The Artist’s Evolution in the Face of a Pandemic
As so many businesses were being forced to close during the Covid-19 pandemic, FireSmith Copper struggled with uncertainty and the loss of a major source of income. Changing strategy to adapt to these new circumstances allowed us to survive and innovate, namely through the launch of our online shop and the loyalty and support of our clients.
The Before
Prior to the pandemic, our lives were filled with working, split between our studio and traveling during the summer. Over the winter and spring we would work in our studio, filling our commissions and creating new work to prepare for the summer show season.
During the summers, we would be gone for days and weeks at a time at art shows. In between, it was long hours back at the studio trying to fulfill orders and stock our booth for the next show. Our lives were non-stop work, non-stop movement, non-stop art, non-stop, full stop.
Then came the pandemic and everything... stopped.
The Virus that Changed the World
We were actually at a show in Seattle when we first heard of this virus going around, but we didn’t think much of it. However, the severity of the situation quickly became a reality. That show, which was supposed to be very busy, was empty. We later found out that the first confirmed death from Covid in the US was in Seattle during that weekend.
During the next few weeks, a heaviness sunk in as we realized something was off. Shortly after, we received our first notification that a show was canceled. We continued to work, not realizing how our lives would dramatically change in such a short time. Throughout the following weeks it seemed as though a show was being canceled every few days.
For a little background, we actually apply for shows in the fall of the year prior and are notified of acceptance in the spring. As Oregon artists, we normally attend 15 to 20 shows around the Western United States over a seven month period. In 2020, every single show was canceled. It took us a few weeks to realize what was happening and that this trend of canceled shows would continue.
We optimistically continued to work in the studio until we received the call that the last of the shows was canceled. Then our work stopped.
Without income, we had no way to produce our copperwork. Our materials are quite expensive and can only be used once, and we cannot recycle our copper to be used again. Without shows to sell our work, we decided to hold on to our materials until we had a better idea of what the future would hold.
But as soon as the shows began to be canceled, we realized we had to do something, and had to do it fast.
Changing Tactics
The winds of change had been blowing at FireSmith Copper even before the pandemic. We had recently hired a digital marketing director to shift us from wall hangings to the business of creating bar tops, commercial installations and eventually public works.
The bar tops we created for Board Restaurant in Eugene, OR and Cornbread Cafe in Springfield, OR, respectively. We hoped bar tops could be a new focus for Firesmith Copper, but that was interrupted by the pandemic and the closure of restaurants across the country.
We had had success with two bar tops in our local area and were excited to move in that direction. The pandemic, however, shifted the winds of change once again and we were forced to change tactics. Without shows to sell our copper art, the best option was to move to an online shop. Our digital marketer was crucial in helping us create a beautiful and user-friendly commerce website. We revamped our existing website and as she worked the backend, while we worked on the frontend, creating the FireSmith Copper Shop.
The FireSmith Copper online shop was the result of our team adapting to the circumstances of the pandemic. As they say, necessity is the mother of invention!
At the beginning of the pandemic, as we turned our focus to this new venture, our days were spent on the computer; hours and hours of editing images, creating content, and deciding what to even put on our website. Sitting at the computer for hours was NOT something either of us ever intended to devote so much time to in our work. But, after long hours and sore shoulders, our website was up and running in two months.
The website still requires a lot of dedication, but now we split that time between the studio, attending shows, and maintaining the online shop. It's a lot more work, but we love having a space where people can shop for our work without having to travel to shows.
Relying on Relationships
“A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all.”
In addition to revamping our website, we knew we had to turn to our most important resource: our clients. So, we dug into our rolodex and found work. We contacted any clients throughout the years who had thought about commissions or dabbled in the idea of putting our copper in their homes. We called, we emailed, we followed up on their dreams and ideas, letting them know that we had the materials, we had the time, we just needed the projects.
Our days were spent in the studio creating large commissions for our cherished clients. We were able to spend more time on the work, perfecting their visions and practicing new techniques and new sizes we had never tackled before.
We put out some of the best work we ever have during that year.
Going Bigger and Better
The circumstances of the pandemic forced us to adjust the way we created and what came out of the studio, sometimes with surprising results. It was no longer feasible to sell the small, flat pieces that had always been popular at the shows. The price of copper and our tools increased so much that we had to cut out that style of work. We focused instead on our handcrafted framed copper art, the pieces wrapped around Paul's handmade wooden frames.
One of our larger, framed pieces that became the focus of our creative output during the pandemic.
Birch Forest
68”x 68”x 2”
2020
Since working on large pieces throughout the pandemic, we decided to continue the trend and sell these works not only by commission, but at the shows as well. Not only is it more economical with the rising cost of materials (allowing us to sell pieces at a better price point), we also found working on large, framed copper art more challenging, but much more rewarding. We get to spend more time on each piece, resulting in more successful and intentional artwork. You’ll notice our emphasis on larger copper pieces when you see our booth, which you can experience in person at our shows.
The pandemic also allowed us to explore new designs and techniques. With the extra time I was able to look back into some of my old work and find inspiration from old prints I made in college. These were based on maps and direction, patterns and repetition. The themes in my printmaking were meaningful to the current time and sentiment of our situation, so I studied these designs and practiced translating them onto copper. The result is the series Inward Journey, which is reflective of my past work and the introspection we all had to manage during the pandemic.
Inward Journey Series: Crossroads
32”x 8”x 2”
2020
While I was working on new designs, Paul was creating new techniques for our copper. Besides the wall hanging copper art, one of our new products is a backsplash design for stoves. We had previously created backsplashes similar to our framed work, but now, with the extra time, Paul created a new technique using tempered glass on top of the copper. This not only protects the copper a bit more than our normal coating, it creates a very nice surface finish and allows him to play with the trim. The result was very successful, and this is the technique we now use for all our backsplash projects.
One of our copper backsplash, created using the new techniques Paul developed during the extra time we spent in the studio due to the pandemic.
Tempered glass Backsplash
22”x 28”x 2”
2020
The Comeback
After surviving 2020 through the sales generated by commissions and our online shop, we were ready to get back to seeing our customers face-to-face. We started shows again in the summer of 2021 and the first shows were fantastic. It was wonderful to connect with people again and we were so grateful that we were able to do all our shows in an outdoor setting. This allowed us and the people who attended the shows to interact more safely as the pandemic was declining.
The summer, however, was even busier and more challenging than any year before. Previous to the pandemic, we would attend 15-20 shows over 7 months. In 2021, we attended 11 shows in 3 months. Almost every show during that season was changing the dates of their events to accompany the constantly evolving pandemic restrictions and requirements. Shows would change dates just weeks before the event.
There were a few weekends that I would be in a different state than Paul, trying to fit in every show we possibly could. It was a whirlwind. It was also one of the most successful show seasons of FireSmith Copper's career. The joy of being on the road, the delight of interacting with people again, and the bliss of reentering the world again was absolutely wonderful.
The Kimball Arts Festival where FireSmith Copper was awarded Best in Show for Metalwork.
Aug 2020
Park City, UT
Finding what Matters
Reflecting on the past few years, it was a time of personal and professional highs and even more lows that taught us a lot about resilience and what makes a successful business. Our biggest personal obstacle was our mental health and getting over the despair of all of our shows being canceled. Our income mostly comes from these shows and we rely on them to fund our business the rest of the year. With each cancellation, each email or call, our anxiety rose and our fear deepened. But we remained determined not to lose what we had spent so many years building. The completion of our website and the success of our online presence was one of the small wins we got to celebrate during this time. However, what helped lift us out of this fog was the support of our clients. They were easy to work with and very sympathetic to our situation. It was an important reminder of just how valuable our relationships are with our clients, who allow us to keep creating and sharing the flame-painted copper art that we love.