So, what do we do now? Just sit twiddling our creative fingers? Or do we get on and do ‘something’ while we’re waiting for the affluent people to feel affluent again?
Okay, enough already! Everybody has now heard that we’re in recession and the media seem to bang on about it at every possible opportunity.
For some reason whenever charity committees get together there is always someone (let’s call her Jenny Brightspark) who displays their pure money raising genius to everyone by brightly suggesting “Lets have a charity art raffle / auction / lucky door prize” (*delete as appropriate).
“Go to it!” says the rest of the committee approvingly, excited at the prospect of free art from a (semi) famous artist being sold for thousands of dollars and thus filling their coffers extra super fast..much faster than trolling door to door selling tickets in the local middle class affluent money suburb.
It’s a jungle out there and now its time to engage in guerrilla warfare and hand-to-hand combat in order to sell your art direct to the public. Don’t like the analogy? Think all this art sales stuff should be all comfortable and snuggely like a warm blanket? Yes of course it should, for your customer at least, but for you this is serious, this is YOUR art business.
So camo up, lock and load, we’re going over the top!
We’ve all seen the deluded souls on Pop Idol shows, absolutely convinced that they are the next big thing, staring open mouthed in disbelief as the judges proceed to tell them that they have no hope whatsoever of going anywhere anytime soon with their dream.
Are you the equivalent of that person in the art world?
I’m a positive thinker, and I really don’t like to burst anyone’s bubble, but even us creative types have to come out of our cosy self-created wonderland sometimes and ask the question “Is my art any good”.
Yes we’ve all watched Idol on TV, laughing and cringing as worryingly deluded people step up convinced that they are the next big thing, not even realising that their sense of reality is somewhat removed from the average.
You don’t want to be the equivalent of that person in the art world, so lets do a little investigation here before we start.
The dream of many aspiring art superstars is to hold an exhibition in a commercial gallery, imagining that the Gallery will take care of everything, instantly sell your artwork to their large client base and make you a H-U-G-E success, however, for many beginners and independent minded artists, holding your own exhibition in a space that you choose is the way only to go.
If you are going to sell your art it would be useful to know who your art is really for. That way you can concentrate you marketing and promotions efforts on the people most likely to buy it. Is your art for the locals in your town? art collectors? industry bigwigs? home decorators? cat owners? football fans? sci-fi geeks? tourists?
Do art collectors hunt you down? No? Then maybe its time for you to do some hunting for yourself in the big money end of town...
Aah, the dream of someone else selling your art while you obsessively create it. You paint and draw while the money rolls in. Whats the real deal?
So you're an expert artist but you need to make some cash until you crack the big time. Surely tutoring art is an easy gig? Here are some things to think about...
If you want to sell your art as prints but don't want to go to the expense of giclee or offset reproductions then maybe this idea will get you started...
Us creative types can have our heads in the clouds sometimes, and do everything but the one thing we have set our heart and art on doing. Learn how to stop procrastination!
It's art show time. Your exhibition, fame, fortune and opening night beckon. But before all that how are you going to arrange your paintings on the wall so they look good?
Cameras are so good these days that they almost take the photograph themselves, but if you are a non photographer artist you still might need a simple how-to guide. Here it is.
Famous artists mix with famous people. Do you have any celebrities on the invite list to your next exhibition? Maybe you should find some.
Just exactly how many artworks do you need for your next gallery exhibition?
There's a lot of things to think about before you hold your own art exhibition...and here's some more...