Chase Bank Burning
Los Angeles artist Alex Schaefer, painting banks in flames, has obviously caught the spirit of the times. Visited by the police for questioning over his plein air paintings with added flames, and receiving subsequent media exposure, the painting started on eBay for $920 and reached $25,200 when the virtual hammer fell! Continue reading
There is no Magic Bullet when it comes to Selling Art Online. I’m sorry if this comes as a disappointment to you. I wish the truth were different, however success selling art online takes Planning and Persistence.
The common misconception regarding any website is, ‘build it, and they will come’. Unfortunately the reality is, you build and it just sits there, looking lovely, but no one visits.
So the next obsession becomes ‘getting web traffic’. But this focus is also going to disappoint. An artist doesn’t need any old web traffic. They need people who are going to connect with their artwork, take out their wallet and make a purchase….i.e. that rare breed of people who are willing to pay for art they love.
Ok, so I’m telling you to forget about focusing on bringing droves of people to your website, but how do you get those illusive potential fans of your artwork to find you? Well, that’s the hard bit, but if you can nail this one, you have a successful art business.
As with most things worthwhile there is no easy route to success (take solace that if there were, then everyone would be doing it). However there are steps that you can take towards this goal, and the more steps you take, the closer you get! Continue reading
Hope by AlicePopkorn
I wanted to share with you a whole creative world that I knew nothing about until a few days ago. Continue reading
Sadie Valeri art studio, 2004
I came across a fantastic blog post ‘Motivation and Discipline don’t help‘ by the realist painter Sadie Valeri that I just have to share with any fellow artist reading this blog who may be going through a loss of direction with their art or a total block in creating.
Sadie talks about how she felt very discouraged as an artist after graduating from Art School:
I think I was stymied by my idea of what art and painting should be, by my idea of what was “Important Art”. Continue reading
Fear - captured in old structures by AlicePopkorn
For me, one of the most thought provoking things on the TV recently has been the BBC series ‘The Big Silence‘. From the same team that gave us The Monastery in 2005, The Big Silence focused on 5 individuals attempting to incorporate silence into their lives, as a way of getting in touch with the deepest parts of ourself and how this, in turn, can connect us to God.
While finding an immersion into silence difficult initially, those that really embraced the silence did indeed find a deeper understanding of themselves and a need to live a more purposeful life. They also found a connection to something deeper than themselves, although some were reluctant to name this as a connection to God.
The way many of us live our lives – busy busy busy – silence is a very alien concept, and closely related to boredom in many peoples minds. Continue reading
Iraqi artist Soodad Al-Naib
Iraqi artist Soodad Al-Naib talks with Emma on the day her joint exhibition ‘A Call for Meditation‘ opens at the Strand Gallery in London. Continue reading
Emmrick Konrad - artist portrait by photographer Warren Lee
Some artists get annoyed about the idea that artists could benefit by using blogging as a way of promoting their art to a larger and more receptive audience. As if art should always stand alone, and not muddy itself by over explanation.
Art should speak for itself…
Yes, but only if you make talking art…;-) Continue reading
Hugh McLeod
All artists should read Hugh McLeods blog post ‘Why most artists’ blogs‘ fail. You may not like what you read, and it may turn things on its head for you, but that’s because the reasons he gives are true: Continue reading
Austin Kleon
You know when you stop making art, for whatever reason, it can be so hard to get back into it? The fear of being mediocre…or of ideas drying up…and the starting hurdle just seems to get bigger and bigger the longer you leave it.
Came across Austin Kleon’s blog today and his post ‘Punt‘ pretty much sums it up : Continue reading
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| Photo by Mbgrigby |
With so many ways to communicate with your audience, artists often overlook the basics in favour of the new and latest thing in social media-ville.
While Blogging, Facebook, Twitter etc. are all excellent ways of getting eyes on your art, a regularly used and regularly maintained Mailing List is essential for marketing your art.
HERE’S SOME REASONS WHY: Continue reading
