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Newsletter>
Artfire.com Artisan's Spotlight:
October 7, 2010
Please start by telling us a little about yourself and your studio.
I am Sherri Rhodes from Culloden, West Virginia. I am a graduate of Hamlin High School and Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia and studied music & art education. My husband of 12 years is also a wood worker and glass artist. I learned the art of Stained Glass in 1994 from a friend and I learned woodwork through custom picture framing. In 2001 I started selling my artwork online and in 2006 opened my retail store Express Framing and Stained Glass in St. Albans, West Virginia. In 2008, with the sharp downturn in the economy, I moved the business into my home studio and changed the name and focus to Stained Glass & Wood Craft by Sherri Rhodes. I currently sell my artwork online, at art shows, in local galleries and at Tamarack in Beckley, West Virginia. Working in my home studio allows me time to raise vegetable and flower gardens, camp fish and enjoy my beautiful state of West Virginia.
If there's one thing that defines you, what is it?
My defining quality is my smart creativity. I enjoy creatively repurposing materials into art with a function and creating artwork that is as unique in color as in design. When developing a new piece I can visualize the final product and formulate a functional and creative design. I develop patterns from photos and use nontraditional materials to create unique and functional pieces. Consumers are smarter shoppers and want something beautiful, unique and useful for their hard earned money, so I constantly develop new ideas to appeal to my smart and savvy customers.
What role does your family play in your art?
When I started my business I asked my mother and husband to be a part of it. I had no idea how important they would be. My mother is a retired Special Education Teacher. She got involved with the sales and marketing of my business and it turns out that she is a natural! I will never be able to find a better PR rep. My husband is a woodworker and I taught him the art of stained glass when we got married. He turned out to be a genius pattern maker. He can freehand anything I ask and has helped me develop many of my original patterns. He is a perfectionist, so I never think twice about his commitment to producing a quality product. Family can be your best resource!
Where do you live and what is it like?
I live in Culloden, West Virginia. I am proud of my beautiful home state of West Virginia and often chose to showcase its rich beauty, history and culture in many of my works. The secret of West Virginia is that time seems to stand still while you lose yourself in the beautiful wilderness that surrounds you every day. The rich history of the state and the natural scenic beauty provides an endless playground for the adventurous and an entire pallet of artistic inspiration for those who are inspired by the endless, scenic treasures that are hidden throughout the West Virginia Mountains.
Where did you learn your medium?
I learned Tiffany Style Stained Glass Art from a friend in 1994 while in college. She taught me a single lesson and I started reading everything I could get my hands on and honing my craft. I learned woodwork from being a certified picture framer, building my own shadowboxes and frames. I developed my wooden frame boxes as a combination of the two and I wanted to recycle the beautiful leftover inventory from my custom orders, so the frame box was born.
What are your goals with your ArtFire studio?
I design and sell original and functional works of art combining wood, paper and glass; My ArtFire studio goals are to reuse, recycle and repurpose all materials producing less waste, creating beautiful and functional artwork and promoting art and culture in West Virginia. ArtFire's outstanding price structure allows me to list all of my art and I plan to use ArtFire as my principal sales and marketing tool moving forward!
How did you come to selling online?
I live in rural West Virginia. And like most people in my community, I needed a second income stream to make ends meet, but didn't have solid retail opportunities in my local community due to my geographical challenges. I started selling online to produce that second income for my family and found it to be a wonderful alternative to a long commute or opening a retail store in a location with no retail traffic. I began to design "shipping friendly" products developed to withstand the shipping process and I am still doing that today.
How did you come to find a home on ArtFire?
When I started selling online in 2001, I opened an eBay store. At the time it was the only option for an artist to sell online without spending thousands on a website. Over time eBay became "FeeBay" and its popularity has peaked and is in decline at this time as far as I am concerned. I needed another more targeted venue to sell my art. I searched Google and found ArtFire.com. The name caught my attention and I explored the site; I was hooked. I spent hours just shopping and browsing. I found selling on ArtFire.com is so easy and enjoyable; I made it my new home!
What is the best piece of advice you can give other artists?
People may like your artwork, but they buy because they feel a connection to the artist. My advice is for artists who make artwork for the purpose of selling it: the sales and marketing of your artwork is an artistic medium in itself. You must inject yourself into this medium and treat it as a work of art. The words I use to market my own works have to be of the finest quality, like the materials in my artwork. Sell your story as you would your artwork and take time to craft professional, quality marketing materials using the best resources and venues for your ads. Sell your story, sell your art!
Why do you think that buying and selling handmade products benefits society?
Handmade still means quality and luxury. Today's consumer is still spending, but they are spending smarter. People still enjoy luxury, but insist that is a quality product that is beautiful and functional. Handmade artwork often uses recycled materials and every discarded item that is kept from the landfill is a benefit; and if you can repurpose an item creatively and artistically, everyone benefits! Another benefit to society is that they are investing in a product made in America; thus, supporting the local and US economy!
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