Two years ago I threw out the rule book for how to be an artist and decided to make up my own rules. I’d been taught that to be a successful artist I should:
Fall Leaves in Poughkeepsie, New York, 2017
Make large and time-consuming artworks that are intellectual and aesthetically current
Set high prices targeted at rich people
Exhibit and sell in galleries
Have a website without prices or marketing
Market my work by schmoozing gallerists and collectors
For me, the problem with this model was that it was time intensive and created a pretty powerless situation, relying on gallerists and a very small pool of buyers for success. Also, making that kind of work was tedious, demanding and boring. Instead, I decided to make up my own model based on standard business practices.
Here was my strategy:
Create paintings that were fun to make - I chose impressionistic landscape paintings which I’ve always loved and admired
Use feedback to make irresistible paintings that everyone would want to own
Keep the price down and inventory up by painting quickly
Sell my paintings online
Sell my art where people already are: Etsy, Facebook, Instagram
1) Use feedback to make paintings that are irresistible 2) Paint quickly with large brushes to keep costs down and inventory high 3) Initially undersell to easily generate a high number of sales and increase clients 4) Selling online where people already are: Etsy, Instagram and Facebook.
I began my new strategy by posting my paintings on Instagram and Facebook where I found that people appreciated my new paintings far more than my previous work. When I started getting requests from friends who wanted to buy my paintings, I began to sell my work on Etsy, Instagram and Facebook - all places where people already were and where I could easily get exposure.
Painting commission I did of the Firestone Factory in Akron, Ohio
I decided to start with a modest price range of $100-$500 a piece and I’ve slowly been increasing my prices since then. Making my art affordable attracted a client base and an immediate sense of success as sales quickly added up. During 2017 I sold most of my paintings listed on Etsy and I now spend most of my time working on commissions. When I’m doing commissions I’m never at risk of making a painting that will go unsold and they’re fun and challenging to make.
I attribute my success to the fact that I’ve let go of my romantic ideas of what it means to be an artist. I’ve given up on the fantasy that someone is going to “discover me” and nurture my success. It is up to me to find my buyers, make my sales and take care of myself. My business model may continue to change, but whatever I end up doing next, I’m really happy I’m creating my own path for success.
Me in upstate New York
