Learn to… Art!

Artist Websites

Mar 13, 2011 Art General

Let’s face it, some artist websites absolutely suck. Is yours one of them?

Caroly Edlund of Artsy Shark (a marketing website for emerging artists) tracked down a handful of art bloggers (myself included) and posed the question, “what bugs you most about artist websites?”

The resulting article is a comprehensive collection of what-not-to-do’s. From music on websites and url names to crediting images and aesthetics, this should be required reading for every artist who has (or is thinking of having) a website.

I mean, you’re putting the effort into making it, why not make it right?

Anyways, I am extremely honoured to be  included and I encourage you to check it out:

What’s Wrong With Your Art Website?

Tags: art website

What Gets You in the Mood?

Feb 23, 2011 Art General

Mood lighting?

Soft music?

Paint fumes?

We all have little rituals throughout the day to get us ready for the task at hand. These activities put us in the frame of mind needed to tackle whatever it is that has to be done. Maybe you have a coffee and check your e-mails before you go to work in the morning. Before turning out the light to go to sleep, you wash your face, brush your teeth and read a magazine.

 These small, insignificant activities can go a long way towards your mental preparation, which also applies to the artist in the studio!

I know that I have my pre-studio ritual. One thing I like to do before beginning a painting session is to put on my painting clothes. It kind of goes without saying in a practical sense (I can get messy), but it’s like my uniform. Wearing painting clothes tells my brain that it’s time to get to work. There is a shift in mentality that accompanies getting changed for the studio.

Another little ritual I have is to peel the dried paint off my palette. Again, it sounds kind of stupid, but it’s almost a type of meditation. This is when I can let my mind wander and think about my last painting session and where I want to go next with my work.

These rituals provide the transition from work-mode, or cooking-mode, or cleaning-mode into studio-mode.

When it comes to sleeping, many people find that healthy bedtime rituals improve their sleep. Let’s apply this to art! Perhaps your rituals before you hit the studio can actually help you be a better artist!

What puts you in the mood to paint?

Tags: inspiration, motivation, rituals

5 Practical Tips to Get Your First Gallery Show

Feb 2, 2011 Art General

Does this sound like you?

• You’ve been working on your art for a couple of years.
• You have accumulated a body of work, or about 12 pieces based on a related theme.
• You have a fairly good understanding of where you’re coming from and what you’re wanting to accomplish with your work.

If so, you may be ready for your own art show, but what’s the next step?

Don’t be too intimidated by a lack of experience or education to put yourself out there and apply for shows. Galleries look for good art; your CV isn’t the be all and end all. Spring is when many galleries have their submission deadlines, so don’t miss out! Here are some tips to help you take that next big step.

1. Research

Find out what galleries there are in your area, but don’t limit yourself to one location. Expand your search and see what is available elsewhere. Galleries often focus on bringing in talent from out of town, making it easier to get your first show in a city you don’t live in.

Stay away from the more established galleries and look for not-for-profit galleries and artist-run centres. These are generally more open-minded in regards to what they show. Read the gallery’s mandate to find out if they are more interested in showing emerging artists (like yourself) or mid-career and established artists. Also, check out this 411 on Non-Profit Galleries.

2. Work in Bulk

Honestly, it takes just as much effort to submit 10 applications as it does to submit one. The hardest part is drafting  your artist statement, your CV and your cover letter. Once that’s done, you might as well submit it to as many galleries as you can find.

I take an assembly line approach to my proposals. I take my time putting together all of my information and collecting everything I need. When that is done, I print them all, assemble them all, package them all and take them all down to the post office. If you’re going to do the work, you might as well get the most bang for your buck!

3. Quantity

On a related note, send out lots of submissions. Getting an art show is often a numbers game. The more proposals you send out, the more chances you have. As long as you make sure each gallery  is a potential good match for your work, you can’t go wrong. Which brings us to…

4. Rejection

Don’t take it personally. Rejection letters should be a badge of pride, not shame. Rejection means you’re putting yourself out there, you’re taking risks and you’re putting yourself in the position to benefit from those risks. People who aren’t getting rejection letters aren’t applying for shows!

Your first rejection letter will likely be the hardest. The more you get, the easier it is to take. That’s another benefit of sending out lots of proposals. If you only send out one, all your hopes are riding on a single possibility. If it doesn’t pan out, it’s that much more disappointing.

Don’t let the fear of rejection hold you back!

5. Keep Your Head on Straight

When you start applying for shows, it’s going to be important to stay organized. This is when you need to engage your business brain instead of your art brain.

I recomend keeping clear records of all the galleries you’ve applied to, when you applied, the body of work you submitted, and what the response was. This will help you when you put together proposals in the following years. You’ll know which galleries to submit to again, and which to avoid. As you come across new galleries, add them to your list for next time.

Keep your computer files organized as well. Once you’ve been doing proposals for a couple of years, you are going to need to keep your artist statements, image lists and everything else from getting mixed up.

So….

If you have a well-executed body of work that you can back up with a good artist statement, there’s really no reason you couldn’t get a show in a gallery. You just need to pick the right venue for your work and put yourself out there. It won’t happen if you don’t try!

If you’re ready to take the plunge, check out my checklist for getting your art in a gallery.

Tags: exhibitions, galleries

Solutions to Online Art Sales

Jan 26, 2011 Art General, Promotion and Exhibition

In case you missed it, I recently had an unpleasant experience involving internet sales. The gist of it is this: I did not recieve payment for a commission until several weeks after it had been received. As a result of this experience, I have decided to re-configure my process for online sales and commissions.

I’m fairly new to selling online, and I admit to making some mistakes. Namely, shipping art that was not paid for in full. The reason I did this was to help establish trust with potential clients. They showed their trust in me by making the initial deposit without ever seeing any product. In turn, I would not require full payment until they had been able to approve the portrait in person. I also waited too long to follow up with my client, not wanting to be too pushy.

Despite the mistakes, it has been a learning experience. Here are some of the steps I have taken or will take to protect myself.

Payment in Full

My original policy was that I would begin a commission when I received a 50% deposit. When the portrait had been delivered, the rest of the payment was due.

No more! I have decided that this is showing a little too much faith on my part. Work on a commission will not start until the deposit has been made, and the piece will not be shipped until the balance is also paid. The client will be involved during the completion of the commission so that they can see how it is coming along. They will then have the opportunity to approve a high quality digital image of the final drawing before paying their balance. Throughout this process, they can request changes or alterations.

I originally thought it was unfair to ask someone to pay for something they had never seen. After looking at Etsy, though, I realized that there are a lot of people out there doing custom work and asking for full payment up front. It’s really no different. If you are able to establish trust with your clients, this shouldn’t be a problem.

Put it in Writing

Up until now, I haven’t used a contract for any of my commissions. I couldn’t really tell you why, other than I never really felt like I needed one.  However, I do think a contract would help provide some security for both myself and my clients.

I’ve always read that having a contract helps put a client’s mind at ease and I never really understood it until now. I am in the process of planning my wedding and only some of the vendors I’ve booked have had contracts. It is definitely reassuring to have a physical piece of paper that outlines exactly what they are doing and when. I would like my clients to have the same reassurance.

A contract would also help clients to realize that they are making a serious commitment to purchasing the artwork. It would be one more reminder and a bit of leverage when it came to getting final payment.

A contract would also allow me to outline policies on portrait revisions. During this holiday season, I had a client ask for changes to be made to a portrait that had already been delivered and approved (in person). I was compensated for this extra work, but it would be helpful to have my rates in writing somewhere.

If you’re interested, read more about commission contracts or  check out this sample contract for art commissions.

Establishing Trust

As I’ve already mentioned, successful online art sales depend on mutual trust between you and your client. So what are somethings you can do to establish trust?

• Take time to create and maintain an online presence: blog regularly, update your facebook and twitter.
• Sell through an established site like Etsy.
• Use first-person testimonials on your site.

What are some strategies you’ve used to establish trust online?

Tags: online marketing, promotion, selling art

Good News!

Jan 25, 2011 Art General

I am thrilled to report that not two days after posting about the commission I hadn’t been paid for, I got paid in full!

I tend to think it was just an honest mistake, a simple slip of the mind. The client gave me no red flags or reasons to be concerned up until the point that I didn’t hear back. In fact, the client was prompt and co-operative from the start.

That being said, I will be putting policies in place to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. Check back tomorrow for my solution to selling art online.

Tags: art business, sell art