Marketing Art: The 2 Most Common Myths

All copyrights are retained by the artist,
Mona Majorowicz of Wild Faces Gallery.

The artwork or content in this lens may not be used or reproduced, either
in part or in whole, without the express written consent from the artist.

Exposing my work to as many people as possible will help me to "make it" Myth.

I can hear some of you already "How can exposure be a myth? I can't sell my work unless it gets seen."

Yes, artwork must be seen by someone to be sold. But what you need to think about is who are you exposing your work to. I think of this as Qualifying. A subway station (airport, bus station, etc,) may get thousands of people through in a day, but are they going to buy artwork? Probably not. Most are in a hurry to get where their going on time. You are getting your work exposed, but not to the right crowd.

I would think that you will need to find out what works best for you through trial and error. Some non-traditional venues are great and some art shows are . . . not so much. Personally what has worked best for me, is to place my art where people are going to "buy" art. Art fairs (for me in my area) are where that happens as well as to a lesser degree, galleries.

I've done all sorts of non-traditional venues, like trendy cafes, Barnes & Noble bookstore, horse expos & zoo conferences, libraries, and specialty shops that sell things that seem like a good fit for my work like horse supply shops. Most of them were beneficial in one way or the other, but not always financially. And not nearly as well as art fairs or galleries.

If you have limited time and resources and want to get a monetary return for time and effort invested, you need to qualify whatever event you are thinking about. Heres a few thing to think about:

* Are the people in this location going to be interested in what you do? For instance, are you trying to sell beach scenes at a ski resort.

* Is it a financially upscale area, where people have disposable income?

* Does the event (store, organization etc.) have a vested interest in your success?

* Are they promoting the event or your artwork, or are sales dependent on passive selling. Where someone just happens to see it and want it, though they are there for unrelated reasons.

* What are the risks? Do they have insurance against damage or theft? If your outdoors, will weather be a factor?

* Exactly how many people are we talking about? If the event is promising exposure find out how many. I've been approached by events that think 2,500 is a great number. In general I rarely consider anything less than 30,000 people (for a weekend) and thats at an event where they are coming to "buy" art. That being said, I am at a place where my time is at a premium and I do so many events, that unless there is an almost guaranteed payoff, I'll pass.

In general if some events, cafes, bookstores (insert your non-traditional venue here) use exposure as the major reason why you should participate in their gig, you should perhaps give it more thought. It doesn't mean it isn't worth doing. But you should be clear in your expectations for it and have a firm grasp on what you want to achieve by participating.

As an artist and a business person I am asked often (sometimes more than once a week) to donate my art (or gift certificate) to this or that charity or function. For those requesting something from me, exposure is always the big selling point.

Have I donated tens of thousands of dollars over the years?

Yes

Have I received new business from this?

Yes

Has that new business exceeded or even equaled the amount donated?

No

This doesn't mean I won't continue to donate. I will and do. But I don't do it expecting any real (and by "real" I mean monetary) return on investment. Well other than that warm fuzzy feeling like I'm doing something good. That being said, I also have to be aware that I also got stay in business and it's really easy to "give away the store."

So what I'm saying strike a balance, create realistic expectations and make your decisions for the "right" reasons.

The Build It And They Will Come Myth

In my gallery, I am often dealing with young (as in new to the art world, age here has no relevance.) aspiring artists who cling to the fantasy that once they have their first print made, get into their first gallery or get their website created, they will get discovered or their path to success will be secure. I am sorry to say this is probably not going to be the reality.

All of these things (getting into the print market, galleries and getting online) are really good steps in the right direction. They have the potential to make you successful. But you must still do the work. They must be marketed as vigorously as if you were marketing the actual artwork. Planning is critical to making your new endeavor meet your expectations.

Here's a few things to think about:
* What markets are you trying to reach?
* How much are you wanting to sell your work for?
* How much money do you want to earn? (gross/net)
* What is the time frame to reach your goals?
* Does this sound like fun?

If you are planning on launching a new website, try Googling a description that you think someone might use as a search term for finding you. So for instance, I would try horse art, equine art, wildlife art, oil pastel artist or any combination there of. The search results for Horse Art is 4,840,000. Wow. The search results for Draft Horse Art has 255,000. At one time my website was 3rd down on that list. Yup, Wild Faces Gallery was listed 3 of 255,000. This took a great deal of work to get that kind of ranking and unless we continued to work it like a part-time job, (which we didn't) it was lost. I have no idea where we are at now, but it is nowhere near the first 3 pages which is the golden spot for Google searches. Most people won't look past 3 pages for anything.

My point here is not to make you feel hopeless. My point (as always) is to make you think about what you expect to achieve, plan how to make it happen. And to give you the right amount of nudging and confidence, so you take the first step.

Unless you know what your up against, you are more likely to be disappointed with your results which may leave you feeling disappointed in your work. Success in most areas of the art business have very little to do with the quality of your work. Quality is up to you, business is business, whether it be selling cars or selling paintings. In order for you to achieve any measure of success you need to set yourself up to win it.

I don't know if there is any one magic bullet. If the possibility of being "discovered" without marketing yourself is even possible. Most (if not all) of the big dog artists had to pay their dues. (Bev Doolittle for instance, worked in graphic design and sold small watercolors in Yellowstone for $10-15 before she was "discovered.") That being said, you may not necessarily have to work like a dog every moment of every day (it is just how I do it.)

The path to "making it" begins by starting with easily attainable goals, (baby steps) then continue to set yourself up to for bigger and bigger challenges that allow you to feel successful, as well as build your confidence. There is no "one" answer or way to success. Try several different things. Experiment, don't take failure personally and most importantly have fun!

My name is Mona Majorowicz I am a professional artist who has been making my living selling my work for some time now. I am an animal artist, (meaning I paint critters) who works primarily in Oil Pastel or Water Soluble Pencil.

I own and operate Wild Faces Gallery with my husband Mike in a small rural town in Iowa. There we sell my original artwork and prints, as well as do quality custom framing and offer Giclee printing for other artists as well as for ourselves. I have over 20 years in ate art and framing industry both as a business owner and as a working artist.

I maintain a blog called Fur In The Paint, as well as write a regular column for Apples 'N Oats (an equestrian magazine) about painting horses.

Animals are my passion and art is how I chose to express it.

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How To Paint Fur In Watercolor Pencil
Learn About Watercolor Pencils
Using Watercolor Pencils on Suede Board
Inktense: Water Soluble Ink Pencils
Neocolor ll Water Soluble Wax Pastels
Oil Pastel Technique
Oil Pastels: Some Basic Information
Tips and Tools for working with Oil Pastels
3 Ways To Frame An Oil Pastel Painting

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Artwork Framing Guide
How To Care For Your Artwork and Prints
Creating A Collaborative Economy For Artists
How To Draw Remarques
Art Marketing: 6 Personality Traits For Success In The Art Market
Art Marketing: When Selling Art Predictable Is Popular
Art Marketing:The Two Most Common Myths
Selling Art: Tips From An Art Fair Veteran

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An Art Fair Primer
All Good Things Come From Art Fairs
20 Things I've Learned From 20 Years of Doing Art Fairs
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Preparing Art Fair Slides & Digital Images For The Jury
Artwork Display Panels
Directors Chair Resource
Art Fair Equipment Essentials
Art Fair Tents And Canopies

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Animal Totems: An Art Series
The Horse Paintings Of Wild Faces Gallery
The African Wildlife Art of Wild Faces Gallery
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The Draft Horse Art Of Wild Faces Gallery

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Vampire Academy Books Series
The Best Books For Women Who Love Horses
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Oliver: The Original Gallery Cat
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A Tribute To My Faithful Friend Brutus
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The World Percheron Congress 2010
My Dog Cisco: A Day In The Life Of A Retired Farming Dog
Your Cat Related Questions Answered By Budda The Cat
Meet The Budda
Budda's Dream Time Wish List

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Mat Cutting: How To Cut The Basic Mat

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