Michael Cahill
What is your biggest challenge when selling your art?
I have to say that I do not "sell" in the usual sense. I know some artists who are very good at "selling" or talking the customer into buying something that they might not otherwise do. I cannot do that - I cannot try to convince someone to purchase something. To me, it works best if the customer really likes a piece and they decide they want it as opposed to me convincing them that they want it. I just feel better about the whole deal that way. It is not that I ignore customers - I enjoy talking to them if they want to talk and they have an interest in some aspect of my work. To me, a very important part of the whole art show thing is for me to enjoy it and for customers to enjoy it. So this process works for me. Your mileage may vary.
Tell us about your most interesting interaction with a customer.
One of my images is somewhat famous. It is of a lady walking on a snow-covered Brooklyn Bridge while dressed in black and carrying a red umbrella. A lady came into my booth at Art-A-Fair about two years ago and bought the framed version so she could send it to her mother. She told me that her mother lives in Brooklyn and often walks across the bridge to her job in lower Manhattan. Her mother has an all-black outfit similar to the one in the picture. And, her mother also sports a . . . . . . . . . . . . red umbrella. It is impossible to tell if it is her mother but it nevertheless is a good small world story.
Any fascinating facts about yourself that you would like to share with the Shy Artist community?
Fascinating is likely a real overstatement but I find it interesting that I am now doing art photography given my background. I started out as a Navy pilot (aircraft carriers and all that), then progressed to become a Navy test pilot. Subsequently, in the Navy Reserve I got into Naval Intelligence programs and worked in advanced projects for a leading aerospace company. Hardly a typical pathway to now being an "artist" !!
I have to say that I do not "sell" in the usual sense. I know some artists who are very good at "selling" or talking the customer into buying something that they might not otherwise do. I cannot do that - I cannot try to convince someone to purchase something. To me, it works best if the customer really likes a piece and they decide they want it as opposed to me convincing them that they want it. I just feel better about the whole deal that way. It is not that I ignore customers - I enjoy talking to them if they want to talk and they have an interest in some aspect of my work. To me, a very important part of the whole art show thing is for me to enjoy it and for customers to enjoy it. So this process works for me. Your mileage may vary.
Tell us about your most interesting interaction with a customer.
One of my images is somewhat famous. It is of a lady walking on a snow-covered Brooklyn Bridge while dressed in black and carrying a red umbrella. A lady came into my booth at Art-A-Fair about two years ago and bought the framed version so she could send it to her mother. She told me that her mother lives in Brooklyn and often walks across the bridge to her job in lower Manhattan. Her mother has an all-black outfit similar to the one in the picture. And, her mother also sports a . . . . . . . . . . . . red umbrella. It is impossible to tell if it is her mother but it nevertheless is a good small world story.
Any fascinating facts about yourself that you would like to share with the Shy Artist community?
Fascinating is likely a real overstatement but I find it interesting that I am now doing art photography given my background. I started out as a Navy pilot (aircraft carriers and all that), then progressed to become a Navy test pilot. Subsequently, in the Navy Reserve I got into Naval Intelligence programs and worked in advanced projects for a leading aerospace company. Hardly a typical pathway to now being an "artist" !!
Image information:
B-25 Mitchell
This image was taken as a (rare) winter rainstorm cleared in southern California. I like to chase rain storms as they clear to capture that mood along with old airplanes such as this.
Brooklyn Bridge - Red Umbrella
Taken on the Brooklyn side of the bridge facing Manhattan early on a snowy / rainy February morning in 2001.
Doryman's Boat
In Newport Beach, CA, dory fishermen sell their catch in the early morning hours near Newport Pier. This was one of their utility boats.
Old House, Bedroom, Window and Stairs
This image was taken in a museum in rural Pennsylvania. It was a fascinating and very picturesque old home.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse
The lighthouse is located on the California coast north of Santa Cruz. I was lucky to get the cloudy sky that adds so much to the image.
B-25 Mitchell
This image was taken as a (rare) winter rainstorm cleared in southern California. I like to chase rain storms as they clear to capture that mood along with old airplanes such as this.
Brooklyn Bridge - Red Umbrella
Taken on the Brooklyn side of the bridge facing Manhattan early on a snowy / rainy February morning in 2001.
Doryman's Boat
In Newport Beach, CA, dory fishermen sell their catch in the early morning hours near Newport Pier. This was one of their utility boats.
Old House, Bedroom, Window and Stairs
This image was taken in a museum in rural Pennsylvania. It was a fascinating and very picturesque old home.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse
The lighthouse is located on the California coast north of Santa Cruz. I was lucky to get the cloudy sky that adds so much to the image.