Hi Kelly -KAG wrote: The only artists who are going to survive this flood will need to be exceptionally good.
I don't agree with that. That's like saying that just because you can buy all kinds of cheap metal work at import stores, the metal workers won't survive... I know lots of successful art metal types. There are SO many avenues. People go to local craft fairs because they want hand made art and get to see and talk to the local artist, they shop at exclusive little galleries because they get to talk to the gallery owner or salespeople and get to heaar about the artist. Lot's of people will want what they consider 'art' work even if it is not gallery quality because they want individual meaningful things to surround them. And there will always be people who want to commission work.
And there are the ideas - like your playground or paths series- that speak directly to some people. (And show personality and creativity) I think that it's things like one glass drapes and simple basic forms and patterns that will sell in mass from the oversees labor. It's not worth a mass marketer's or importer's time and costs to do 'odd' or unusual or various time consuming or whimsical stuff. They want to do the stuff that fits 'anyone's' decor in nice compatible or else trendy colors and common useful shapes .
I don't think the market is going away even for us non-exceptional kilnies. (Unless we're doing stuff that looks easily mass produced and import-like...)
I guess time will tell. But I'm not putting the kilns on eBay yet
Linda