The Art of “Selling Art part 2”
In “Selling Art” the tools of the trade are more than canvas, paint, and brushes…
I have shared that selling my art is something I truly enjoy! I do enjoy the process and am not afraid of hard work or putting myself out there. I am not intimidated by the process of selling but that truly requires learning your own process and breaking it down into more easily defined goals if you want to begin to hit the target.
Research is important in pursuing any goal. We research where we want to live, where our children will go to school, diets, exercise regimes, doctors and I even researched the kind of husband I wanted to spend my life with! For an art career I began researching for 8+ months mid 2016 and in to 2017… before I actually began painting. During that time I flipped through a multitude of interior design magazines, visited art galleries, and eventually opened a business instagram account. I wanted to see what the trends were in decorating with the use of art, see art hanging in galleries then follow artists to get some thoughts on the lifestyle, work life of actual artists. I Did. Not. Know. A. Single. Contemporary. Artist. before I visited the galleries and began to figure out instagram. I went in to my decision to become an artist completely cold so the first step for me was to see what was “going on”.
I worked in oils through high school, and later, art classes. I knew that I was no longer patient enough to wait for the proverbial “paint to dry” so acrylics were my obvious choice. At this point I began studying supplies and I knew that quality would matter. My favorite paint is Golden. I enjoy its consistency and although I know how to mix colors, I also love to use color that I am so pleased with that I buy a lot of basic favorites that I don’t believe anyone can improve upon! (My opinion that is probably more than likely heresy but good companies come up with gorgeous hues for a reason!) My next step, WHAT would I paint?
I happen to be an avid gardener…not a Master gardener but I can hold my own for a fairly lengthy conversation! Florals were the obvious go to and then possibly abstracts. (I talk about how I came to paint flower ladies, my favorite, in my blog post “The Art of Character”) Peonies and roses are my favorite so most of my abstract florals lean that direction. After that, any floral that lends itself to whimsy and subjective color choices. Flowers, whether real or in a painting belong in any room of the home…which my mother has proved by where she has placed many of my old paintings from when I was in high school!
Even though you can not research every single facet of what you want to know to begin a career, you can break it down and hit the high spots that will get you in to the game. I’m a firm believer in a pencil and notebook, in this life of high tech and write, write, write it all down. Your thoughts, what you need to do, where you might learn about it, who you might could learn from, etc. The process of writing stimulates your mind to think of even more that would help you on this journey.
Keeping a level head is important. For me this meant to not overthink what you need to do to get started. Overthinking could make you doubt yourself, shut down and lose confidence. Keeping a level head means just take it one step at a time. You won’t figure it all out in one day and you won’t become a failure or a success in one day either. Keeping a level head sees starting a trade, a job, a career as one step at a time, one day at a time and to be careful who you go to for advice. The nicest people can be either “Debbie Downers” highlighting every pitfall that could happen in a way that makes you think it’s pointless to even try. On the other hand, there are those who have no skin in the game that will encourage you, guarantee you that you will be a success but they themselves have no concept of what it means to step out as a one person business and take a chance. It is a good thing to get advice so choose people that are good at mentoring. My husband has always been a great encourager but I also remember him encouraging me to bring him a business plan when my friend and I decided to begin Sweet Pea Designs and design/personalize/sell fine stationery. So choose someone to bounce your thoughts/hopes/concerns off of but be choosy and don’t choose everyone you know!
Tell yourself the Truth. If you want to begin selling your mother’s poundcake recipe that everyone loves, but you aren’t willing to have a proper kitchen, follow food safety laws (which in some states requires no pets in the work kitchen period or you can’t sell it), a business license, etc, etc. there is a good chance you need to just bake for friends and give it away. If you do the research and you know that you aren’t willing to put in the effort, you have to have an honest talk with yourself about whether the “idea” of being an artist or any entrepreneur is more attractive than the work it takes. There are many things you can do, like art, that can bring you and others satisfaction/appreciation and it isn’t really about the money. I walked recently with an artist who does beautiful work and she does not sell anything…she gives it as gifts. So examine your heart and your goals and then listen to what it is you really want.
The last aspect is really optional but I think it is a good thing to develop a relationship/reputation with potential clients or art friends/collectors about what you do, why you do it and who you are when you paint and when it is your day off.
As my dad was famous for saying “and it wasn’t cheap, either!” Original art is not usually inexpensive. It is one of a kind, unique, created with effort and heart and usually for a reason. For that reason, wouldn’t you like to know something about the artist providing you an original piece for your home? So much of what we buy comes from places we know nothing about…I find it to be so much fun when I know the source and even something interesting/fun/whimsical about them…and especially if it comes from someone in your own community.
So I although I was brief with my thoughts on selling art, I hope I may have planted just one interesting thought in your mind and perhaps more than one that is encouraging. In closing, I hope that I will be considered a gracious artist as time goes by and I am able to learn a few things worth sharing. It is important to learn much of it on your own because it makes you smarter and stronger…but it’s a kind thing to share what you have learned when you can that encourages someone to do better that has not come as far.
Kim Kreis graduated with a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education and taught the most delightful fourth graders in a blue collar, farming community outside Dothan, Alabama for 10 years. Following her marriage in 1986, she moved to Birmingham where she began a new career as a stay at home mom and a fine stationery entrepreneur for 25+ years. Once she and her business partner passed on their company, Sweet Pea Designs, the next step became obvious…to be an artist with a purpose…
