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What are the things about you and your art that you are trying to hide or want to change? Could you instead feature some of them to build a more genuine art business?
The answer is different for every artist. I'll share my experience in hopes it sparks some ideas for you. I used to hide my versatility. I don't paint just one subject in one style. I don't even paint in one size range. Yet I love being represented by galleries. If you know the gallery scene, you know this is a problem for me.
The larger the gallery, the more likely they are to represent artists with a very specific signature style, presentation and subject matter. Also, it was easier for me to find my own commission clients with a tagline like, "Painter of Pet Portraits" or, "Heirloom Oil Paintings of Houses". People respond better to marketing that leads them down a specific path.
In the end, I decided I just could not commit to and stick with one subject, size, price point or style. Instead, I entered work in shows and as I got better, galleries invited ME to be on their teams. In each case, they approached me because they wanted the work I did in a very specific series. Today, I am in five different sales venues plus two juried society galleries, an online museum and a portrait registry, and I have a unique body of work in each one. What changed?
1. My approach - When I begin to work with a new gallery, I tell them in our first conversation that while many artists dislike commissions, they are my wheelhouse - always have been. If one of my gallery owners has a client who wants a commissioned realism painting, I am usually the first artist who comes to mind, because I literally paint any subject. So you see, what is seen as a problem by many sales people turns out to be a selling point for others.
2. How I present my work - When I am approaching venues, I look for a niche I can fill, and then I present that series of works. When I approach a museum in the northwest with an exhibition submission, I include examples of my western themed art. For a fine art space with limited square footage, I will lead with my palm sized miniature paintings. For a gift shop, I will lead with my lower priced small sketches or color studies. For a collector with a large home, I will present my 40 inch tall portrait and still life commissioned pieces.
Anyone I talk with can go to my website and see the whole range of paintings I create. But in specific conversations, I limit what I share.
How can you structure your marketing to bring positive attention to your liabilities?
Think of it this way. People can easily relate to the story of your challenges, and by now we know that stories are important in marketing. Not good at techie things? Emphasize a back to basics approach. Got rejected from a bunch of shows? Start a rejects group on Facebook and have a rejects' sale.
Here are some thoughts to ponder.
1. Be true to yourself even if it IS more work. Are you like me, where being versatile goes against advertising advice? Well, join several societies and groups to show and sell in. Focus on finding collectors in many sectors of the art market instead of just one. I am in miniature art, portrait, plein air, experimental, government and realism societies. Believe it or not, many collectors follow more than one art genre too.
2. Do what you need to do for the marathon, not the sprint. Painting is as much about me as it is about my marketing. I pour my soul into my art, so what, how, and why I create has to be sustainable for ME. What sustains you? Do you have to have pink in every piece of art you make? Look for locations that embrace that color. New Mexico loves their watermelon skies. Japan uses pink in almost every promotional campaign. If you also like subdued and monochromatic works, look into Tonalism shows. Then display them all together proudly on your website. They will probably compliment each other.
3. What, if anything are you trying to hide about your creative process? What would happen if you highlighted it instead? I do these crazy messy abstract under-paintings that don't look like other artists' beautiful works in progress. I embrace this even though it makes my students squirrelly. Many artists think they know the "right" way to paint and my works in progress sure don't look right. They have to trust in my results till the end. I'm the fastest indirect studio painter I know, and my process is why. I'm not giving it up, and I'm certainly not hiding it. As a result, I've had quite a few students who signed up for my workshops just out of curiosity.
4. How can you attract YOUR followers? Highlight the things that make you and your art different. Otherwise, you'll always be part of the crowd. Celebrate that you use your fingers instead of conventional art tools. Tell people about how you dance to rock music when you paint portraits or listen to nature sounds when you assemble gemstones into your jewelry line. These are the stories that can help sell your work. If you add metallic sparkles to parts of your night sky artwork or sand to the paint you use for your beach works, people want to know.
5. We all have skill sets we are working to get better at. Look at learning experiences as an opportunity to engage with your audience. Many artists feel uncomfortable publicly admitting that they are in a workshop so they will take private lessons instead. But, I have watched peers gain new respect for artists who are studying with someone who has mastered their process. When they posted about it, the posts generated lots of interest and their mentor got a handful of new students too. That's a win/win.
I created an Instagram account where I post my daily 15 minute sketches, whether they turn out good or bad. I did this to keep myself accountable in a daily sketch practice, but I've actually had sales of my fully rendered works happen as a result. Sharing that you are still learning can be a positive thing.
6. As we work toward quality vs. quantity of followers, sharing the things we try to hide can sometimes attract a better group of fans. Folks who are interested in us love to remember how we overcame obstacles. Often they will even have helpful advice. They want to feel like part of our team as we climb that ladder of success.
7. Listen to the marketing and sales advice that works for you. Set the rest aside.
Share what makes you original, and how it has become an asset instead of a liability.
Don't fix it. Feature it.
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