By Carolyn Edlund

Artist Stephanie Paige uses a smart technique to sell her mixed media work. How this can help your sales, too.

Take a look at how Southern California artist Stephanie Paige shows her large scale mixed media artwork on her website. Visitors have the option of seeing her work in a traditional view, as shown below, but she also offers a professional photo of a room scene including the piece as well.

Rebirth 40" x 89" x 2", Mixed Media

See how effectively the room view helps to show the scale and impact of her work? Stephanie says her customers love it.

She says, “Using the images in a room setting has really helped my clients get a real good feel for what it will look like. I also have clients all over the world send me photos of their room wanting to see what it will look like before they purchase my work.”

Big retailers like Art.com have long offered this type of service on their sites. They know that showing art in it’s environment (as well as changeable wall colors, frames and mats) helps prospective customers visualize how the art could work in their own home or office, and can make a huge difference in closing the sale.

It’s difficult enough to make a purchase of fine art online, since it’s so much more “real” in person. Just think how this helpful technique could enhance your own art sales!

By Carolyn Edlund

LeJarie Noguchi works with Artas1, a licensing agency for Japanese artists. She spoke with Artsy Shark recently about her job, the challenges she faces and what’s hot in the business.

AS:  How many artists do you represent?

LN: I represent over 40 Japanese artists. Most live in Japan, but a few are in the United States.

AS: What is your process for reaching prospective clients for your artists?

LN:  I use a combination of cold calling and email submissions. I submit artwork after reviewing the guidelines on the company’s website. If there aren’t any details, I’ll either call or contact customer service for contact information, for their licensing director if available. I then email them directly or call based on the contact information given.

Generally, I submit four image samples initially as a PDF with simple artist’s bios. If there is a request for more images, I’ll follow up with larger jpgs depending on the specifics of the request via zip files. We also mail out free copies of our latest catalogs upon request, which helps to give the client a good overview of the artists we represent.

AS: What is your follow up procedure?

LN: I usually follow up with an email three to five days later and only occasionally with a phone call. From my experience, I find I email usually, and calling is mostly done with smaller companies and small book publishers for book cover art. I email follow ups mostly for larger established companies like in decor or print publishers.

Artist: Hiromitsu Yokota

AS: Are there any trends you are noticing as far as what companies want to license?

LN: There is a popular trend right now toward cute and small Japanese types of items like dolls, stickers and erasers spurred on by the huge popularity among kids for Japanese erasers that come in fun shapes like sushi, cupcakes, hamburgers . . . you name it and there is a cute eraser for it. So there are some companies looking for cute bright art similar to anime.

AS: What are you working on now?

LN: Currently, the artwork of two of our popular Japanese artists is on exhibition at UMAMI Burger’s new restaurant location in Hermosa Beach, California. Also, two of our artists create amazing artwork for calendars, so I’m contacting calendar and stationery publishers. One of our artists has created the sweetest children’s book about an octopus that I’m actively submitting to publishers.

AS: What is your biggest challenge?

LN: Time zones. Being based in Los Angeles with the majority of licensing companies based on the East Coast is a big challenge when trying to contact and follow up.

By Carolyn Edlund

Artists talk about the year just passed, and their resolutions for 2012.

Some took risks, or had tough learning experiences. They all grew in their businesses and their art. Here are their stories:

Jean Judd:

2011 has been a year of reviewing my true vision as an artist and making necessary adjustments. It has also been a year of growth for my art business as I have gained representation with new galleries due to my diligence in marketing myself via LinkedIn and other online venues.

Being added to several art consultants rosters will bring new commissions and sales for 2012. I already have several acceptances for juried fine art exhibitions across the US so 2012 will be a continuation of the progress made in 2011 getting my artwork out for collectors to see and purchase.

Annie Strack:

This past year has been pretty good, and I’ve had a slight increase in sales over the previous year. Every year I add a few more goals to my list, in addition to ones that carry over from previous years. For instance, one of my annual goals is to add another gallery, and I try to find at least one new one every year. I usually lose one every year, too, due to closing or performance issues; so it’s actually very hard to gain ground on this one. Other goals that get repeated every year are things like booking workshops, writing magazine articles, entering juried shows, earning Signature Memberships, teaching classes, etc.

This year, the extra goals on my list include joining more artist societies near my new home, more plein air painting, expanding my online sales, and producing a new DVD. This doesn’t sound like much, but it’s on top of everything else I already have on my list that gets repeated each year, so it’s enough!

Destry Sparks:

I definitely want to spend more time making art in 2012 than worrying about art business. In 2011 I had the busiest exhibition schedule of my career with five solo shows spread over four states. I met several benchmarks such as showing at a large public university in a large city via the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. It was also a big step to show my work for the first time in the leading art markets of Miami and New York. Meeting many of my online contacts in person was a great experience as well which has led to other opportunities in the pipeline. But promoting shows back to back while dealing with the logistics of organizing so many large solo exhibitions was a real wake up call.

Managing life beyond art plus all of that has left me just plain worn out. I haven’t produced much work at all this year, which has been frustrating. I’ve learned my lesson though. From now on, the core of my energy will go towards time in the studio. As artists if we lose sight of that, we run the risk of leaving out the joy of discovering the full potential of our creative path. I’ve already started some new work.  I’m really excited to ring in 2012 with momentum!

Kelly Heck:

This past year has helped me figure out the direction I want to head with both my art and my business. It has included gaining the courage to turn down areas of work I no longer wish to provide, rekindling a passion for areas I thought I would no longer pursue and struggling with time management.

This January 2012 I hang my solo show at The Delaplaine in Frederick, MD. I’m excited to share my new body of work, Beautiful Silence, which features winter landscapes in and around Carroll County, Maryland. The reception is February 4^th, 2012. I hope to build print sales through my online store. And just like in this previous year, I would like to hang my work in at least a handful of shows, not limited local venues.

This new year should also include some site updates for myself and to feature other artists on my site, an idea I pushed last year but that lost momentum. Over the past three years, I’ve improved my skills in business, marketing and relationship building – not to mention I’m more and more excited by my designs and I can manage my own website! And the drive to do more and get better just keeps on coming!

Ted Meyer:

In 2012 I will continue making art about medicine and health, but with a stronger focus on internal and emotional issues in addition to my interest in the body. This past year I continued with my “Scarred for Life” project, in which I make body prints from people’s scars and collect their stories of trauma and healing. I shot a television pilot about this process, and how the experience serves as a cathartic expression for many of my subjects, a cap to their “story.”

I also started a new series of paintings in which I embed photos and documents from my parents and grandparents into the compositions. I recently visited my brother, who has a serious longterm illness, and got some of his creative notebooks from his youth as a folk singer. I’m starting to collage these fragments into new paintings about him, exploring the effects and his suffering of dementia and Parkinsons. It’s possible I’ll also mix human ashes (my mom’s) into these paintings. Finally, I started a business called ArtandMed.com last year, and in 2012 I’ll continue to present lectures to health providers and patient groups about art and medicine.

Giesla Hoelscher:

My hopes for 2011 were big. At the end of 2010, my boyfriend and I began subleasing a retail space that we turned into an art gallery/portrait studio. I was really excited that it would allow me to reduce the number of art fairs that I was doing, help my boyfriend build his new photography business, bring in new customers and start moving in a new direction.

Long story short, after a long winter that came with huge snow plowing bills, light rail construction in the area that kept people away, crime on the rise in the neighborhood, and not being able to keep regular hours because of my schedule, I came to the conclusion that getting into a retail space was a huge burden that came with a big lesson. I realized that I was continuing to fall back on the safe decisions of more of the same (though it took on a different form) to avoid the big scary decisions I needed to make to make significant changes to my business. I spent the year spinning my wheels instead of making much progress.

In January, I’m taking a four day mini-retreat to a family cabin to get away and focus on what I really want for my 10th year in business. For 2012 my biggest hope is that I can find a wayto  travel more so I can create new artwork which will in turn expand my licensing opportunities. I’d also like to take a bigger step towards doing more corporate art. My resolutions are to ditch the toxic part-time job, stop resisting the really big changes that will take me out of my comfort zone, as well as stop putting off the little things that could make a big difference down the line.

Pam Utton:

December 25th marks my second year of selling pet portraits on Facebook. I have continued to work with watercolor and acrylic on a daily basis. When not busy with pet portraits I would paint different subjects such as flowers and carousels which are located in three small local galleries. Painting every day is not a chore for me and my love for my art and for animals brings me much support from a vast network of people. It is important to me to share my natural talent with others and to give back as often as I can. My fan page grew to over 7,000 and my sales are steady.

For 2012 my goal is to learn how to create portraits with graphite and color pencil in addition to my paintings. Many people seem to be drawn to the simple elegance of graphite. So, my first free portrait for 2012 is going to be a 8×10 graphite drawing. Fans are eager to see my work progress and they encourage me to continue.

What’s Your Story and Your Vision for the New Year?

By Carolyn Edlund

This year’s countdown of the ten most read and shared articles on Artsy Shark.

10. Making Art and Making a Living - Do you have to support yourself through your art to be an “artist?” Or does the financial pressure hurt your creative growth and your sanity?

9. “You’ll Never Make a Living as an Artist” - Are you surrounding yourself with supporters, or naysayers? Who is holding you back? Your family, your friends? Or is it you?

8. Matching Artists with Corporate Buyers - Joyce Creighton’s fascinating story of how she is connecting artists whose work is appropriate for corporate settings with clients looking for their work.

7. How to Make Your Customers Fall in Love with You - Want more business and repeat customers? That’s right – spread the love.

6. Do You Want to be a Childrens Book Illustrator? - Cherish Flieder discusses the steps in childrens book illustration, and how to get started in the business.

5. Creative Marketing for Artists - Think outside the box when it comes to promoting your work. Here’s some examples of how other artists did it.

4. 6 Ways to Improve Your Greeting Card Sales - Is your line balanced? Is it big enough? How often should you update? The basics on what you must do to have a successful greeting card business.

3. What’s Wrong with Your Art Website? – Artsy Shark asked the experts for their pet peeves when visiting art websites. Are you guilty of any of these sins?

2. A Guide to Pricing Your Artwork – Professor, TED speaker and entrepreneur Karen Atkinson gives great advice for artists on this perplexing but essential topic.

1. Are Your Prices Unrealistic? – Are your prices too high? Too low? How your competition affects your perspective. Lots of comments and opinions about pricing.

By Carolyn Edlund

As internet resources allow artists and writers to self-publish, they increase their independence and opportunities. Here’s how one author did it.

For the past five years, Scott Price has been working on Power to Awaken: Totality, a book which “explores spiritual human potential and the essence of life through providing personal retreat space for experiences in silence and self-reflection.” His photography is an integral part of this project, which has been published as a pdf, and is being formatted in editions for Kindle and other e-readers.

Born into a family of academics, Scott started writing in his teenage years. His current project has been distilled from an amazing amount of written material – about enough to fill seven volumes. Scott doesn’t describe himself as a writer, or as an artist, but as a “creator,” seeing no separation between the two, as his words paint intentions or feelings, and images express them. They work together seamlessly to share the experience of being present. Although his message is spiritual, it is not written from the point of view of any particular religion. Rather, its neutrality is meant to be inspirational and connective with people of all backgrounds.

The fascinating current technology for digital self-publishing gives artists more ability than ever to move beyond their medium and to interact with their audience. A digital book may contain writing and images, but could also include audio and video, all available at the turn of a virtual page. This gives the artist more options and the opportunity to work on collaborations with writers, poets, filmmakers and others in one easily published format. Or, consider using a pdf on your art website, which allows you to literally speak about each image of your work as the reader views your portfolio.

Scott has done the research himself to learn how to create ebooks. He suggests that others interested in producing them visit websites such as Smashwords or Lightning Source and Create Space, which offer Print on Demand and distribution services. Although self-publishing has allowed all types of books to enter the marketplace (some badly edited or of inferior quality), it opens up huge opportunities for authors who take advantage of this DIY approach, while maintaining a high quality product.

What’s next for Scott Price? His background includes being a professional competitive cyclist, and he feels that his spiritual message has impact on how people approach sport and competition. He is planning a book for the “awakened athlete.” We look forward to it!