resources for artists

Book on Selling Art Discusses Link Between Money and Happiness

Selling-Art3ARTISTS. Can money buy happiness? Maybe not directly. But having success and money can allow you to be a force for positive change. That’s one theme from Barney Davey’s new e-book “The Zen of Selling Art: How to Sell Art, Make Money, and Be Happy”

Barney Davey is president and founder of BarneyDavey.com, a marketing consultancy and book publishing company.  For the past three decades, he has been actively involved in helping visual artists get their work seen and sold.  As a publishing executive for the now-defunct Decor magazine and the Decor Expo trade shows, he consulted with hundreds of the industry’s leading art publishers and self-published artists regarding their art marketing and advertising strategies. He is the author and publisher of the 300-page book, “How to Profit in the Art Print Market, 2nd Edition” and “How to Price Digital Fine Art Prints.” He has written art marketing articles for The Artist’s Magazine, Art World News and Art Business News.

“The Zen of Selling Art” is a collection of essays on business success with tips that can help you build a more rewarding art career by selling your art at regularly increasing prices. The information is gleaned from the best advice Davey has been giving artists since 1988.  It is supplemented by information from other sources, such as articles Davey has written for Art World News magazine and posts published on his Art Print Issues blog.

“We all know that the amount of money we make is not the real reason for our true happiness,” explains Davey. But, he believes that achieving greater financial success will pay dividends, both professionally and personally. For example, it is easier to be happy when the stress of worrying about money is relieved. Beyond securing your family’s well-being, good fortune and success can bring other kinds of satisfaction, including a more balanced life.

If you are successful selling art on a routine basis, Davey points out that you can use some of your income to do good things that wouldn’t be possible if you work only for subsistence.

“That is why I continue to write to help artists to improve their art sales skills,” says Davey. “I want artists to enjoy all the success and sales they deserve.” He believes you only need to learn some new skills or sharpen existing ones to begin to enjoy the benefits of more art sales. The e-book includes essays on the following topics:

  • Sell Art with the Best – Learn to Offer Big!
  • Shhh! How to Sell Art with Silence
  • How to Sell Art: Use the Five “C”s for Success
  • Seven Great Ways to Sell More Art
  • Visual Artists’ Perceptions and Selling More Art with Partners
  • Exploring Open Edition Art Print Market Opportunities
  • Selling Art Prints – Exploring Open Edition Print Opportunities
  • Improve Your Art Sales with these Seven Selling Points from Barney’s Day Gig
  • What Kind of Art Sells Best?
  • Selling Art – Eight Ideas on How to Sell Art

To sample some of Davey’s writing, read some of the excellent posts on his Art Print Issues blog, or sign up for the podcasts he records with Jason Horejs , owner of the Xandu Gallery and author of the book “Starving to Successful: The Fine Artist’s Guide to Getting into Galleries and Selling More Art.”

LINKS

E-Book: The Zen of Selling Art—How to Sell Art, Make Money, and Be Happy by Barney Davey

Blog: Art Print Issues

Podcast: Marketing Methods for Artists by Barney Davey and Jason Horejs

TurningArt Memberships Help Art Lovers and Artists

With so much art now available from multiple online and retail venues, it can be challenging for artists to get exposure and earn income from their art. At the same time, it can be difficult for art lovers to commit to buying that single perfect piece to display in a prominent space in their homes or offices.

TurningArtLogoThe art enthusiasts who founded TurningArt understand this dilemma. So they came up with a fun, affordable, risk-free way for more people to discover, experience, and buy art from talented artists across the country.

For just $10 a month, TurningArt members can display a rotating selection of museum-quality prints in their homes or offices. Members can choose to display a different art print as often as they like.  For every dollar they spend on a TurningArt membership, they will bank an Art Credit that can later be used to purchase the print or the original of any art that would like to keep.

In addition to getting exposure that help you find new audiences, you can earn money for every print of your work that a member “rents” or buys.

TurningArt has set standard sizes and prices for the reproduction prints. The 16 x 20 inch prints sells for $65 unframed, and $140 framed. The 24 x 30-inch prints cost $105 unframed and $260 framed.  It’s up to you to determine how much you want to charge for your original. (Original works sold through TurningArt  typically are priced between $300 and $5,000.)

For more details on the TurningArt commission and royalty payments, see the Artist FAQ section on the TurningArt website. The Helping Artists tab leads to instructions on how to submit artwork you might want to make available through TurningArt.

The Story Behind TurningArt

TurningArt was started by Jason Gracilieri, an art lover in Boston who was finding it difficult to fill an empty wall in his home: “I was trying to find something that I really loved. Something that had meaning for me and just fit perfectly. While I searched in the little free time that I had, that empty wall stayed empty for a very long time. I thought there had to be a better way.”

How It Works

When someone signs up for a membership, their first print arrives framed and ready-to-hang. Each piece is printed on a high-quality material that displays rich, vibrant colors, captures subtle detail, and remains crinkle-free. The black frame is made of a natural, recycled material that won’t warp or dent. When they return their first piece and exchange it for something new, shipping is always free.

Gift Service

To encourage more people to give art as gifts, TurningArt offers 3-, 6-, and 12-month gift memberships. Through press releases, TurningArt has been promoting gift memberships as wedding gifts.

“Couples starting out may not have the money or the inclination to purchase art, especially if they’re renting or haven’t developed their personal style as a couple,” said Gracilieri. “Gifting a TurningArt membership will help create that special home environment, and allow them to discover the art they love.”

Gift-givers can select the first print or email the recipient a TurningArt gift notification with instructions on how to select their first piece.

LINKS

TurningArt

How  Artists Can Show Their Work

FAQs for Artists

EBSCO Releases Art Source Database for Libraries

EBSCO Publishing (EBSCO) has released Art Source™, a full-text resource for the study of art and architecture. Developed from a merger of high-quality databases from EBSCO Publishing and H.W. Wilson, Art Source covers a broad range of subjects from fine, decorative and commercial art to various areas of architecture and architectural design.

ArtSource

Art Source includes full text for over 600 high-quality journals and 230 books. The database also offers podcasts from leading museums on artists and individual works of art, a collection of over 63,000 images, and art-reproduction records. That database provides strong international coverage, including periodicals published in French, German, Spanish and Dutch.

The database was designed for use by a diverse audience including art scholars, artists, designers, students and general researchers. Art Source will appeal to each of these audience members due to the breadth of specific subjects including:

  • Advertising Art
  • Antiques
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture and Architectural History
  • Art History
  • Contemporary Art
  • Costume Design
  • Crafts
  • Decorative Arts
  • Folk Art
  • Graphic Arts
  • Industrial Design
  • Interior Design
  • Landscape Architecture
  • Motion Pictures
  • Museology
  • Non-Western Art
  • Painting
  • Photography
  • Pottery
  • Printmaking
  • Sculpture
  • Television
  • Textiles
  • Video

About EBSCO Publishing
gI_59914_0_ehost150EBSCO Publishing is the producer of EBSCOhost®, a for-fee online research service for researchers at schools, universities, public libraries, corporations, and government institutions.

The company provides more than 375 databases and 350,000 e-books, and publishes full-text databases, subject indexes, point-of-care medical reference, and historical digital archives.

Art Source is the newest addition to a line of “Source” products that have been created from the 2011 merger of EBSCO Publishing and H.W. Wilson, another provider of print and digital content to public, school, university and corporate libraries. EBSCO has previously released “Source” products related topics such as business, law, and applied science and technology.

LINKS

EBSCO Art Source

EBSCO Discovery Service

EBSCO Publishing

 

Wikilitho Seeks to Preserve Integrity of the Art Market

Wikilitho in Sandton, South Africa has created a new online resource to protect art buyers, collectors, and artists from unscrupulous art dealers, fraudsters, and forgeries. One of their main objectives is to identify and expose counterfeit works and dealers who have sold fraudulent or illegitimate pieces of art in the past.

The Wikilitho portal also enables buyers to authenticate any artwork they are considering purchasing in order to ensure the originality and legitimacy of their potential investment. On the Wikilitho database, buyers can register their original paintings, lithographs and sculptures. All buyer information is treated with the utmost confidentiality.

The site was founded by a group of serious art collectors who believe that “The market for art is being bastardized by fakes, and innocent buyers are being shredded.”

While most people buy and collect art because of their appreciation for aesthetically beautiful pieces, the Wikilitho team has observed that many art aficionados are becoming increasingly conscious of the potential monetary value of their investments in art. At the same time, the growing financial significance of the art world has attracted a flood of new art dealers, auctioneers, and artists who may not always be ethical.

Wikilitho is seeking to protect the integrity of art market by offering expert services to defend the work of artists, the reputation of art dealers and the monetary investment of buyers and collectors. Their blog includes several posts offering useful advice for art buyers, including a post about $13 billion in art fraud in China.

LINKS

Wikilitho

 

Learn to Use Inkjet Transfers for Fine Photo and Art Prints

If you want to create one-of-a-kind photo and art prints, check out the Digital Art Studio Seminars (DASS) website. Artist Bonny Pierce Lhotka established the website in 2009 for artists and photographers who want to learn how to merge classic printmaking techniques with modern technology.

Digital Alchemy book coverThrough the website, you can register for hands-on workshops or buy instructional DVDs and books that explain how to transfer inkjet prints to a variety of surfaces including birch panels, stone paper, aluminum sheets, acrylic, Econolite rigid metal panels. In her book, “Digital Alchemy,” Lhotka explains how to direct print on metal, metal leaf, and custom substrates.

To ensure that the materials needed for the transfer and printing processes explained in the seminars and instructional materials are readily accessible, the Digital Art Studios Seminar website includes an online store.

Two of the newest products featured on the site are: DASS Universal Inkjet Precoat II and Aged Metal Plates.

DASS Universal Inkjet Precoat II

This inkjet precoat can be used to prepare any surface for inkjet printing.  This new, clear formula spreads easily on paper, canvas, glass, and metals. Coated metals retain their sheen. A coating bar is included to help ensure even, smooth application.

Aged Metal Plates

To create one-of-a-kind photographic prints, you can order sets of six 8 x 10-inch aged metal plates. To print directly on the metal plate, you would first apply the DASS Universal Inkjet Precoat II. To transfer pigment ink prints to the metal plates, you would use the DASS SuperSauce and DASS Transfer Film, which can also be purchased through the DASS website.

LINKS

Digital Art Studio Seminars

Agency Helps Artists Choose the Right Online Gallery

ARTISTS. If you don’t have the time or patience to determine which of the 200+ online art galleries would be the best place to sell your work, The Art Marketing Agency of Sarasota, Florida can help.

After a one-hour phone or Skype consultation with their team of objective experts, you will receive written recommendations of the five or ten galleries they believe will be most effective in generating sales for you. They can also help you set up your salon on each of the recommended galleries.

“We recognized that success in selling art online means knowing exactly what online galleries and their buyers are the best fit for specific styles and mediums. Our services are specifically designed to match the characteristics of the online gallery, and its audience, with the artwork,” says Tuck Tucker, director of the Art Marketing Agency.

Clients can also receive the agency’s new “Guide to Online Art and Photography Galleries” that analyzes the characteristics of more than 100 different galleries.

Your consultation will start with a critical, objective analysis of your portfolio, website, and current marketing efforts. You will get advice on the specific metatags and metawords you should insert in your website to attract more traffic. Plus, you’ll get tips to make it easier for sell art directly from your site.

You can learn how to capture the e-mail addresses of people who visit your site, so you can send them newsletters and invitations to events and shows in which you will be participating. The Art Marketing Agency can also teach you how to use different types of social media to showcase your art and connect with buyers.

In addition to assistance in developing a targeted online marketing strategy, you will also get advice on pricing your artwork and designing specialized advertising campaigns.

The director of the Art Marketing Agency Tuck Tucker has more than 20 years of experience in marketing art and photography. He was the chief curator of the ModernMastersPhotography.com collection and has worked with numerous online galleries and print and online media such as Art News, Art in America, Art Info, Art Net, AIPAD, and Aperture.

Photographer Karen T. in Arlington,Virginia, says that The Art Marketing Agency helped make her life and art marketing more successful: “The Agency suggested I shift from 2 pay galleries to 5 non-pay and I am making more sales and saving money. What I liked is that their services are ‘turnkey.’ They really did all the work to set me up with the online galleries after the consultation.”

Portrait artist Ron W. of Miami, Florida says he was relieved to find the Art Marketing Agency: “It was was just too time-consuming and frustrating to know what online galleries to work with. The team at the Agency has given me better online sales options.”

For details on different options and pricing levels for the consultants, visit The Art Marketing Agency website.

LINK

The Art Marketing Agency

 

Online Gallery Lets Artists Sell without Commissions or Fees

Foundmyself is a free, online art community that offers selling tools to artists of all skill levels. Unlike other art sites, it runs entirely on the honor system.

The honor system means you can sell your original art without paying the commissions or subscription fees that are common on other sites. Buyers know that 100 percent of their purchase goes directly toward supporting your creative endeavors.

Here’s the catch: Foundmyself expects you to contribute if you find the site useful or make a sale. The financial details of your transactions on the site aren’t tracked, so it really is a relationship of trust. You keep your earnings, then donate what you think is appropriate.

If you do choose to make a monetary contribution to the site, you will be compensated with “honor points,” which can be exchanged for benefits such as having your work show up on the front page of the site. You can also earn “honor points” by participating in the forum.

Designer Trevor Hunt started the site in 2003 as a small side project. It has since grown into a large, but familiar community.

The Foundmyself site recently underwent a major redesign. New tools offered include standalone artist websites, a drag-and-drop interface, and a “canvas” system in place of a traditional, static gallery page. The “canvas” serves as each artist’s online face to the world, and can be customized with different layouts and widgets. You can add slideshows, newsletter sign-up forms, and other features.

If you choose to set up a standalone website, you can opt for a free version or more full-featured, ad-free websites for a monthly or annual fee.

LINKS

 Foundmyself

Artist websites through Foundmyself