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Nice booth, Karin.
I did one of the very big fairs here last year and I will do it again this year.
I show half a dozen portrait samples, framed, on easels. I also demo the start of a new painting (more exciting to watch than the finish work and doesn't take as much concentration.) Doing this keeps me from getting totally bored over the two days of the fair. I also have my portfolio book and cards out on a table.
Of course I don't sell anything at the show. I get names in a guest book and last year got one big commission out of it.
I'm located in a section of the fair away from most other booths but near where families bring their kids to play on those giant inflatable rides. Since a large part of my market is parents of small kids, I think it's a good place to be. The parents wait in line with their kids and they watch me demo.
Also, the booth fees are a fraction of what they would be along the rows with hundreds of other art and craft booths. My only other cost is the canopy and signs which I bought last year. I figure I'll do this fair for three years and then evaluate whether it's a good use of my time. (That one big commission from last year certainly made it worthwile, but it could just as easily have been zero.)
Because portraiture is such a big ticket item it's not something people decide to do on the spur of the moment at a fair, of course. I think people who saw me last year may have started to think about it and when they see me again this year they may be motivated to act. We'll see. It's in early October so I'll let everyone know how it goes!
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