Artisans: Thomas and Patricia Hooper

Company Name: ASL Pewter

Address: 123 S Third St Ste. 200

Louisiana, MO 63353

Phone: 573-754-3435 

Fax: 573-754-3461

Web Address: www.aslpewter.com

Q&W:

Do you sell to shop owners? 

Tom & Pat:

YES!

Q&W:
Please explain why you chose to sell wholesale.

Tom & Pat:

In the three mediums Tom has worked in (for 30 years now) he’s always set prices at wholesale, so that is where we start, and we work to retail from there.  It was the initial decision and what we’ve stayed with.

Q&W:

Can you offer any advice to other artists on working with shop owners?

Tom & Pat:

Offer good quality at a good price, stress American made, be available to answer questions.  Provide sales aides – tags, literature, displays, signs, explanations – whatever works for you and your product.  Make sure your work is unique, and tell the store WHY and HOW you are unique – don’t duplicate what is already available.  Be patient – the store owners don’t know your product like you do.

Q&W:

Is it important to forge a relationship with shop owners?

Tom & Pat:

YES!  Everyone wants to be ‘special’ and any time you can show a shop owner that that person (responsible for a portion of your income) is, indeed, special to you, you increase the potential for both of you!

Q&W:

Do you educate buyers on your product?

Tom & Pat:

YES!!!  The more a store owner knows about you and your product, the better that person will be able to sell your work.  That’s one of the rules of selling!  We educate by writing info tags on many of our pieces, and including them when the pieces are bought by a store.  We also have general info tags, for instance, on why Polished Pewter is historically accurate and on our antique molds and how pieces cast in them will be different from other pieces.  We talk to the stores, by phone or at shows, and are available to answer questions.  We suggest items that have good ‘track records’ for sales in specific types of stores or locations.  We invite store owners and buyers to see us at a retail show and purchase from us there, where they have a chance to ‘cherry pick’ and to see and choose from one-of-a-kind items or new things that aren’t in the catalogue.

Q&W:

Have you ever participated in a trade show?  What was your experience?

Tom & Pat:

Our first traditional wholesale show was The Gallery of American Craftsmen with Bob Goodrich.  That was in 2000 and it literally changed the course of our business, setting us firmly on the path of Early American reproduction.  We credit The Gallery with a large part of the current success of our business.  To have a promoter provide a space for artisans to sell unique, traditional, American handcrafted items (as opposed to the big trade gift shows that are mostly imports) was, and is, a revelation!  We had, once, participated in the Buyer’s Market of American Craft, in Philadelphia.  It is a beautiful show, featuring American made (both North and South continents) but it was not our market, as it is very contemporary. It is a terrific venue for contemporary artists, and those who can cross over.

Q&W:

Can you offer any advice on how to prepare for a show?

Tom & Pat:

First – ask the right questions to understand your venue.  Is it Cash and Carry, Order writing, both?  Is it traditional, contemporary, handcrafted, factory made in America, imports.  If you are new to wholesale, visit a market first to see what is being offered and at what prices.  Can you fit in those price structures?  Feel free to exhibit and sell ONLY those items you want to produce at wholesale prices.  Feel free to set whatever delivery schedule you want to set – BUT STICK TO IT! 

Q&W:

In your opinion, what are the benefits of wholesale?

Tom & Pat:

Many artists who retail only are dependent on shows, so the biggest benefit of selling wholesale is that you don’t have to travel, you are not away from your shop, you don’t have road expenses and booth fees and you don’t have time away from your production schedule.

Q&W:

Would you pick and choose who you sell to?

Tom & Pat:

We ‘discriminate’ only in that we try not to have the same product in the same zip code.  We sell to fine gift stores, country and Americana stores, reproduction stores and museum shops and physical locations as well as internet stores.  We do retail as well as wholesale, we do shows and we sell from our own gallery.  Every once in a great while, a store (or potential customer) will complain about us selling our product.  It usually takes the form of “I can’t sell that for what you sell it for and make any money”.  Twice, I have had someone actually tell me he or she won’t order from me because I do my own retail.  That is a decision each store owner gets to make for him or herself, and I don’t let it affect my business decisions.

Q&W:

Do you have any advice for shop owners and artisans on weathering a poor economy?

Tom & Pat:

First, for the artist, we would say be creative.  Every time you show yourself at a show, whether retail or wholesale, have something new.  If customers have requested something, see if you can make it!  For us, there is no option to ‘weathering the storm’.  We are in this for the long haul.  We may not have as much inventory on hand, we may make things to order.  We are more judicious with ordering raw materials and other supplies.  Save where you can, but don’t skimp on quality as that is what will sell.  For shops, my advice is similar.  Listen to your customers; make sure you have what they are looking for.  Offer new items, maintain your quality but perhaps limit the quantity of each piece you have in stock.

Q&W:

Please tell us about your Advertising.

Tom & Pat:

We advertise a lot.  Advertising seems to be something that goes by the wayside when times are tight and that is when advertising is most important.  One of the cheapest ways to make sure people can find you is an active and up to date website.  Also, include additional information – ‘news flashes’ about you, upcoming shows, new product info, etc – in every box you ship.

Q&W:

Is it true for you that handcrafted goods are still selling strong?

Tom & Pat:

We give this a resounding, qualified YES!  The qualification is that AMERICAN MADE handcrafted is selling remarkably well.  There are still lots of people with significant disposable income and they are still willing to dispose of it.  They are being much more discriminating with it, though.  We are seeing, both in our shop and at shows that people are looking for things to enhance their homes and bring comfort and beauty to their lives.  People are willing to pay the price as long as they receive value for the dollar spent, quality and American Made.  They also are often looking to take home a piece of the artist (rather than the art) if the artist has made a positive impression on the customer.

Q&W:

Is it important to love what you do?

Tom & Pat:

YES!  It’s way too damn much work otherwise.  Additionally, potential customers know if you really care about what you have made and or offering them or not and it makes a HUGE difference.

Q&W:

Where do you find inspiration for new designs?

Tom & Pat:

We have research books to see what has historically been done with pewter (our medium).  We look to history a lot, but also to what was done with other metals, and can we replicate some of that.  We listen to what customers ask for.  Some ideas are just figments of our own warped minds.

Q&W:

Do you ever think outside the box?

Tom & Pat:

Often!  Historically, pewter was always a functional metal, not decorative.  We make pieces that are more like what was done with silver than with pewter.  Sometimes, we make a piece because someone told us we couldn’t, or we have happy accidents. 

Q&W:

What makes an artist stand out in your mind?

Tom & Pat:

Quality and uniqueness of work and personality of the artist.

Q&W:

What is your philosophy on Keystoning?

Tom & Pat:

Frankly, what I charge wholesale for any piece is what I need to get for that piece.  Whatever a store charges is entirely their business.  My wholesale price is always 40-50% off what I charge retail in my store or at a show.

Q&W:

Do you have a favorite quote?

Tom & Pat:

“American Crafts Should Be made By American Craftsmen”!

Q&W:

What do you think American artisans/vendors can do to make themselves more marketable/sellable?

Tom & Pat:

Make sure your customers – whether the public or a store – ALWAYS know you’re American made, or that you carry American made.  Be diligent and consistent in getting that word out!  Artists – ALWAYS sign or mark your work. No one is willing to buy something that you don’t take pride in and if you are proud of your work, sign it!   

In our foundry we create and offer traditional and original pewter tableware and household items.  Tom and Pat share a fascination with European and American history which translates to our work. 

We sculpt our own originals, which we use to cast pieces unique to ASL Pewter.  Using traditional metal spinning techniques, we create our own mugs, basins and goblets.  That process includes chiseling our own wooden forms to each desired shape and then moving the metal over the form with wooden sticks, while the form is turning on the lathe.  We also have a collection of antique bronze, aluminum and steel molds, from which we cast historic replicas and reproductions.  Many of those molds were made between 1780 and 1840 for what was then known as Bucks County Pewter in Pennsylvania.  The result is an inclusive line of exceptional and totally unique pewterware that is functional, beautifully decorative and historically accurate.

In September, 2002, we instituted a formal apprenticeship program.  It is important to us to pass along our knowledge and skill, and to help to keep alive a craft that is rapidly becoming lost.  In 2003 Pat started decorating some of our pieces with an historic form of engraving called wrigglework, so we are preserving another element of fine folk art.  Some of Pat’s wrigglework has been acquired by the American Folk Art Museum in New York, New York for their store.  

Our work has been featured in St Louis Homes and Lifestyles, Early American Life, Country Living and Missouri Life Magazines and is shown in galleries and museum shops around the country.  We have been selected by Early American Life Magazine as among the top 200 Traditional Crafters in America for every year since 2002.  In 2002, we were honored to have made an ornament for the White House Christmas tree and in 2002 and 2003 for the Christmas tree at the Missouri Governor’s Mansion.  We have participated in juried shows across the country including Kentucky Crafted, The Market, The Country Folk Art Festivals in Illinois, the 18^th Century Craft Fair at Mt. Vernon, and fine Americana and folk art shows in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, Missouri, Indiana and Connecticut.  We are founding officers of Traditional Handcrafters of America, an organization dedicated to the preservation and teaching of fine crafts.  Tom is past president and Pat is past treasurer of Missouri Artisan’s Association, the largest independent art organization in the state.  Pat has also served as treasurer of the Great River Road Guild of Professional Artisans and is past president of the Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce.                

Artist/Company Information

Company/Artisan Name: Paula Walton A Sweet Remembrance

Address: 172 Aspetuck Ridge Road, New Milford, CT 06776-5611

Phone: 860-355-5709

Website: www.asweetremembrance.com

Name of President/Owner/CEO: Paula Walton

Q & W:

Please describe your art?

Paula:

I do a lot of different things, but I mainly recreate items that embody woman’s decorative and domestic arts of the 18th and 19th centuries.  I’ve been sewing since I was 11 and I employ many forms of textile arts in my work.  I particularly enjoy doll making as it allows me to meld many different skills into one creation.  In addition to doll making, I also make reproduction historic clothing and flags, quilts, penny rugs, embroidered samplers, hooked and shirred rugs, sewing accouterments, teddy bears, fabric and fur animals, Father Christmas figures, candy containers and spun cotton ornaments.  I paint murals, floor cloths, theorems, window shades, and do decorative and grain painting on furniture.  Some of my dolls, candy containers and other items are accented with scherenschnitte that I hand cut.  My samplers and rugs are often made with floss and wool that I hand dye with natural plant dyes.  Frequently the dye stuff that I use are plants that I grow in my gardens. When I have time, my husband and I restore antique carousel horses.

Q & W:

How long have you been making your product?

Paula:  

Since 1986.

Q & W:

How did you get started?

Paula: 

I originally started out restoring antique carousel horses with my husband.  Due to the chemicals and paints involved, you need to have great ventilation, so we mainly worked on the horses during the spring, summer and fall.  I was in an antique shop with my mom and saw the owner there making teddy bears out of old fur coats.  I told my mom “I could do that” and then started thinking about how I would do it differently, and how I would want my bears to look.   To start with I would make bears in the winter when we weren’t working on horses.

Q & W:

How did you let people know about you & your product?

Paula: 

I ran magazine ads and did retail shows.

Q & W:

Do you have a guiding philosophy?

Paula:

I basically make and sell things that I love and treat my customers the way I would like other people to treat me.

Q & W:

Do you sell to retail shop owners? (Do you sell Wholesale)?

Paula:

Yes.

Q & W:

What made you decide to sell wholesale or to not sell wholesale?

Paula:

It was strictly a money making decision.

Q & W:

Do you have any advice to other vendors/artists on working with shop owners?

Paula:

Avoid consignment like the plague; instead sell things to shops out right at wholesale.

Q & W:

Is it important to forge relationships with shop owners?

Paula:

It’s always nice to make friends with shop owners, but I wouldn’t say that it was an absolute necessity. It really depends on the people involved.  Some shop owners like to know a lot about the people they buy from and others don’t.

Q & W:

Do you educate your buyers on your product?

Paula:

I certainly try to because of the historic nature of the things I make and sell.

Q & W:

Do, how do you educate them?

Paula:

I create specific tags for items that I think need them, which explain the history of craft, materials used, etc.

Q & W:

Why is it important?

Paula:

A lot of my things are not run of the mill, so unless you know quite a bit about antiques, you may not be familiar with what they are.

Q & W:

Have you ever participated in a trade show?

Paula:

Yes.

Q & W:

If so, please tell us about your experience. 

Paula:

Trade shows are ok.  They have never been a huge moneymaker for me, as the price points of the things I make are higher than most shop owners are looking for.  Buyers ohh and ahh over everything in my booth and then admit that even though they love it all, it’s more expensive than a lot of them think they can sell.

Q & W:

Do you have any advice to fellow artists on how to prepare for a show?

Paula:

I generally prepare for them much like any other show.  Once you have decided on your wholesale policy and worked out an efficient ordering system and delivery schedule, everything else is pretty much the same.

Q & W:

Tips on displaying products?

Paula:

Obviously you should try to display your products to their best advantage and give shop owners some ideas for displays of your items that would look good in their stores.

Q & W:

Some artists do not sell wholesale because they believe they cannot get fair value for their product. Can you describe benefits to selling wholesale, especially in a struggling economy?

Paula:

The benefits would be the same as they always would, being able to sell a large amount at one time (due to your minimum purchase requirements).

Q & W:

If you sell to shop owners, is it important to be discriminative on whom you sell to?

Paula:

I don’t.

Q & W:

Would you sell to Brick & Mortar Shops only or to Internet Based shops, a person doing craft shows and home-shows as well?

Paula:

To tell you the truth, I really don’t care as long as the customer meets my minimum purchase requirements.  Wholesale is all about selling items at a discount when a customer agrees to buy in a large quantity.  In fact at trade shows a lot of shop owners buy my items just for themselves, not to resell.  They are very open about it, and as long as they are meeting my minimum that’s fine.

Q & W:

If you sell retail as well as wholesale, do you see any competitive conflicts with your shops that carry your items?

Paula:

No, not really.  I don’t have a storefront; I sell retail strictly at shows, online and by mail order.  There will always be customers that really prefer to shop in person and enjoy being able to go to a shop in their local area.  Especially when it comes to buying intricate handmade items like mine and even more so if what they are buying has a face (dolls, bears and other animals, or paintings of people).

Q & W:

Do you have any advice for artisans on weathering a poor economy?

Paula:

Being an artisan has never been a particularly lucrative thing to be and obviously it is much more difficult now.  I recently took a part time job as the Director and Curator of a small museum.  I’m at the museum two and a half days a week, which is great as it leaves me the rest of the week to run my own business.

Q & W:

Do you advertise?

Paula:

Yes.

Q & W:

What are some effective (& economical) ways to let customers know about you?

Paula: 

Having a good email mailing list and sending out a few notes on sales, new products, etc. is great (and obviously low cost).  Just don’t over do, you don’t want to annoy your customers, just keep them informed.

Q & W:

Is it important to love what you do?

Paula:

I think so.  It shows in your quality of workmanship.

Q & W:

Where do you find inspiration for new designs?

Paula: 

Inspiration is something I’ve never had a problem with.  I have more ideas for things than I will ever have time to make.  They fill my head to over flowing.  I especially tend to think of new designs when I’m working.

Q & W:

Do you have a favorite quote?

Paula: 

“Remembrance is the sweetest flower that in the garden grows.”  (Which isn’t exactly a quote, but instead is part of a verse from an old sampler.)

Q & W:

What do you think American artisans/venders can do to make themselves more marketable/sellable?

Paula:

I’m not really sure that there is anything.  Trends go in cycles.  For the past twenty-five or thirty years, handmade items have been considered very desirable; unfortunately I think that the trend is now moving away from that.

Q & W:

Please describe your product:

Paula:

The answer to this question is pretty long, as I probably make a few more items than the average artisan.  Here is a listing of the different categories of products that I make or restore and sell on my website: Bears, Animals, Dolls, Spun Cotton,  Ornaments, Christmas & New Years items, Valentine’s items, Easter decorations, Patriotic Holidays items, Halloween decorations, Custom Reproduction Clothing, Aprons & Potholders, Pincushions, Sewing Boxes, Patterns, Samplers, Sampler & Punch needle Charts, Grain Painted Frames, Scherenschnitte, Rugs, Floor Cloths & Window Shades, Custom Painting, Antique Toys, Antique Carousel Horses, Naturally Dyed Wool, and hand made Soap.

Q & W:

Describe how your products are made:

Paula:

I make them all myself, one at a time, by hand.

Q & W:

Describe how your products are unique from similar items in the market place:

Paula:

I pay great attention to historical accuracy when it comes to construction methods and materials.

Q & W:

Describe how you offer competitively priced merchandise:

Paula:

 I can’t really do much about the cost of the materials I use, since they cost what they cost.  What I can control is what I charge for my time.  Everything I make is labor intensive, but I work cheap.

Q & W:

Describe the different marketing materials you produce to promote your products:

Paula: 

I have a very comprehensive website.  I also have a doll making blog, www.izannahwalker.com,  that supports the classes I teach and the patterns that I sell.  I have a second blog in the works to support that will act as support for my spun cotton ornament classes, both the ones I teach in person and those that I offer by mail.  In addition, I very carefully tag the items I sell with a complete description and materials list, if it is a product that needs a bit of an explanation.

Q & W:

Describe your ordering process:

Paula:  

Customers can order online or phone or mail in their orders.

Q & W:

Ways customers can view and order your merchandise:

Paula: 

Either at the select shows I do each year or by visiting my website www.asweetremembrance.com .  I also put items up for sale on eBay and Etsy occasionally.

Q & W:

Minimum order, return policy, order confirmation, back order and shipping process:

Paula:

We just finished setting up my new website this past fall.  The retail portion of the website is complete, but I had to stop working on the wholesale area in order to prepare for the fall show season and to fill Christmas orders, and I haven’t gotten back to it yet because of my new job as a museum Director and Curator. In the mean time I provide wholesale buyers with pricing and guidelines.

Q & W:

Do you have Policies and Minimum Order Requirements?

Paula:

Prior to initial orders, wholesale buyers must submit a copy of their resale certificate and business card or letterhead. First-time wholesale buyers must purchase a minimum of $275; the minimum for reorders is $100. No returns unless damage occurs in shipping. Contact me immediately upon receipt in that case. Wholesale buyers are charged 8% of total order for shipping.

Q & W:

Do you do custom work?

Paula:

Custom designs are available for your shop.  In order to have me design and make special limited edition pieces that are only sold by you, you must purchase a minimum dollar amount of $750 of the custom designed item.  Please contact me to discuss the specifics of a limited edition.

Q & W:

What about Ordering and Checkout?

Paula:

You may either call me with your order at 860-355-5709 or use the secure order form on my website www.asweetremembrance.com . Enter your store address and your shipping address under alternate shipping address (if applicable).  Use the voucher code Buyer. Enter Wholesale in the Comments area.  You will be charged 8% shipping.  This will not show up on the online order form and receipt.  I will email you an adjusted receipt with the 8% shipping added on to your total.

Q & W:

Describe what constitutes customer service to you and Give examples of how you provide excellent customer service:

Paula:

I offer free shipping to my retail customers on everything I sell except antique carousel horses.  I also provide unlimited support for anyone who takes a class from me or buys any one of my patterns.  I’ve started a doll making blog that also provides additional support for my patterns and classes and I have additional support blogs planned.  I’m always available and happy to answer questions about my wares.  I’m willing to design custom products for shop owners that only their shop can sell.

Q & W:

Give examples of how you help your customer grow his/her business:

Paula:

I can design special items for shops and if the shops are not too far away, I can come in and offer signings, lectures, demonstrations and classes.

Q & W:

What about Growth & Awards?

Paula:

My work as been pictured in the New York Times, Teddy Bear Review, Teddy Bear Source Book, Cross Stitch and Country Crafts, Crafting Traditions, Christmas From The Heart, Christmas All Through The House, Scrap Crafts from A to Z, Holiday Cooking, Early American Life, and Doll Crafter and Costuming.  I’m very proud to have been juried into the Early American Life Directory of Traditional American Crafts nineteen times in the course of eight years, in the categories of Toys and Dolls, Clothing, Textiles and Needlework, Miscellaneous, Santas, Other Holidays, and General Christmas (many years in multiple categories).  I was chosen by Old Sturbridge Village as Craftsperson in Residence for August 2005.

Q & W:

Describe how your company/customer base has grown over the years:

Paula:

By creating a website, I now have much better exposure to people worldwide.

Q & W:

What about Community and Charity Involvement:

Paula:

I do a lot of work with museums and historical societies (in addition to my job as a director and curator of a museum).  I regularly give demonstrations and talk to people about my work.

Q & W:

Do you have any additional information that you would like to share with the readers?

Paula:

I consider myself very fortunate to be able to work and live in a late 18^th century home.  We own just under ten acres of land, which gives me plenty of room to grow heirloom flowers, fruits, vegetables and herbs.  Often times the things I grow find their way into my work as dyestuff for fabric and floss or ingredients in the soap I make.

Company/Artisan Name:  Fowl Images/ Eric N. Fausnacht

Address:  603 Haycock Run Rd. Kintnersville, PA 18930

Phone: 215-704-5219

Website:
www.ericfausnacht.com

Q&W: We are honored to introduce our readers to Eric Fausnacht, a wonderfully talented acrylic artist. Please enjoy learning about Eric and his Fowl Images.

Eric Fausnacht’s acrylic and oil paintings explore the realms of texture, color and strength in the portraiture domestic fowl. His recent paintings of roosters and chickens show a photo realistic style brought together with an ornate baroque background to illuminate the regal portraiture of the subject matter. His work is in private collections throughout the United States and Europe and has sold in art auctions for several charitable institutions.

Born in 1969 in Pennsylvania, he received a Bachelors of Science in Art Education from Millersville University of Pennsylvania in 1992. He has continued his education at The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. During this time he began an interest in
the study of the strength and textures of birds, especially domestic fowl.

Eric:

I create acrylic paintings of domestic fowl currently concentrating on roosters, hens, and chicks.  Most of my paintings are 30×36” and done on canvas.  I have recently begun making smaller canvas paintings and small 3×5” paintings on paper.  My paintings are photo-realistic images some with a plain background, some with an ornate and/or checked background.  I have also recently begun making plaster roosters/hens/chicks using antique chocolate molds.  I have been painting professionally for three years and have shown in galleries in Philadelphia, New Jersey, Seattle, Washington, and throughout Pennsylvania.

I believe in sticking with one subject matter and exploring it in depth.  My entire collection of art and accessories consists of domestic fowl.  I think it works best for me to be known as “the rooster guy”.  You know what you are getting when to walk in to my booth.

I currently sell retail in about 25 juried art and craft show throughout PA, NJ, and NY.  I’m looking forward to my first wholesale show in 2009 and hope to continue in that vein.  I do sell on consignment in 5 retail shops and show in 4 art galleries.   I’m hoping to sell more in the wholesale market and art galleries and do fewer juried art and craft shows.

I’m looking forward to selling my giclee prints of my artwork and some of my accessories in the wholesale market.  It’s a great opportunity to showcase my artwork and sell to a larger market.  I hope to be able to continue this as a profitable business. 

 I’m looking forward to selling my giclee prints of my artwork and some of my accessories in the wholesale market.  It’s a great opportunity to showcase my artwork and sell to a larger market.  I hope to be able to continue this as a profitable business.

Q&W: Is it important to forge relationships with shop owners?

Eric:  Absolutely, especially in the beginning.

Q&W: Do you educate your buyers on your product?

Eric:  I do have a bio on the back of my giclee prints.  People love to know about the artwork they are purchasing.  Sometimes they like to meet you at some of the gallery shows and juried shows I attend.

Q&W: Some artists do not sell wholesale because they believe they cannot get fair value for their product. Can you describe benefits to selling wholesale, especially in a struggling economy?  

Eric: It’s so much easier having someone sell my prints and accessories.  I can only do so many shows per year and going door to door takes too much time.  It also has opened so many doors of opportunities to sell my original paintings.

Q&W: Do you have any advice for artisans on weathering a poor economy?

Eric: Be selective in your shows and make sure your product is the best it can be.

Q&W: Do you advertise? What are some effective (& economical) ways to let customers know about you?

Eric: I send out a postcard every year to past clients and businesses on my schedule.

Q&W: Is it important to love what you do?

Eric: Yes!

Q&W:  What do you think American artisans/venders can do to make themselves more marketable/sellable?

Eric:  I’ve heard people say “Is this ‘made in China’” to other vendors at some early shows I did and steered away from doing those types of shows again.  I mostly only do “made in America” original artwork shows.  The higher end shows are the best to do if you want to be taken seriously as an artist.

Product Description

Eric:Original paintings, giclee prints, plaster- cast statues, pillows, hooking portraits of roosters, hens and chicks.

Q&W: Describe how your products are made:  

Eric: All of my artwork is hand made by me.  My original paintings are done in acrylic on canvas.  My giclee prints are made by a local printer.  I make my plaster molded roosters and hand-paint them. 

Q&W Tidbit: The term ”giclee print” refers to an elevation in printmaking technology. Images are generated from high resolution digital scans and printed with archival quality inks onto various substrates including canvas, fine art, and photo-base paper. The giclee printing process provides better color accuracy than other means of reproduction.

Q&W: Describe how your products are unique from similar items in the market place: 

Eric: My booth consists entirely of one theme FOWL IMAGES.  People who like roosters, love my booth.  If not, they move on.

Ordering Process

Q&W: Describe your ordering process/Ways customers can view and order your merchandise: 

Eric: I have an extensive web page and customers can contact me by phone or email.

Customer Service

Q&W: Describe what constitutes customer service to you and Give examples of how you provide excellent customer service:

Eric: I check my email throughout the day and respond immediately to any requests.  For larger purchases, I have personally delivered paintings to customers.  For repeat customers, I have offered additional items for free or at low cost.  I keep a very positive attitude and appreciate every sale and potential customer.

Q&W: Describe how your company/customer base has grown over the years:

Eric: By doing many weekend juried fine art and craft show throughout the area, people are remembering my booth and my artwork.  Each show brings new opportunities to show at larger and better events and has increased my sales tremendously. 

Q&W: Community and Charity Involvement 

      Eric: Every year, I try to do several charity events by donating artwork in auctions.

Address:585 Old Johnston City Road West Frankfort Illinois

Phone: 618-932-6633

Website: www.arnettscountrystore.com

Q&W

Please describe your art?

Stacee & Bruce:

Craft/ Folk Art.

Q&W:

How long have you been making your product?

Stacee & Bruce:

1976 & we had a local shop.