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[Norman Watts <Norman_Watts@zzzzzzz>]

cr

thanks for sharing from the school of hard knocks yesterday. be patient
-when the teacher is ready the student will appear. i wish i was in the
position to learn from you, but selling and making a living from
sculpture isn't my problem.

as regards your website.  i notice a parallel with your gallery
problems (i.e. it didn't work for a long time, like 10 yrs!). in
retrospect,  why was that do you think?

here's some comments about your site. they are purely my take on
things, and please don't take offense, i mean to be helpful:

-sculpture is supposed to be aesthetic, so make it look its best in all
ways. You have to sell 'perfect' dreams in an imperfect world. The
buyer's world is as imperfect as yours, but he/she is trying to buy
something special, so make it look like they can. that includes
atmosphere.

-I hate that pinkish background colour. To me it looks like the
currently fashionable doctor's clinic colour. I see nurses walking
about!
-Pick a better time of year to photograph. This is the dreary spring,
before even a hint of green is in the trees. It is the afterworld.
-Take pictures when its gorgeous out. Ever notice how houses for sale
on-line look more desirable in summer than in winter photos?
-Take pictures during the "magic hour", early and late in the day, when
the light spectrum makes things look rich and warm. Look into
photography books for this.
-try to avoid houses and cars in the background. It looks "everyday"
and the well-heeled want their money to protect them from, or help them
avoid, the "everyday" (so I assume. I probably would if I was
well-to-do).
-show your sculptures in interesting light (snow, early morning fog,
golden afternoon)
-also show how you do stuff. showing the rough side of the work
contrasts nicely with the perfection (object and mood) you created. it
adds "depth" for the potential client knowing (or picturing) what "made
by hand" means in this case. knowing "where their sculpture came from".
-show your studio, but you have to be interesting, maybe make your life
appear romantic, at least more romantic than theirs -maybe make them
wish they hadn't chosen to be a lawyer! vicarious living is a wonderful
thing

-have a look at the following site by Peter Powning. I love it. maybe
it only works for me because it looks like where I come from (eastern
Canada), and because I like his work. But notice the shots of the
studio (from air in summer, at sunset in winter, some almost classic
black and whites of the studio wall). You actually want to go there!
Plus the gallery shtos are great too.

http://www.powning.com/

The following site also looks good to my eyes:

http://www.conwaystonework.com/

He is selling a dream too, in this case the hearty coast, the pub, and
the interesting work behind the facade.

OK, enough stuff. please don't take offense cr , I'm just saying what I
think would work if I had a business selling attractive things.

n