How to Get More Exposure for Your Art Work©
Posted: Monday, May 30, 2011
by Arlene Wright-Correll
http://www.learn-america.com
This week we have more good questions and I thank you all for them. One great question asks, “How can I get more exposure for my art?”
I think we are all afraid to “toot our own horn” so I say to you never be afraid to show off your personality. Many art buyers do not buy art just for the monetary value or just to decorate their walls to make their homes or offices look good. They often buy art because they like to feel a connection to the artist or to the piece they are buying and they like to know what prompted you to paint it.
It really is easy to be true to who you are when you engage your audience in your life and build honest relationships. This is the kind of relationship that will increase sales and word-of-mouth publicity which is priceless advertising. A long time ago I stop worrying about being the perfect artist or portraying a certain art image and started thinking in terms of “being the real me” and this is my advice to you.
One of the ways you can do this is to start by creating your own blog or joining other successful art blogs such as OvationTV and writing in your own voice as if you were talking to your best friend. Don’t try to imitate others. Should that blog have a connection to Facebook, Twitter and/or some other type of exposure then really, really take advantage of it. Make sure your title or heading contains key words that are search for on these links.
Create a video presentation of your work and feel free to throw in your own phrases no matter how quirky they may seem to you. Include parts of your life. If you are painting pictures of your pet then add something personal or funny to the description such as what that pet does to make you laugh. If your pet is going through a hard time then write about it in your picture description. You will be surprised how many pet lovers will start to identify with your art. If you are painting scenes from you favorite vacation places then tell little stories about the day you were there. The same goes for your town. Not only will you be telling stories about your town and the place you live, but you will be exposing your area and your art to prospective tourists and art buyers.
I remember I had a lovely little picture I painted of the last time we were at the great market place in Barcelona, Spain. I loved that painting and really did not want to sell this little painting but I put a big price on it. About 3 years later someone purchased it and reluctantly sold it telling her the story about the painting and the people who were in it. She was delighted even more and that was a great lesson to me. Since then many of my painting descriptions have stories in them. I was sad to see the little painting go, but happy to have someone else enjoy it and once it was off the wall I immediately replaced it with a Giclee print of the same painting so I still have my memory, plus a sale, plus one more person in the world who knows about me.
Invite them to come and visit you at your studio. This is truly where you can interact with a potential buyer and you will usually wind up with a sale no matter how small. Be prepared to take a check if necessary, even from an out of town buyer as long as you take the information needed from their driver’s license.
Once they are there invite them to share their email with you so you can make them aware of future sales, artworks and exhibitions. Send them something at least once a month or each time you create something new and make sure you direct them to your buying hyperlink so they can buy or make an offer should they wish to do so. Make the email personal. If you have a large mailing list give it a name and put that name in the blind CC part of the email so you are not exposing everyone’s email to the world. Make an email called undisclosed recipient or favorite customer and put your own email address in that space so you can put undisclosed recipient or favorite customer in the to line.
May the creative force be with you.
Arlene Wright-Correll
P.S. If your birthday is between June 1st and June 3oth stop into Avalon Stained Glass School & Creativity Center at 100 Dave Wintsch Rd., Munfordville and pick up your free birthday gift during our business hours.
I think we are all afraid to “toot our own horn” so I say to you never be afraid to show off your personality. Many art buyers do not buy art just for the monetary value or just to decorate their walls to make their homes or offices look good. They often buy art because they like to feel a connection to the artist or to the piece they are buying and they like to know what prompted you to paint it.
One of the ways you can do this is to start by creating your own blog or joining other successful art blogs such as OvationTV and writing in your own voice as if you were talking to your best friend. Don’t try to imitate others. Should that blog have a connection to Facebook, Twitter and/or some other type of exposure then really, really take advantage of it. Make sure your title or heading contains key words that are search for on these links.
Create a video presentation of your work and feel free to throw in your own phrases no matter how quirky they may seem to you. Include parts of your life. If you are painting pictures of your pet then add something personal or funny to the description such as what that pet does to make you laugh. If your pet is going through a hard time then write about it in your picture description. You will be surprised how many pet lovers will start to identify with your art. If you are painting scenes from you favorite vacation places then tell little stories about the day you were there. The same goes for your town. Not only will you be telling stories about your town and the place you live, but you will be exposing your area and your art to prospective tourists and art buyers.
I remember I had a lovely little picture I painted of the last time we were at the great market place in Barcelona, Spain. I loved that painting and really did not want to sell this little painting but I put a big price on it. About 3 years later someone purchased it and reluctantly sold it telling her the story about the painting and the people who were in it. She was delighted even more and that was a great lesson to me. Since then many of my painting descriptions have stories in them. I was sad to see the little painting go, but happy to have someone else enjoy it and once it was off the wall I immediately replaced it with a Giclee print of the same painting so I still have my memory, plus a sale, plus one more person in the world who knows about me.
Invite them to come and visit you at your studio. This is truly where you can interact with a potential buyer and you will usually wind up with a sale no matter how small. Be prepared to take a check if necessary, even from an out of town buyer as long as you take the information needed from their driver’s license.
Once they are there invite them to share their email with you so you can make them aware of future sales, artworks and exhibitions. Send them something at least once a month or each time you create something new and make sure you direct them to your buying hyperlink so they can buy or make an offer should they wish to do so. Make the email personal. If you have a large mailing list give it a name and put that name in the blind CC part of the email so you are not exposing everyone’s email to the world. Make an email called undisclosed recipient or favorite customer and put your own email address in that space so you can put undisclosed recipient or favorite customer in the to line.
May the creative force be with you.
Arlene Wright-Correll
P.S. If your birthday is between June 1st and June 3oth stop into Avalon Stained Glass School & Creativity Center at 100 Dave Wintsch Rd., Munfordville and pick up your free birthday gift during our business hours.
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