Selling Art: Predictable is Popular
Once again this post is for those who wish to sell their art. Those who are creating for the sole purpose of self expression and pleasure need not give this much thought.
Finding Your Voice
One of the great challenges any new artist can face is to find their own voice. What that means is to develop a style, subject matter and usually medium that allows the viewer to automatically know who the artist is just by viewing the art. Monet, Van Gogh and Remington have a unique voice. Or to be more contemporary Terry Redlin, Bev Doolittle or Thomas Kinkade. You hear their names and most of you can picture the art in your minds eye. That is Voice.
Finding your own Voice (style) can be laborious. My best advice is paint (or sculpt, photograph etc.) what you know and love. Trying to create whats “IN” is impossible as it changes every few years. Also, buyers are a savvy group. They will know it if your hearts not in it. Generally this means trying all sorts of subjects and mediums until you hit on that Aha! moment. Once you find your joy, throw yourself into it and leave much of the rest behind you.
Big Bluff - Oil Pastel 7.5 x 27.5
Copyright by Mona Majorowicz
Deviant Behavior
Anyone casually looking over my website, gallery, blog or artfair booth, can pretty well conclude that I am a critter artist. I can be easily pigeon holed. This just sort of happened for me with little conscious thought on my part (as did creating my style.)
But if you look closer you can see that I really have two different subject matter (horses and exotic wildlife) and they are done in two distinct mediums (oil pastel and water soluble pencil) with distinctive styles. Still they are close enough that they fit well together when mixed.
I do (however rarely) create art that is outside of this box. Shown here is a landscape of Big Bend National Park. I have been known to do a flower or two, and on extremely rare occasion I may even do a fruit or vegetable. Whenever I am drawn to these types of subjects, it has more to do with colors or pattern than because I am feeling passionate about hot peppers. I allow myself to explore it, and then go back to what I love best.
Generally I don’t show these at the art events I do. And I definitely don’t include them in any application or jury process’s. They are done for my enjoyment and I don’t feel the need to promote them.
To Niche’ or not to Niche’
I personally think you should continue to create whatever gives you joy. But from a marketing standpoint the more predictable you are the better.
This benefits of predictability:
- Galleries & Publishers like it. If you paint a specific genre’ and it sells, they know that if you continue to paint the same stuff, it probably will also sell.
- Patrons like it. They are buying your work because they like your medium, subject matter and/or style. They expect to see more of the same so they can add to their collections.
- Art Fairs & Juried Shows like it. Their job is to provide a diversified event and if all you do is oil paintings of flowers it makes their job so much the easier.
Every time you change your subject matter, you will loose momentum. About 3 years back I “tried” oil pastels. I was so burned out on water soluble (wc) pencils I had no inclination to create anything. I needed something that was quick and fun.
Straight out of the box, oil pastels were a joy. I stared glassy eyed at all the pretty colors. I waxed poetic about them to my artist friends, (or anyone else who would listen.) I literally started one piece as soon as I had completed the last one. I needed this refreshing break from what I had been doing for the last decade. It invigorated me and kept the passion alive.
My subject matter stayed the same, but the technique changed with the medium. As a result I lost some of my patrons. Of course I gained new ones and a few didn’t seem to care or notice the difference.
Most of the time when applying for an art event, I send only the one medium (generally oil pastel since that is for the most part, my new work.) I think this helps me jury stronger because they can see the continuity of the work. It is generally a bad plan to send a variety of work believing they will think you have range. It is far more likely they will think you lack focus.
Tags: business
That’s really interesting, and it makes a lot of sense. I was quite surprised that you lost some patrons just by changing medium. Some people must be very specific about what they like or don’t like. I like a bit of everything.
I’ve thought about what my “thing” would be, but to be honest I have enjoyed doing everything I have done so far, and I’m not very good at sticking to just one thing. I thought clay would be my thing, but I have really enjoyed painting. Then I thought triptychs would be my thing, but I have realy enjoyed portrait drawing. Then I thought portraits would be my thing, but I have really enjoyed creating my 3D piece. Ah, Jack of all trades and master of none! It seems I am destined to remain a hobbyist!
Hey Undaunted,
I need to say that the word hobbyist was incorrect. I knew it as soon as I posted it but since I did it so late, I thought “eh, I’ll fix it in the morning” and then of course life got in the way. I almost never go back and correct a post after I have published it, but in this case I think I might.
Secondly I think it is great that you enjoy so many different artistic endeavors. I have always been one to try something, then do it until I couldn’t take it anymore, then try something else. I know alot of very talented artists who are multi gifted and have varied interests. I think an artist should always do what gives them pleasure. However when applying to galleries or artshows, having a theme as it were, will get you ahead quicker. Just one more of those artsy fartsy rules that have no real basis in logic.
Thank you Mona, but I was just playing
I understood that you only meant it from a business point of view, I know you would never belittle the work of others.
When I was dropping off my competition piece yesterday, I met an artist who I had never really met properly before, but I have admired her work for some time. She is one of those truly multi gifted people. She sculpts in clay and papier-mache, and is a fantastic painter too. No doubt her sculpture will be there on preview night and I shall take a photo of it to put on my blog.
I’ll be sure to take a peek in at your blog. Tell me about the competition. . . or have you discussed that on your blog. Hmmm. Maybe I should just go take a look now.
Hehe, hello! *waves to Mona* It was nice to hear from you on my blog! I suppose I didn’t really write a lot of detail about the competition on my blog, because I had so much to say about the piece I was working on for it!
It’s open to those who live in our town, or have a strong connection to it, and is run by our local council. Apparently they have it every two years, but I had never heard of it before - it was Anita who told me about it. There are three categories - amateur, professional, and sculpture. They should have amateur and professional sculpture because now that this other artist has entered I don’t stand a chance! They don’t have very many people enter the sculpture section though. Also, the prize money is less for a sculpture than a painting, which I don’t think is fair.
There is no theme, and the judging is done by our local Mayor (whoever he is!) and some “arty” types. I swing from feeling nervous about it, to thinking “It’s out of my hands now, what’s the point in worrying?” But tonight, I am worrying!