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Message
Posted
Let me be all frank and manly - ever since I got my pension, I've really fallen back badly on trying to sell my work. I think this would have been true even if it weren't for the eye issue, which I hope will be resolved early next year. It's not much of an excuse: I've been a lazy old wotsit.
I'm wondering though where I would be best advised to re-start my career (if I don't, I'm going to become submerged by an ever-increasing stock of paintings). People have suggested Instagram - of which I know absolutely nothing with bells on - Etsy, Reddit (I think), Ebay (no - I've seen the sort of prices people are asking on Ebay, and I'm not THAT desperate!), Artfinder or one of several other sites of a similar nature (tried one or two before, didn't do much), or even Facebook (where I had a little success), and ditto contacts from LinkedIn, but I don't understand how you advertise your wares on FB - whenever I go there I get either irritated or sidetracked....
I still believe the best way to sell paintings is to find a gallery to take your work, and I don't have one at the moment. But because I have little social media exposure nowadays, other than here, my website has ceased to generate sales - so: I need to bring traffic to it and generate online interest, while renewing my search for a local gallery.
Can't believe I'm the only one with these problems - has anyone out there got a really good social media strategy which is bringing home the orders? And if you have - would you be willing to share it? There's a cigar in it for you.........
http://www.isleofwightlandscapes.net
http://www.wightpaint.blogspot.co.uk
Posted
I know the feeling Robert....what about a local pub/ caff/ eatery ( can't spell resteraunt..oooops just did) local Theatre . Anywhere were there are people passing. Have a solo exhibition , library, hall. Somewhere. Have a P V it doesn't have to be pricey , nibbles ,
Soft drinks and a few bottles of wine. Just invite the right people not other artists though they are good to make the crowd swell.
May be we should think about having a selling page , Friends of the forum. Post it everywhere with pics and prices each responsible for their own. No commission...don't know , could work... oh I haven't smoked a cigar for over thirty years thank you .
Ideas everyone .
Posted
I'm in the same boat, Robert! I remember the old adage "You have to be hungry to sell!" I'm not hungry, so the only reason to sell is to get rid of them, without them going to the tip. I've found that the quickest way to get rid of them is Charity Art Auctions. I'm painting over ones I'm not very fond of. Christmas is coming up, so a few presents will be going out the door. You can always e-mail some galleries with a portfolio attached. You can send some to proper Art Auctions. But the truth is that I think you have to do some leg work to really get a flow of sales and develop a marketing strategy:- Identify your tribe (potential customers) and target them. e.g. if your subjects are mostly local landscapes, then you potential customers could be local people and holidaymakers. Perhaps the internet is not necessarily right if your potential customers are local, Articles in the local newspaper would be better for local people. Seascapes however, have a wider appeal, and social media is consequently more appropriate. Personally, I have taken down my website and decided not to get involved in selling, because I hate it. I've had the sales training and I'm not bad at it, when I have to, but I just still hate rejection. You can try a scattergun approach though and try all the social media at minimum cost, but I believe that personal contact and recommendation will always be the best.
Posted
Start with the Free stuff.
It's possible to ignore the dross on Fartbook; look for pages with names like "Things for Sale in ...." wherever you are, and use the ArtistHour/ Art Group UK pages and so on. You might not sell through them immediately but at least you'll be getting your stuff out there. Set up a page for your art and tell people it's there.
Twitter's good for getting your stuff in front of people, although I've never sold anything there (never got a gig booking from Twitter either).
Posted
Robert, Selling art is a problem if you aren´t famous. So you are not alone. Despite all my websites, blogs, twitter, exhibitions and shows I couldn´t survive if it was my only income. Alan´s suggestion helped me find the following links on the web for selling art on the IOW http://www.wightbay.com/for-sale/ or enter art in the categories section of https://www.islebuy.co.uk/
Posted
I don't use any of the digital social media and equally I am not inclined to paint to sell these days, I was in the past.
Rather than being overwhelmed bya mass of finished works, I recently abandoned a long held tradition of never throwing anything away and did. Didn't hurt too much. Now building another pile.
Posted
Amanda - yes, the twitter bit is still going, but it's really tanked since the change of management.
There is an alternative for Twitter users - This month is "#portraitnovember" - tweet using the hashtag and attach the photos of your art. Again, it's not direct selling, just getting your stuff out there and it's free.
Posted
Hi Robert , indeed you're not the only one with that problem and I will tell you what I have learned about selling art it may be helpful or not but it's worked for me .
A lot of the really top selling artists are brilliant at playing the social media game but it does cost money you have to advertise on Facebook to get to the audiences you really want to target and it costs , most the art sites that claim to sell art are overloaded with artists all competing for a slice of the pie it astonishing how many artists are attempting to sell work on all these sites .
I was told build a website, I did but then I was told you have to drive traffic there and one does that by setting up a blog and posting blogs and that's yet more money ; your time disappears doing all this social media stuff and I think galleries are your best option .
I'm 54 now and still learning I've developed different approaches to getting my work into galleries , one should never walk into a gallery unannounced with a portfolio of work as it's exceedingly presumptuous to assume the gallery owner wants to give up precious time to look at your work .
I got into my latest gallery by asking the owner if he did high end prints ( I knew he did as I researched the gallery ) he asked what I wanted printed and I by some fluke happened to have three unframed watercolours with me , he offered me a commission and followed this with two more ; I was thinking this is great three paintings all getting purchased by a gallery until he told me ' forget the originals the big money is in the prints as in I will be doing limited editions of 200 of each of the three € 180 unframed €400 framed ' this is a fair amount of money generated from three prints I think you will agree .
That's what I mean when I say I'm still learning and never even contemplated selling prints there is great money to be made if you get the right gallery behind you .
My framer shows my work to gallery owners when he is framing it , another little idea of mine that paid off as I got into one of the best galleries in the country this way ; I'm always on the look out for halls attached to churches for rent as more than once I've displayed work in church halls and done very well as the parishioners have to pass by on the way in and out and I'm always there with a friendly welcome .
One online gallery I've sold a few on ( only small unframed watercolours ) is called art click Ireland and is open to everyone ( costs 45€ a year )
I send as many galleries an email about myself and work with a link to my website and say I seek representation , I compliment them on their fine gallery first and then ask if they get time in their busy daywould they look at my gallery ... they always reply .
You possibly know all this if so good , it's merely my hard won experiences over years of selling and attempting to sell and I hope it's of use to someone .
Kindest regards either way from still sunny Dublin
Dermot
Posted
Hee hee .... it's always fascinating to see how a thread develops, very often some five thousand miles away from where it started!
To those who posted replies to my question, though, thank 'ee; much food for thought. I had some good (I hope!) news on my eye operation this morning - that is, it seems there's been a cancellation and they can fit me in just before Christmas: so with any luck I can make a new start next year and won't have to aim in the approximate direction of the canvas for too much longer in the hope of making a mark that reads as a deliberate brush-stroke.
By the way Michael - do you contribute to anthologies, or poetry websites? If so - point us to them, I should be interested to see more of your work.
http://www.isleofwightlandscapes.net
http://www.wightpaint.blogspot.co.uk
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