafters’ markets. When she learned to spin fiber at age 21, she added skeins of hand-spun yarn to her offerings. Then she learned to dye the fiber.

Thriving in hard times

The 2008 economic crisis brought an unexpected opportunity. While she lost her full-time job, she decided to try grow this creative “side hustle,” bringing her fiber to national trade shows and yarn markets across the country—and it worked. Orders took off. Compared to many, the recession was a time of opportunity for Kalliope. She had many friends who were out of work who were willing to step in to help with this sudden influx of orders.

In the early years, Kalliope ran Anzula out of her home, which slowly got taken over by yarn—hanging to dry in the bathroom and boxes everywhere tripping her up.

Eventually, she said, “I couldn’t take it anymore and started looking for a space.” In its current 4,500 square foot location, Anzula employs four people full time.

How Anzula creates ethical, luxury yarn

According to Kalliope, “I wanted to create colors that could be a beautiful canvas for lace and cable stitches to shine.” This is hard to find in a hand-dyed yarn which is often dyed in small batches creating great variation between dye lots. “And so I created a semi solid palette with 45 colors. We have a specific method to keep the colorways consistent. We work very hard at it.”

When it comes to the fiber itself, “I’m looking at certain qualities,” Kalliope explained. “The less texture from twist you feel, the softer it seems. But if it’s not spun tightly, it’s going to fuzz out, making the garment look old and sad just moments after you put it on.”

Anzula produces multi-ply yarns (most are three- or four-ply). “I want people to be able to create heirloom pieces with our yarns. I realize I’ve turned into a yarn snob,” she laughed.

Their impact on the community and its health matters a lot to Kalliope. At the beginning, after reviewing the types of dyes available, she chose citric acid or vinegar-based dyes. “We take the environment seriously. I don’t want to expose my employees or the planet to hazards.”

The sources of Anzula’s fibers reflect that commitment as well. Their merino wool comes from non-mulesed sheep in New Zealand (a painful practice banned in some countries). “We work with our mills to make the most ecological and ethical choices for silks and cashmere. We don’t outsource labor and strive to pay our workers a living wage.”

When I asked if Kalliope has a favorite colorway, she laughed. “That’s like picking your favorite child!” Among her favorites are jasmine, aqua, marigold, and cedar.

“Stitch in Place”

Although Anzula sells their yarn wholesale, Kalliope decided to do a program called Stitch in Place during the pandemic. They are temporarily selling direct to customers—giving 25% of the sale to the customer’s local yarn shop (which may be closed due to state orders) and 25% to non-profits of sales of their For Better or Worsted line.

“People’s budgets are obliterated,” Kalliope said. “So we are also offering a single skein to people for just the cost of shipping.” This project she calls #StitchInPlace has been a huge success, with free skeins going as far as New Zealand and Australia.

The story gets better. “People reached out to me asking how they could cover the costs of skeins we were giving away.”

In these challenging times, it’s so heartening to see this local business thrive, pay it forward, and get paid back again by caring people. As Kalliope put it, “It’s a win win win.”

See more Anzula

See all the gorgeous colors of Anzula on their website, and follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Kathleen Mattox and Mixed Messages Art

March 13, 2020 by Melanie Schow 2 Comments

I want to tell you about my artist friend and local-art partner in crime, Kathleen Mattox.

When my husband and I moved to Sanger, I was immediately drawn to her gallery, Mixed Messages Art—a cute brick building in the heart of downtown. Soon, she invited me to show my art jewelry there, and was introducing me to other local artists.

After a retiring from a career in education, Kathleen followed her dream to open this art space in Sanger, California. Mixed Messages Art is a gallery, studio, and website that reflects the variety of mixed media Kathleen uses in her art, including watercolor, paper collage with watercolor, other gel and texture mediums, and acrylic with paper collage.

More than that, the name is a hat tip to her “first career” as an elementary school educator teaching the alphabet and symbols which often appear in her work and acknowledge the power of language.

Mixed Messages carries local art and products that are small enough to fit into the petite gallery—all of them unique and different. Including my art jewelry, nine artists have their work for sale at Mixed Messages including Don Munshower’s art mobiles, two ceramic artists—Laura Fraedrich and Karen McQuown, two wire artists—Paul Parichan’s heavy-duty wire sculpture and Terrance McArthur’s colorful miniature characters, and Mary Lee Otto who makes lovely quilted baby items. Also featured are Basilwood Farm’s goat milk soap and Busy Bees Honey Farm’s local and infused honey.

As the only painter in the gallery, Kathleen’s work is bright, creative, and colorful. Featuring other other artists compliments her work and adds variety and spice to the Gallery.

One of the things I value most about Kathleen is the camaraderie we share. Getting together to brainstorm creative projects or resolve challenges when I get stuck. I think every artist needs a sounding board. When you live in a small community, collaborating with local artists makes such a difference. Kathleen is excellent at setting ambitious creative goals, so I recently sat down with her to talk about her art and goals for 2020.

What have you been creating lately?

Kathleen: I needed to create two paintings for a local show last October, but needed to complete them quickly. I decided to do them using palette knives which I have not used a lot before. In addition to the knives, I used squeeze bottles, texture, thick paint, and some glitter. I had so much fun! I’m going to do more in 2020. For Christmas, my mom gave me some nontraditional palette knives from Italy, and I just got some wood panels to try them out. I had wanted to do more with palette knives, but I didn’t know how much I would enjoy it.

What do you like about using palette knives?

Kathleen: They work great for florals. It causes you to work a lot looser and less detailed. Brushes have more control, with palette knives you’re creating the detail by pressing, pulling, or lifting.

Where are you showing your art this year?

Kathleen: I have a show coming in March in Fresno. The owner is a teacher of young children and connects with home schooling movement in her studio. I get to fill one and a half walls and plan to feature three abstract pieces. I’ll use them for inspiration pairing the paintings with new creations in fabric and calling the show “Re-Energized Through Improv.”

I’ve been sewing and quilting—so I have everything from pillows and table runners to coiled fiber and fabric bowls which all coordinate with the paintings. The great thing about fabric is that you can incorporate so much color and texture. I’m currently looking for far-out and non-traditional ways to hang the fabric pieces with the paintings.

What are your goals 2020?

Kathleen: In addition to everything else, one of my fun goals is to improve my artistic wardrobe. I like to look like an artist, so when I can add a piece or two that looks artsy I get excited. That’s one of the things your (Melanie’s) jewelry helps me do. What you’ve made for me is really me, colors and style.

My husband and I also train and show our Havanese dogs. It’s a breed that’s smart enough to make us think they’re really stupid. They’re sometimes a little bit ahead of us.

Overall, my goal is to keep learning, researching, and exploring. That kind of mindset is what keeps people young.

Show and tell: Some of my favorite (studio) things

October 7, 2019 by Melanie Schow 1 Comment

Nothing inspires me more than being surrounded by color. Not surprisingly, this fact shows up in my studio and helps to support my creativity. Throughout my space, there are items that are meaningful, bright, and invite me into the space to create.

Here are some of my favorite things that inspire me in my studio.

Exhibit A: Watercolors by Kathleen Mattox

Both the framed piece and the tiny book marks are both painted by my artist friend, Kathleen Mattox of Mixed Messages in Sanger, CA. They are colorful and happy, and I love having them in my studio. The smaller collection of bookmarks were cut from works that didn’t go as planned, making them into something new. Seeing these makes me happy!

Exhibit B: Colorful ribbons

One thing to know about me is that I don’t just like giving gifts, I love making them beautiful. Wrapping presents is such a joy for me, and of course, one needs a collection of beautiful, unique ribbons for finishing touches.

Exhibit C: People who inspire me

Talk about inspiration! Mother Nature has outstanding taste in geodes and amethyst. This shelf also holds a book open to a page featuring the work of wire artist Lynne Merchant, one of my early teachers. Above it (not pictured) is a set of whispery chimes that reminds me of the intro to the song Age of Aquarius. Every time I walk by, they’re set into motion, reminding me of my first grown up theater, this musical in 1967.

Exhibit D: My lampwork bead collection

I store my lampwork beads in architects’ flat files to make everything more visible. Nothing delights me more than pulling open a shallow drawer and feasting on the color, variety, and possibility each collection holds. I like to arrange things by color—orange and pink, for example—and collect the beginnings of future projects. Any time I’m short on inspiration, this is my favorite place to go!

When I’m doing the more tedious work of running an art business (inventory or balancing the checkbook), having beauty and color around me lifts me up and keeps me going.

The gift of artist allies

January 31, 2019 by Melanie Schow Leave a Comment

Because running an art business is challenging, having artist allies is essential.

Thanks to ongoing collaboration with Sanger’s local art gallery, Mixed Messages (and owner, Kathleen Mattox), I have had the opportunity to work with Kathleen and Paul Parichan on a regular basis. They are both talented artists in their own right, but they also believe in supporting other artists too.

Right before the holidays, Paul outdid himself.

When artists boost each other

He messaged me to ask, “How would you like to have your work in a museum gift shop?”

What artist says no to that kind of opportunity? I was so grateful! Many artists work for years to get their art into the right venues.

In our conversation, I learned that Paul has a long relationship with the Fresno Art Museum. Its gift shop was being re-opened after a long absence under new direction from Michelle Ellis Pracy. As Fresno Art Museums’s (FAM) Executive Director & Chief Curator, she is also an artist ally. Her focus in the gift shop is to promote local artists.

Michelle told me, “Bring us your big show stoppers.” This was music to my ears.

Bringing my show stoppers

As a working artist, you face a dilemma every time you create. Do you make items that will sell? Or do you produce more dramatic art that uses the wide range of skills you have honed through the years? It’s often a balance of both.

This means that while I sell lots of affordable art, I also have a swirling, glittering collection of fine art pieces made from the highest quality elements (silver wire and high-end artist’s glass beads, for example). I love making them, but they’re above the price point most people are thinking when they go to a craft show.

Michelle’s encouragement got me excited to rescue these treasures from storage. After hunting through my stash, I came up with eight “show stopper” art pieces.

Here’s a sneak peek at a few:

Monarch Duet necklace (c) 2016 Melanie Schow

Morning Song

I’m really excited to be at the Fresno Art Museum’s gift shop. Michelle curated it to include many talented local artists, and I’m honored to be shown with them and in that kind of company.

Sometimes making art can seem like a solitary endeavor, but thanks to Kathleen, Paul, and Michelle, I’m reminded of the importance of a supportive art community and artist allies.

See my work at the Fresno Art Museum gift shop

Want to support local artists too? The Fresno Art Museum is re-opening on February 2 with a brand-new art installation. The gift shop is full of over-the-top local art (including several more of mine not pictured above). If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll stop in to take a look!

My artful and art-filled studio

February 19, 2018 by Melanie Schow 1 Comment

Nothing inspires me like other people’s art. Especially when my life is busy, and I don’t have time to sit down to create my own. Seeing the unique ways that people express themselves inspires me. Having splashes of color around me is uplifting.

Nowhere is this more true and visible than in my studio.

Present-wrapping in progress…

In our old home, I had a shared office with some art snuck in. Now I have my own studio to decorate as I like. As I’ve moved into this space over the last few years, I’ve collected watercolors from Kathleen Mattox, big wire pieces from Paul Parichan, and ceramics from Laura Fraedrich.

With gorgeous books as backdrops, quirky little things I’ve picked up find a home on the narrow shelf that runs the length of the room.

The little vignettes around my studio reflect my creative process. Pulling treasures from everywhere create something even more fun and fanciful. Plus, this guarantees that I’m surrounded by my favorite color (pink), even if the rest of the house is more neutral and rustic.

Sometimes I escape to my studio for a phone call or business planning—something unrelated to art. Sitting in my cozy orange chair surrounded by color and fun brings joy to the most mundane tasks.

It’s so important to bring beauty and inspiration to our creative spaces, to have something that reflects who we are and what we strive for. If the practice of creating and enjoying art is sacred, then my studio is a sanctuary.

How to grow a fine art jewelry business

June 15, 2016 by Melanie Schow Leave a Comment

If only growing a fine art jewelry business were as simple as putting a seed down, covering it with soil, and keeping it watered! Growing my own art business has taken years of learning, trial and error, and loving my work enough to keep at it.

More than two decades making art has taught me some things (to put it mildly). I’d like to share a few discoveries gleaned from life experience.

Build your body of work

It can be hard to do this when juggling a busy life, but the more you make art, the better. With a variety of pieces at your disposal, you have lots of options to work with for shows, events, galleries, and your website. It’s important to have enough work to keep galleries supplied with a changing inventory. Customers and collectors are always looking to see what’s new.

Without a large enough collection of work, it’s hard to get placed in galleries, shows, or even sell things online. Because of this, it’s a priority for me to put committed studio time on my calendar. During those hours, I work on pieces for upcoming events and projects that are calling to me.

Get critiqued

Making art alone might be necessary, but there’s real value in having a resource like a mastermind or art group that meets regularly. Having the input of other artists can stretch you, provide you with honest feedback, and create opportunities to learn from what others are doing.

If you don’t have a group, I like to participate in magazine and blog art challenges that use themes. I also love looking at all the winners for ideas and comparisons. You can apply to juried art shows and events for feedback on your art.

Choose venues that are consistent with your art

In my experience, the venues you choose helps to create credibility and support for your pricing. If an event is carrying other artists whose pricing is similar to yours, chances are good you’ll do well there.

Because I have a fine art jewelry business, not every venue is a good fit. I tried street fairs and, although they were a lot of fun, only my earrings sold at events like these. The same is true for galleries. When you’re looking for placements, take a good look at the other work they’re carrying. Not every gallery wants the price point you’re in.

If you’re not finding venues near you that are a good fit, focus your efforts online and e-commerce to find your people. The online world gives you a much broader audience—whether you’re on etsy or have your own website.

Hold your head up on your pricing

Pricing is one of the very hardest things for artists. I once heard a description about why professionals get paid what they do: their income is a reflection of the time they spent learning their skills. When it comes to pricing your art, it’s not just the value of the materials. Whether you’re a surgeon or an artist, it takes time to develop and refine your skill.

People want a beautiful handmade item, but they sometimes balk at a handmade price. In the US, we get handmade things cheaply because of inexpensive labor in other countries, so we don’t always realize the level of skill we’re consuming.

Interestingly, when talented artists are new to the business side, they under-price their work—and it doesn’t sell. Buyers know that it should be priced higher as art. How can art cost that little?

I try and reflect my high-end pieces with an art price. Hold your head up and know that you’re creating art. Your art is worth a price that reflects your experience and skill.

Create a body of work in a range of price points

Once your pricing is solid, offer a range of items in your style. If people aren’t ready to make a commitment to a big, expensive piece, give them an entry into your work and style. My best impulse-item is earrings. Other artists use greeting cards and prints. The key is offering simpler pieces that involve less time and work on your part, but still spark customers’ enthusiasm.

When you do this, be sure that the lower-price items are still something you love to make. If you don’t like it or you’re not sold on it, that energy “reads” to buyers and the items won’t sell. I’ve tried strictly-based affordable, but if the energy or the interest isn’t there, the pieces (and sales) fall flat. Make all your work from love, rather than strategy.

What do you think?

These are tips based on my own experience in my fine art jewelry business. Do you make art—or buy art? What insights have you learned along the way?

My twisted path to wire art jewelry

April 15, 2016 by Melanie Schow 1 Comment

Budding young artist and entrepreneur

Although I have a background in the corporate world and am currently a part-time farmer, art has always been in my life. Even as a kid, I remember going to the beach with my family and making a collage with shells and pebbles. Not only did I enjoy making it, but I set it outside with a for sale sign!

My creative adventures over the years have included knitting, needlepoint, collage, and dabbling in different art mediums. I never imagined then that I’d become a wire art jewelry designer.

Getting hooked by wire art jewelry

It wasn’t until adulthood that I claimed the title of artist. It happened by happy accident when a friend wanted to learn how to wire wrap objects. As a gift, I gave her a class, and we went together.

At the end of the wire-wrapping class, she was satisfied with her finished project, but I kept going back. In fact, I kept taking classes on every possible bead-related and metal-related topic—from seed beads and soldering to wire.

Finding my artistic style

As I got deeper into the work, I started hearing about this amazing artist in bead magazines. Lynn Merchant was teaching in the San Diego area and has a rich background in jewelry design. Her many travels including visiting stone cutters in Afghanistan and other artists in far away places. Lynn uses unusual things, very large pearls, and wire in remarkably creative ways. Lynn became a primary influence for my work.

My designs spun off from the techniques and projects I was experimenting with in classes. As I learned, I started to develop my own style and confidence in making wire art jewelry.

In my corporate career at Starbucks, I was trained to teach adults, so it was a natural progression to start teaching my designs to students. From there, I dipped my toe into big shows like Bead and Button and Bead Expo which encouraged me to develop more new classes. It’s hard to believe that was twenty years ago!

Developing as an artist entrepreneur

Of course, being an artist isn’t just about techniques; it’s also about running a business. A few years later, I was found a teacher who would shape my understanding of what it meant to be an artist. NanC Meinhart, who is both a psychologist and recognized seed bead artist, leads groups of artists through a year-long master class. Rather than focusing on recreating other artists’ designs, NanC’s master class helped me find my own voice through wire.

The year my master class met NanC challenged us to take our art seriously, to build a body of work, and to develop a recognizable style. We focused on the necessary details like writing a bio, taking photos of our work, display and logistics required to enter our work in shows, pricing, and more. At the end of the year, our work was shown in a gallery in San Luis Obispo. That year, I developed an artist’s perspective instead of just making things.

Practice practice practice

One of the things that really stays with me was reading War of Art. In it, the author tells the story of two groups of artists. The first group is instructed to make as many clay pots as they can. The second group is told to make one perfect pot. In the end, it was the group that made many who created the most beautiful work. The lesson I got from that was how important it is to make a lot of things and keep at it. Even when it is a dud, or not something you’ll sell.

Today, my work is featured at several local galleries including Madera Circle Gallery and Mixed Messages in Sanger and The Brush and Easel Gallery in Fresno. This year, I’m taking an even bigger leap with my art by making it available for purchase on my website (stay tuned!).

For me, art is about finding a medium you love and then continuing to learn, practice, and take small steps toward creating work you enjoy. What you have enough interest, love, skill, and patience for—that’s your medium. Wire art is mine!

Support your LYS!

April 27, 2009 by Melanie Schow 2 Comments

Oh the seduction of internet shopping every size, color, brand, and kind. The tantalizing savings at the “big box” stores, take home a gross of whatever you need for a fraction of the price. Just remember the cost. This weekend I sat chatting with my friends at our LYS (local yarn store) in big comfy chairs, in a homey retail environment – for the last time. The shelves were pitifully bare, emptied quickly when she announced the sale because she was closing the store. We brainstormed about where we could take the knitting group, would they throw us out at the local sports bar? Not that having a beer while knitting is bad, well maybe if you are knitting a complicated lace pattern… but they won’t have the notion we need to finish the piece, helpful advice about how to re-size the pattern or another few skeins for the next project.

Small business is at the heart of our economy. Some would say its the American dream. But how do you compete with all the forms of commerce available to shoppers today? The part you love about it: the yarn, the beads, the food, the creation, the art is only the beginning. In a small business you are the purchasing agent, the stock clerk, the sales force, the marketing guru, the web master, the accountant and the janitor! You have to be good at alot of things because you don’t have a department for that. When you have managed to wear all those hats, then you have to find a way to compete with the big guys.

What can we do? Support the businesses you want in your community. Support the people who have small businesses like yours. The places where they do it from their passion, they make it special, fresh, just for you and they even know your name. Support them with your business and your referrals. Be willing to pay for service, quality and convenience. Your local business can not match the prices the big volume stores offer, but have them beat hands down in other important, more intangible categories. If we don’t patronize our local small business, we will find our selves wondering what happened to our favorite places while we were shopping somewhere else.