After my last post I began to think I might have come across as "I have nothing to do but run amuck on my property wielding tractors and other implements of undesired vegetation doom" and how that may sound to those patiently waiting for their orders. Recently some other artists have come out with very detailed descriptions of how their studios operate, and if a spouse is involved exactly what their involvement and responsibilities are. I think it's time I do that as well.
Most of you know my resins are cast in house by my husband Todd. Todd is a very meticulous person, and is also not a fast worker. It would be hard to be both meticulous and fast. How this effects my customers is they have a longer wait, but what we feel is a superior casting. We get emails all the time saying how nice our castings are and how little clean up work is required before they can be painted. I also am fine with time payments, how ever long it takes and however small the payments are, and that has come back to me in a very positive way as having the most patient customers on earth when it comes to the casting schedule.
"So why aren't you in the casting studio helping Todd?" you might be wondering. Well, that is something that has been done a few times in the past, and it does not work that well for us. For one thing, I do not like anything to do with the casting process. I do, however, make the molds. Todd does all the physical casting, the clean up work, and the shipping. We sometimes employ outside help in getting the castings cleaned up, which we are doing presently (big thanks to Sonya!). When I insist on helping I get overly involved, nit pick, and in general step on Todd's toes and get in the way. I don't ask him to help me sculpt, he doesn't want or need me to help with casting.
I do all the record keeping, which is a hidden user of large amounts of time when one thinks of how neat it would be to be self employed. There is a LOT to keep on top of, especially considering that I take time payments. I use Quickbooks for this which has been beyond helpful to me. I have records of every single model horse sale I've ever made. I also update the website, try to post regularly on this blog (!), check in with the hobby forums, keep my advertising up to date (need to do that soon, too), and respond to email (sometimes I fall quite a bit behind on this).
So, after sculpting all winter with limited breaks to get groceries, I thoroughly enjoy the free time I do get when I have completed a new sculpture and need to just let Todd do his work. Be assured that when you do get your casting, it has been given the once and twice over, and if somehow one gets through with a defect we always will send a replacement. Doesn't happen very often, though :)
