Selling your work

[Li Tyler]

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What is the best path for becoming a well known successful artist?

[Sharon Lynn Williams]

Where in BC do you live?

[Steve Kohr]

Lots of great advice on here...I'd add that you should try to get your stuff out there as much as possible.  Consider setting up an etsy/zazzle shop online, advertise thru facebook.  I've also advertised at my place of work, in my neighborhood (we have an email listserv that I'm part of), and in places like coffee shops.  I was also fortunate to display my art at a couple of business functions thru my girlfriend's place of work, as well as thru a friend of mine who worked for an environmental firm - they held a fundraiser and I was able to supply them with some art.  Just so happened that these functions were being held in drab/dull rooms, so I was able to decorate the walls and get exposure that way.   Good luck!

[Doug]

Vancouver area.

Sharon Lynn Williams said:

Where in BC do you live?

[Li Tyler]

Thanks for your ideas Steve!!!

[Li Tyler]

Steve, I just heard of Zazzle for the first time today, that is just before your mention of it! I'll have to check it out! Oh, how to keep up with everything?

[Aurelia Sieberhagen]

Another idea about giving your art to fundraisers what I do:  Artists always have some charity, school, church, etc. who wants you to donate some artwork.  I used to think its great advertisement for me, but the truth is, it’s not that really unless the TV or newspaper is there and to an article about you and that seldom happens.  I only give a piece of art on one condition:  they must buy tickets for a lucky draw.  I don't care for how much they sell the tickets for as I don't get the money, but I am interested in the names, telephones and email addresses.  After the lucky draw I went home with a bag full of people’s names and contact numbers.  That is some new people on my contact list for invitations to my next exhibition!

Planning an exhibition and don’t know where to get people to invite for your opening night?  Go to the local clubs (hockey, rugby, and golf clubs).  They all have a list of member’s info.  Also go to the local chamber of commerce, they have a lot of VIP's numbers.  And if the secretary doesn’t want to give you their numbers, design a fancy email invitation and send it to her to send it on to the members.  But very important designing your email invitation!!  Don't let it be more than 300kb.  Nothing irritates a person more than have to wait forever to download your invitation and you don't want that!!!  And keep the invitation SIMPLE.  People don’t have the time to read your whole biography since the day you were born up till now!  In a split second, they want to know what it is all about. 

 Also never heard of Zazzle.  Will check it out as well.

[Li Tyler]

Great ideas, thank you Aurelia!

[Aurelia Sieberhagen]

Glad to help!  I am not an expert, but this is just my personal experience.  I remembered the first email invitation I send out.  I did not know much about file size and shrinking pictures, so I send out a HUGE file with a lot of pictures of my work that took about an hour to download!!  Needless to say, I had a lot of serious pissed off customers and I was very embarrassed!

 

[Li Tyler]

Thank you!

[Steve Kohr]

Aurelia - that's a GREAT idea!

Aurelia Sieberhagen said:

....Also go to the local chamber of commerce, they have a lot of VIP's numbers.  And if the secretary doesn’t want to give you their numbers, design a fancy email invitation and send it to her to send it on to the members." 

[Sharon Lynn Williams]

Boy I sure hope that nobody is giving out my contact info to anyone looking for contacts!! Remember, what goes around, comes around.

Aurelia: I like the idea of getting the contact of people who give it to you willingly, knowing what it means :) Your idea of a lucky draw is a good one. 

I give my art to charities that I believe in and would like to support with cash, but can't. They certainly aren't 'exposure' as much as the organizers would have you believe!!! Plus I think that artists should insist on receiving a percentage of the take!

[Li Tyler]

I also beleive that the exposure idea is crap, but if I beleive in the cause, I give!