I am jumping around a little in my posts. I was going to make my next post about my palette but since I just sold two prints via Fine Art America I switched gears.
Of course, there are a number of avenues for selling your artwork.
1. Outside art fairs - I have done these and still do one but it requires a lot of work and you have to be comfortable selling, chatting and meeting possible art purchasers. You need to purchase a tent, some method of display, get a transient vendor license, chair, some method of letting customers use a charge card and of course some vehicle to transport all of this to the show. I purchased my tent and a small trailer on Craigslist. But it was a considerable investment. The other problem for me is that I need help setting up my tent. I can do all but the heavy lifting by myself. I know you can buy relatively inexpensive easy-up tents but if the weather turns bad you best have a very sturdy tent. I will talk more about this in future posts.
2. Galleries - I have been very lucky with the few I am in. I haven't approached any others but have been thinking about expanding my marketing efforts in that direction. Just be prepared, you have to have product - and it needs to be freshened on a regular basis. I have only had pieces on consignment, and I always prepare a contract for them to sign. You should also keep an inventory of what paintings are where and keep it up to date.
3. Prints - I used to have someone photograph my work and then make prints. At the art fairs I would sell one or two prints per time but this is something I no longer do. First of all, I am down to just one fair and secondly I have been selling work on Fine Art America. The only trick to this is to have a great photograph of your work. You need a Tripod!!! And you need to photograph it before varnish and in natural light. The last thing you want is to hear that your print maker cannot make prints from that photograph because of shake or pixel problems.
4. Fine Art America. You can belong to this site for a fairly small amount of money per year - I think it is $35.00. You artwork is displayed, you price it out, it is an easy upload and customers view it. If someone is interested in purchasing a print of your painting they just order it. It is that simple. I have easily covered my cost. The one suggestion I have for this site or any site like this - do not upload all your work at the same time! Upload no more than one per day - this is because when it is uploaded it is displayed that day as new work - if you upload all of it you have exposure like that on day one. If you upload a piece every day you have exposure for a number of days. The other site that is popular is Imagekind. I am planning to start using that site as well. Double my exposure and hopefully increase my earning potential.
5. Daily Paintworks - This is a site used by many artists and is for selling original paintings. I am using this venue for small work. Since I just joined a month ago I have no read on how successful it will be but one of my friends sells work regularly. She says it is very important to integrate a blog and other venues for exposure to make this work.
6. Of course you need a web site - and please, please, please, if you get a domain name use your name. As creative as some names can be just use your own name - you are building a brand. I use the site Fine Art America On Line for my web service. The site was hugely easy to build (and I am not the most technically proficient) and their tech support is GREAT! They have a daily display of work and draw from new work you display on your opening page. I change my opening page often to take advantage of this marketing tool.
7. Have rack cards made - I always keep them handy - at shows, attached to the back of my paintings at the galleries, in my car and with my painting gear when I go out to paint "en plein air". And I am not shy about handing them out! I have my name, mobile phone number, web site and in the future will include the other places where I market my work, such as Daily Paintworks or Fine Art America.
Some things I have also considered but not done - yet.
1. Having an open studio and inviting all my neighbors and those that have attended any show I have done in the area. This can be a little tricky, since, in both Cleveland and Hilton Head I live in gated communities.
2. Advertising in one of the magazines - such as Hilton Head Monthly, CH2 (both in Hilton Head) or Currents in Cleveland. This is very expensive though and I don't know how fruitful it would be.
2. Call your local libraries and see if you could have a show there or a local hospital etc. Get exposure.
I will try to think of other things and hopefully this will spur you and me to get creative about other methods of marketing our work!
No comments:
Post a Comment