It's Not Just About Making the Art

If you think that being an artist in 2017 is just about making the art, it isn't. There are so many demands on your time that if you spend all of your time in the studio making art, then you won't be able to sell it to make a living.

The main reason I do these videos is to help you in all facets of being an artist. There is so much more to being a professional artist than than painting. That's why I rarely talk about painting techniques, because in the long run they don't matter as much as other parts of the art business. Anyone can show you techniques, but not many people are going to tell you the truth about what it takes to be a professional artist.

There are those in the top tier art galleries in the world that make a great living by making paintings, taking those to the galleries and then let the galleries do most of the work to market and sell them. For the rest of us this doesn't work anymore.

The rest of us have to get out of our studios and meet people, find collectors, find exhibition opportunities, get our work up, market our work and our brand and try to sell our work. Here are just a few of the things you will have to do beyond painting in the studio:

Meet collectors
Go to meet and greets
Teach
Start and email list and nurture those leads to turn them into customers
Develop online programs
Post often to social media
Make videos
Film live videos
Get your paintings into shows
Find exhibition opportunities
Ship paintings
Photograph your art
Art festivals and fairs
Do painting demonstrations
Communicate regularly with your email list
Communicate with collectors and potential leads
Update your website
Put together bios and artist statements
Solicit galleries for representation
Send postcards to your snail mail list
Write another blog post
Give a public talk on your art or art business
Create and review financial statements monthly to make sure you're profitable
Write books
Write ebooks
Develop open studio events

I think you get the idea. The list is potentially endless with possibilities.

The main thing to remember is to get your work out there so people can see it and buy it. Don't be a hermit that only spends time in the studio, because that model doesn't work anymore.

Let me know what specific things that have worked for you, I know my readers and viewers would love to hear what works for other artists. We all will rejoice in your successes.

If you'd like to learn to paint with spontaneity and freshness, check out my list of upcoming workshops: (You can view a list of 2018 workshops HERE)

November 17-19, 2017 Donna Downey Studios, Huntersville, NC. To register contact Bill Downey: bill@donnadowney.com or visit the website: www.donnadowney.com.
January 18-20, 2018 Forstall Art Supply, Birmingham, AL. To register contact Zack Barnes: Email: contact@forstallart.com or phone: 205-870-0480, or visit: http://www.forstallart.com/workshops.html
February 1-3 David M. Kessler Fine Art Studio, Winston-Salem, NC. To register contact David: david@davidmkessler.com or Register Online HERE.
February 12-15 Society of Bluffton Artists, Bluffton, SC. To register contact Sandra Wenig: slwenig@gmail.com.
February 21-23 Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, Fort Smith, AR. To register contact Casey Seamons: casey@fsram.org

As always, thanks so much for your support!

David

P.S. If you cannot attend a live event, or prefer to learn online in the comfort of your home or studio, Abstract Painting Academy is my online workshop: