Cute custom wrapping paper on a budget

 I have started watching a number of artist/Etsy sellers that have regular studio vlogs on YouTube.  They seem of have several characteristics in common- They are all from the UK and they LOVE PINK!  This is just an observation and I'm not saying that you have to paint your creative space pink but I do notice that they are very dedicated to making this part of their branding.  That branding is obvious even down to the packaging of their orders.  Cute PINK stickers and wrapping paper are a must.

I did check into the whole custom wrapping paper option and found that it is rather of an investment.  I mean to get 250 sheets of wrapping paper printed you are talking hundreds of dollars.  I decided for myself this was going to have to be put on the backburner, as I don't feel that my shop is at that level yet in consistent sales.

Does that mean that I'm stuck using dollar store tissue paper on my orders.  NO- I came up with my own branding solution and I'm having a blast with it.  The beauty of having a farmhouse/country niche is that I can easily use ordinary supplies and give them a farm look.  I have a whole box of huge sheets of white packing paper that were given to me several years ago and rolls of brown Kraft shipping paper in the studio and so I decided I was just going to invest in a few rubber stamps.  Down the road I plan on designing my stamps but in the mean time these are working beautifully.  I ordered some on Etsy (I love supporting my fellow creators if I can) and then a few other's I purchased on Amazon or at my local Hobby Lobby store.  

I have to admit that I've kind of gone a bit overboard on the rubber stamps at this point but they were all so cute and now I have plenty of options.  If the order is primarily goat, then I can pick from several of my goat stamps to create the perfect wrapping paper.  The same goes for cows, sheep, horses and chickens.  Yeah, I have the whole barnyard of rubber stamps now.  It's sort of therapy for me to just stamp up the pages, dreaming of my future art sales.  I can even enlist the help of my grandchildren.  (Got to train them now to be my studio assistance for the future)

My final touch before I seal up the envelope is a sprinkle of pig and cow confetti that I punch out of paper using paper punches.  I've not been able to locate a goat paper punch so if you have one lying around that you never use, let me know.  By the way, my grandchildren also LOVE to use paper punches.  It keeps them well entertained.

Two B's or Not Two B's?

The 2 B's that I'm speaking of are Branding and Biography. In my mind there is no question on just how important these two bricks are in the formation of a strong business foundation.  They really are the cornerstones.  This blog today is focusing on the "BRANDING" brick.

So, before you can really launch into a successful art business, you will need to roll up your sleeves, grab some bricks and mortar and start laying a foundational plan for you and your artwork.  Yes, there is just a wee bit more involved to marketing then printing yourself up some business cards but the rewards for the extra effort are great.

Branding is a marketing term that I know you have heard many times before.  I'm pretty sure your mind jumps immediately to any number of large well known corporations and their recognizable logos.  The NIKE swoosh or the McDonald's golden arches are good examples.  The reality is that branding is much more then just designing a catchy logo.  It's the WHOLE experience and it starts with the first interaction you have with a potential collector and continues on beyond the  shipping off your sold artwork.  That is why you have to have this worked out because just "winging" it won't create that consistent impression that you are wanting to achieve.

While this maybe a scary thought but you have to realize that YOU ARE THE BRAND! That's right! Along with being the CEO, CFO and all the other O's rolled into one big art ENCHILADA.  You could be the best artist on the planet and if you don't lay the right foundation then it is doubtful that you will sell the amount of art that you could have.   The old saying "The Buck Stops Here" rings true but if you lay a strong foundation then those bucks won't actually stop but rather will keep flowing right into your bank account.  I love this explanation of branding given by Angela Cross, "Your personal identity as an artist may be the well-spring of your work, but your brand is the vehicle that makes you money."  (https://skinnyartist.com/artist-branding-tips/)

So here are some basic questions to help you get started creating your brand.
1.  What's your story?  This might be one of the hardest questions to actually answer.  It doesn't have to be a Greek tragedy or a stand up comic routine.  For goodness sakes, don't make it up or embellish it.  People can tell if you aren't being real.  You just need a story that will help people remember you and your art when they have walked out of the room.

My story is probably typical and a rather boring one, but I can work my story into my motivation to create art and that makes it memorable.  For example, I grew up in the heart of rural America, 1/2 mile down a gravel road in the middle of no where Missouri.  While we didn't own a farm, there was farming all around us and that has left an impression or mark on me, and even though I have lived in a very large city my entire adult life, the experiences of a country childhood have had a huge impact on my life and my art.  

2.  What's your motivation? Why do you create art in the first place?   For me personally, I create my art to find peace in the chaos.  In the process, hopefully bring those that view my art back to a more innocent time in their life.  I want to transport them back to their childhood and memories of visiting their grandparent's farm or family trips to the country.  The ultimate response I am looking for, besides them pulling out the wallet, is a simple "SMILE".  We live in such a dark and sad world and if I can only, for a moment, bring a spark of happiness or a spot of light to their day, then I have accomplished my mission.  After all, I feel that I have a God given talent and it is my ministry to use it to bring Him and His creation glory.

3. What words would you use to describe your style of art?   That was a tough one because I really didn't know.  There are realism, abstractism, impressionism and many other "isms" but none really felt like the correct label for my art.  There is one word that I do hear often from observers of my art and that is the word WHIMSICAL.  So the style I'm embarrassing to describe my art is "Childlike Whimsyism" or "Farmhouse Whimsyism".  It's okay to make up words, because after all, we are artists and the rules that govern proper language don't apply to us. Remember, we have that ace card up our sleeves called "Artistic Liberties".

Once you have determined the style you are passionate about, then stick with it.  Create art that people will recognize to be yours even before they see the title card or your signature.  It's okay in the process to learn the techniques for creating from artists that you respect but the goal here isn't to copy them but to develop those techniques and apply them in your own unique way.  I don't want my art to look like a "Bob Ross" or a "Thomas Kinkade", but rather I want it to look like a "Julie Townsend".

4.  Who is your target market?  It would be amazing if our art could touch the 7.8 billion people that call this planet home but that isn't going to happen. Who would buy your art?  What do they look like?   You really have to consider what the demographics of your customer base looks like so you can come up with a strategy to best reach them.  I love to paint farm animals so it is pretty easy for me to find people on social media (mostly ladies) that share my love of cows, pigs and chickens.

HOMEWORK:  Get yourself a notebook and start jotting down words and phrases that come to mind to help you with your story and your style of art.  You don't have to invent the wheel here.  There are many great examples of successful artists and write them down on a list and then start reading their stories, looking at their websites and what they are doing.  I invite you to check out my Website, Etsy Shop or Facebook Studio Page.  


 

Death, Taxes and Painting

Back a few months ago I had the opportunity to give a presentation to a local artist guild about my "TIPS" on selling art online.  I've been associated with this group of artists now for a number of years and those that are somewhat online savvy have taken note to my recent increase in my Facebook following and sales.

So they asked me to be their guest speaker. Boy was I nervous.  It has been sometime since I stood up in front of a group of people and spoke more than just a few words.  In my previous life (before art) I was the business administrator for a church and private Christian school.  Since it was the law in Nevada that all business over certain number of employees have an acting safety committee I took on the task of creating one and added the hat of Safety Director to my wardrobe.  Let me just say, "I could give a mean BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS TRAINING".  So it isn't completely foreign to me to talk to a crowd but talking about selling art was a quite different than talking about blood and bodily fluids.

My first main slide point in the presentation was more of an outline of what I was going to cover that evening and I thought this might work well also as a guide to my future blog posts.  I mean, if you decide to write a blog then having a blog post plan is quite important and this is going to be mine for the next little while.

So the first point as you can see is REPORTING AND STATISTICS.  I'm sure you are wondering why an artist would first be talking about spreadsheets and numbers but did I mention that I have a business degree?  I've been wired to be an accountant since birth and that is, what I consider to be a gift from God, especially around this time of the year and the start of 2019 tax season.

So let me just say that I keep my whole business bookkeeping on Google Sheets.  This works great for a small business that uses the Cash Accounting method.  I kept my spreadsheet on Microsoft Excel for years but when I started using Windows 10 my old Office Suite program decided to go on strike and Excel no longer wanted to do any work for me.  I was forced to either buy a new program, go to an online subscription or embrace the free spreadsheet program offered by Google.  I chose the latter.  And while there was a bit of a learning curve, it really boils down to a "Spreadsheet is a Spreadsheet".  The one really exciting thing for me besides FREE is that I can now access my files from my phone or Ipad.  This is great for my mileage log because for the first time in 2019 I was able to keep my mileage current as I went and not have to spend hours pouring over my calendar and typing every odometer reading for the year into a spreadsheet.  I just have to add a formula to total my business miles and then print it out.  This has saved me hours of work!

So now you can see that I track my mileage on the spreadsheet and my bookkeeping on a spreadsheet but there are other uses too.  I have my art inventory that I track and a cost breakdown for each product I make on there too.  Spreadsheets are amazing tools and I thought you might actually want to take a closer look at my spreadsheet that I created so I have provided a link to a blank one that you can view.  Link to a spreadsheet file just like the one I use.  Of course this is a "View Only" link and I removed all the numbers but you can see how it works.  If you would like to receive a copy of the spreadsheet for your use then you can send me a message through my Julie Townsend Studio Website or Facebook Studio Art Page and I will send it to you the file.

Getting My Mock-ups On

Creating new mockups to show case my art is actually fun and challenging.  I not only add the artwork to this completely digital room but I have fun finding accessories that are matching to correspond to the art.  Everything from a vase of pansies to a pair of red Converse tennis shoes.  I thought I would share a few of the images I've designed to help you visualize just how great my artwork would look on YOUR walls. 

All these images are listing in my Etsy Shop if you want to hope over there and check them out.

 

My Art Show Booth Set-Up

I designed a new studio logo banner this week.  

Recently, I have been running here and there in the attempt to sell more of my original art.  Setting up my booth at different venues and every time I'm out there I get asked about where I got my grids or the lightweight tables I use to lay out my merchandise on.  So I thought I would share this information with you and provide specific links to make it easy for you.

I purchased most of my grids through Amazon and I have provided the link to that.  I decided to not to purchase the feet or stand to hold them up because I hate how they stick out and it is more work to set them up.  What we have discovered is that we clip 3 grids together using the grid clips (link and picture provided) then we zip tie the units of 3 together. They then fold flat into each other and they are about the max weight that my husband wants to handle at a time.  The caution here is that there is sometime shifting and your fingers can get pinched.  We are working on some designs for some clip on handles to help with this problem. 

Having them in 3 grid sections makes set up quick, easy and versatile, filling different space scenarios. They can bend to create a corner or overlap each other to accommodate smaller areas. Once you have created the booth structure the grids are pretty self supporting but we do have 1"x 2" boards that we have painted black that we can zip tie to the to bottom of the back and side walls to give even more support if needed.  Here are the links for the booth items themselves.  I have a total of 12 grids and may purchase 3 more down the road so that I have enough to completely surround my 10 x 10 tent with a front entry opening but for now, 12 are meeting my needs perfectly.

I use the grid hooks to hang my artwork from.  If it is a very windy day, I even will zip tie my artwork to the grids to prevent them from blowing off. 

ZIP TIES ARE YOUR ART SHOW FRIENDS (and the all important wire cutters are a tear down necessity).



Grid wall system
Grid clips
Grid system hooks


Another item that I get asked about all the time is my wonderful tables.  I can't think about one negative thing about these tables.  They are lightweight, convenient, easy to store and the adjustable heights make them oh so useful.  I have 2 sets of these to make a total of 4 tables.  I also used some black flat sheets and sewed my own fitted table covering for them so they actually look quite classy inside my booth.  Also because they are narrow in width, they don't take up too much floor space inside the booth. 

I also find them wonderful for outdoor drawing and painting.  Set up in an L-shape make the perfect plein air studio surface.  Here is the link to the tables.

Coleman camping table

Outdoor festival set up with a tent provided by the event- Skye Canyon Chalkfest

Here is my booth set up last weekend at an outdoor festival measuring 10 x 10.  The tent was provided by the festival so it was  very sturdy.  You can see my grids do not quite completely go around the full 10 x 10 space and so down the road I might consider buying 3 more because I really like to have that 2 foot section in the front to serve as a doorway and here I only was able to do that on one side.   I try to position my larger, crowd drawing art piece in the front to pull people over to my booth.  The cowbells were also a good draw.

Before my next art show, I'm going to purchase about 4 or 5 flat black sheets to use as backdrops.  I think the art looks better when you can't see through the grids and there is a visual wall.  It also provides movable shade and can be used to cover your merchandise at night.  They will become just part of the accessories inside my art show box. 

Recent booth set up at the Galleria Mall 

Here is an indoor booth set up that measures 10 x 6.  It is a much smaller space but holds almost the same amount of art as does the 10 x 10 space.  I even have one small table set up with my colored pencils so that I do live drawing during my time there.  It is quite comfortable and you can see how nicely my covered tables look inside my booth.

Check Your Backside

Since becoming the co-director of a small art gallery in the Downtown Las Vegas Arts District, I've noticed that many artists take very little effort to improve the appearance of their artwork.  They spend plenty of time creating the piece to just throw a wire across the back or even worse yet, do absolutely nothing.  Did you know, with just a little more effort and investment, you can really raise you art to the next level by taking the time to make the back of your canvases as pretty as the front. 

 So today, I thought I would just blog about the steps I go through when FINISHING my art pieces.  Here is what you need:

* A large roll of landscape weed blocker fabric- I know that during the spring and summer you can buy this at Sam's Club for about $35.  I've had my roll for years and so I haven't needed to replace it yet.  You can also go to your local nursery because they will sell it year round there.

* I LOVE my Scotch brand Advanced Tape Glider.  This thing is amazing.  At first I struggled with reloading it but I have that down now.   It lays down a thin strip of adhesive that is quite strong.  I buy the acid free adhesive refills since I want my art to be as archival as I can make it.  I use this for all kinds of applications in the studio but mostly for creating my greeting cards and when I attach the matte to the backboard mounting my prints and original drawings.  I bought my glider on Amazon but they carry it at both Michaels and Hobby Lobby.  I buy a roll of adhesive every time I visit one of the craft stores because I go through so much of it.  I make sure I use their 40% off coupon when I do.

*  Fiskar Fingertip Swivel Knife- This is the blade I use to cut the fabric off around the canvas.  It takes a little practice.  This knife can be pretty wicked so you want to take real caution when using it.  I bought this on Amazon along with a bulk package of replacement blades.  

* 3 Hole Protective Sheet covers- I use these to mount and protect my Certificate of Authenticity to each piece of art.

* Large cutting mat

Here is some of the art pieces that I needed to finish the other day.

I use my Tape Glider to apply a thin strip of adhesive to all four sides of the canvas

I then carefully place the canvas adhesive side down.  I try to get as close to the straight edge of the fabric as I can so that I'm only cutting around 2 or 3 sides. 

I missed getting a picture of my positioning my cutting knife to cut around my canvas but here is a picture of my framing tools and the knife is there on my role of hanging wire.  You can cut into your canvas very easily with this sharp knife, so I try to keep the knife at an angle that allows the blade to cut as near as I can to the edge of the art and all the time I am pressing the silver band on the canvas to use it as a cutting guide.  You have to apply some pressure and take it nice and slow as you work your way around the canvas.  If your knife isn't cutting through the fabric like butter, then it is time to replace your blade. 

Here I am making my certificate.  I just trim off the holes on the side and cut the sleeve in half so that it is just slightly larger than the certificate itself.  I then apply a stripe of adhesive to all four sides so that I can glue it to the back side of the canvas dust cover.  Once this is attached to my art, I can use the sleeve to slip in a business card or a thank you note to the buyer.

Even though the adhesive is really strong, art is so often moved from one location to another so we put a staple through it just for added security.  I want to work on finding either black staples or adding step to darken the color so they are not so noticeable. 

Here is my finished backside.  I think it is almost as pretty as the front.  I realize that professional framers can do an even better job and if you are a professional, please don't cringe too much but I think this little added effort goes a long way towards having a piece of art that I can feel proud to sell. 

Ten Dollars Saved is Ten Dollars Earned

You know that old wise saying of Benjamin Franklin, "A penny save is a penny earned?"  SAVING MONEY is exactly what has me SO excited today but we are not talking pennies here.  Face it, if you want to get your art out there and sell your art than you have to get the whole shipping thing figured out.  A few posts ago I shared about UHaul Mirror boxes (only $4.60) and how great they are for shipping larger pieces and today I want to talk about postage costs.

About 2 weeks ago I had the privilege of selling a rather large 24 x 36 inch painting to a couple that needed it shipped to Reno, Nevada.  I first went online and checked both UPS and USPS online shipping calculators and found that UPS quoted a few dollars under the price of the USPS.  I was skeptical but decided to take my box into a UPS office and see just what it would cost me.  With $500 insurance, UPS actually came out more expensive and then to top it off the employee claimed to be able to see the USPS rates there on this computer and  I would have to pay in the neighborhood of $240 if I used them.  What a bold faced lie that was! 

We loaded the box back in the car and drove straight to the neighborhood post office where I paid a total of $31.15 + $6.80 for insurance to ship my box.  Once again, I received confirmation that USPS is the best route for shipping for me and my business.

This week I found something so exciting that I decided I would share it with you.  It is a website called "Pirateship.com".  I know that shipping is always a confusing topic when it comes to larger boxes.  This sight gives you commercial pricing like that which is offered on EBAY and ETSY shops but you can benefit as an individual by openning a free account.  No fees involved and you can immediately realize the savings.  I have mailed 2 packages this week using Pirateship.com and am just ecstatic.

I decided to show you the comparison prices of Pirateship.com and that of the USPS Click and Ship quotes.  I entered in all the exact same information for my box into Pirateship.com and received a quote for $21.76.  That is a savings on just one shipment of $9.39.  No more standing in line at the post office for me.  I feel that I am one step closer to the time that I will have some many shipments a week leaving my studio that I will  have to declare an actually SHIPPING DAY.

Finally! I Got To Do Some ART This Week.

I stayed a pretty busy artist this weekend.  After battling several bouts of different kinds of flu at the beginning of the month and visiting a hospitalized family member it felt good to let my creative self be in charge for a change.

Friday, I fulfilled my galley sitting duty at the Boulder City Art Gallery.  I'm pretty sure the co-op gallery scene is where many artist find their start and I'm currently involved in two different galleries.  I love the Boulder City Gallery because everything is neat, orderly and the walls are filled with really nice art.  We just had a change out of artwork so everything was new and fresh and it was just a real pleasure to be there.

Saturday, I gave my first painting lesson of 2016.  My two young students are in the middle of painting eagles that they started back around the first of November.  We spent the entire hour lesson just working on the details in their eagle feathers.

The student area of my studio-Everything laid out and ready for their lesson

There was also plenty of time on Saturday and Sunday for me to work on my own piece.  I blogged the other week about this piece and have posted several progression photos along the way.  Sorry for the blurry cell phone photo but I will post high resolution pictures when I get the piece finished.    I'm still working my way around the canvas on the small details and at 24 x 36 inches this is by far the largest cow I have painted.  Painting large adds a level of difficulty because the details have to be so exaggerated to be convincing.  I've got things pretty well blocked in with the composition and am happy with the addition of the "Momma Jersey cow" complete with her licking her nose.    I plan on add some wildflowers in the foreground and of course the barbed wire but that will be when I am finished with the morning glories and these cute bovines.  

Current Work in Progress- # 3 in my Country Life Series

I was excited to hear that my piece that I call "First Light" sold yesterday to a wonderful couple visiting the Boulder City Art Gallery.  I was told they knew right away when they saw it that they wanted to buy it.  It is a small 11 x 14 acrylic piece but it thought it turned out to be impacting.  I guess they thought so too.

Sold this piece yesterday at the Boulder City Art Gallery

Singing the Art Show Blues

This has been a particularly exhausting two weeks.  I have had art show commitments across town on two Saturdays in a row. This probably makes a total of 6 or 7 art shows that I have participated in these past few years of my young art career.  So far I haven't a single positive experience to report.  I can only imagine that art shows could be exhilarating if the end result was a number of sales or a pocket full of solid contacts had been made.  Alas, that has not been my reality. Not only did I loose the revenue I would have earned giving lessons to my Saturday students, but I got to pack up exactly the same amount of artwork that I came with.  My only real comfort as I look back over these exercises in futility is that I didn't pay much for booth rent for either event. 

Rejection for something that is so personal and emotional as ones artwork can be a hard pill to swallow.  Oh you get plenty of people who come by and make comments about what a great artist you are as they compare you to the only two artists that the uneducated art public know, Bob Ross or Thomas Kinkaid.  They might even gush over just how amazing your cowbells are but then they all walk, away to never been seen again. 

To end this blog on a high note, I am happy to report that the very next day I sold two cowbells; one through my sister-in-law and her Facebook post and a second because my sister had three bells out on the counter of her Pahrump, Nevada mini- market and one of her customers just had to buy one.  I guess the question here to ask is, "Will I ever do another art show?" I would answer probably so because it seems this is something that artists do.  I will do a little research before time and try to make sure I am participating in the RIGHT show that has been marketed properly and is a good fit for for my style of artwork and of course my COWBELLS.  

                                

If you are interested in seeing more of my work or perhaps ordering your own hand-painted cowbell then visit my website at Julie Townsend Studio

Whose Dusting Your Artwork?

It is said that a good thing can't last forever, but my solo library show may have closed at the Centennial Hills Library this week but it is at least going to continue on for most of 2015.  What an honor to be offered by the Clark County Library District to have my solo show "Nevada in Shades of Silver and Gold" to go "ON TOUR".  This means they have offered to show my collection two more times in 2015.  In March to April 2015 the show can be viewed in Laughlin, Nevada and again in August to October 2015 at the Windmill Library here in Las Vegas.  I was told this isn't offered very often and so I'm really touched by this gesture.  

The really humorous thing about this "ON TOUR" offer was that yesterday when I arrived at the Centennial Hills Library to pick up my artwork at the pre-arranged time, the assistant art coordinator informed me that the library actually wanted to STORE all my pieces at their art storage facility and I could pick them up at the end of October 2015.  As soon as I recovered from my shock, I kindly declined that offer.  As you can see by this photo I have 19 mostly framed pieces and it is the majority of my inventory.  You might not have thought about the fact that an artist would refer to their art as an inventory but this is exactly what this is.  If you are actively pursuing a career as an artist you have to be prolific with your paintings and at all times have enough pieces ready to hang that your not thrown into apoplexy when an opportunity presents itself to show off your skills.  There are always festivals, juried shows and galleries to keep happy.  

I have a heavy presence in 2 local galleries and 2 more galleries that have a number of my smaller works displayed.  This means I have to keep changing out my work so that the public sees new pieces every month or so.  You have to stay fresh, relevant and always evolving when it comes to your work.  

My marketing strategy with hanging my work at the library is completely that of "Public Exposure".  I am not allowed to sell any pieces that are part of the display until the display is over.  I'm here to tell you that SELLING art, not SHOWING art is the real goal of an artist.  I am told daily how beautiful my work is and what talent I have, but the ultimate compliment comes when someone is willing to take their hard earned cash and purchase my artwork.

As an artist, I am always looking for the venue that will afford me the most exposure to my target audience.  What art niche have you carved out for yourself and where will you find your collectors?  Maybe they will come to a library, walk through an art festival, read your blog or see your Facebook post.  In 2013 I had my first major exposure by having a magazine article published about my artwork.  It wasn't an art magazine but rather "Gold Prospector Magazine" and that was because of a niche I found and my efforts to think outside the box when it comes to promotion.  I simply sent an email to the editor of the magazine and to my surprise I received a prompt reply.

Another example would be this show...I realized the timeliness of my theme as this coming October 31st is the 150th anniversary of my beloved state achieving statehood.  Since mining and Nevada are often themes of my work, I decided to contact the state committee and have my show designated as an official state sesquicentennial event.  I took that designation and used it as added validation to invite more people to my show.  

So I guess my closing thought here today is to always look for opportunities for self promotion and if your artwork needs dusting, let it be dusted by you in your studio where you can get to it rather than collecting dust in a library storage facility somewhere.

If you would like to take a closer look at these pieces all my works, visit my website at JulieTownsendStudio.com

I'm Now In Love With "RED DOTS"

      RED DOTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was reading this very helpful blog today by Stuart Wider and found that his emphasis on the importance of placing that "little red dot" indicating that your artwork has been sold very interesting.  He says that it visually sends a message to the prospective art collector that your work has been deemed worthy by others and therefore may aid in their desire to own your work too.  He suggests that you display your title cards after a sale prominently with the all important "RED DOT" so that others can see your success.

Don't laugh, but I had to figure out how to accomplish such a simple task in my Photoshop Elements program but once I realized how easy it is, I had great fun making the necessary edits to both of these Misty Forest paintings that I have sold this week. 

After all, the ultimate goal to an artist is the "Sale" of your work.  It doesn't take long in this business to realize that many people give verbal compliments about your work but few are willing to back it up with a purchase.  That is the ultimate compliment when a buyer is willing to part with their hard earned resources and purchase a piece of your work to hang in their beloved home or perhaps give as a gift to a loved one. 

So, while I am exhausted from the busyness of this past week I am energized by a record week of sales.  I can only close this blog with this thought for the future, "Bring on the RED DOTS!"

Selling Your Art – The Golden Rules of Art Sales Hand-to-Hand Combat

ENCHANTED-SOLD 10-4-13

OUT OF THE MIST SOLD 10-3-13

"Shrinking Violets Should Apply Elsewhere"

"Hi!  I'm Julie Townsend and I am the artist.  If you have any questions about my work just let me know."  I had a few opportunities to say that last night at the First Friday event down at the gallery in the Las Vegas Art District where I hang my art.  I rent a small wall there for the past year that I can maybe squeeze 15 paintings on and have been to a number of these First Friday events.  The difference with last night was that I shared the main gallery room with my artist friend, Jan Arduini and we were the featured October Artists.  Needless to say, this week has been a busy one for me. 

Unlike many might believe, being an artist isn't just about sitting in a well lit studio creating amazing artwork but rather there are many hats that must be worn along with that paint stained apron.  You are the CEO, CFO, Marketing Director, Accountant, Shipping, Inventory Manager, Sales....well actually, you're the whole enchiladas!  It all falls on your shoulders, unless you are so well known that you have a manager or your own gallery complete with paid staff.  Reality is that you will have to spend time dealing with these details if you want to be successful.

It was a week ago, that I said to myself, "NO MORE PAINTING" and I turned to getting all my pieces ready for the show.  That means varnishing, framing, adding hanging wires, completing the paperwork, writing a few creative and witty paragraphs about each piece, uploading images to blogs and websites and then finally packing up the whole chute load into the truck and then hanging it at the gallery.  Thankfully, this show is hung for a month but when I take it down at the end of October it will be just in time to start showing to perspective Christmas shopper crowds at the weekend Farmers Market. 

I was very happy to find this helpful blog title:

Selling Your Art – The Golden Rules of Art Sales Hand-to-Hand Combat

I loved how Mr. Wilder compared selling art to a battlefield.  His words, "Shrinking violets should apply elsewhere" really hit home.  Even last night, I tired to balance the "Let people look" to "Should I engage" question over and over.  A couple hours into the show, I noticed a couple that had fixed their attention onto one of my pieces.  I was trying to appear as if I wasn't ease dropping on their conversation, but certainly could hear them discussing details about where they would hang it and things like that.  It was obvious to me that they really liked my painting.  I was getting pretty excited inside but still I hesitated to go over and talk to them and then to my utter dismay, they walked out of the gallery and without my painting.

I was pretty upset with myself for not having gone over there and tried to talk to them.  Fortunately, for me about an hour later they came back and were overjoyed to talk to me about their decision to buy my painting.  It was definitely the highlight of the evening for me. They are happy with my work and I am happy to have created something someone unrelated to me likes enough to spend their hard earned money to procure.  That is what this business is all about.


What did I learn?  That the only VIOLETS in the room should be ones I have painted on a canvas!

Jan and I posing with our friend Jeff Oldham in front of some of our work

My main display as you walk in the gallery front door