It's Not Just About Making The Art
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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:
Abstract Painting Academy is the next best thing to a live workshop. You can learn more about the program by Clicking HERE.
