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

Media outlets are hungry for stories, and artists make for good stories.

The general public is curious about the life and work of artists. After all, you’re an incredibly creative individual doing something they could only dream about. So you are in a strong position to be noticed fairly easily and get your story in print. How you go about doing it makes the difference in getting significant publicity for yourself and your art.

My advice to artists who want to get publicity (or sell their work, for that matter) is:

Remove barriers to the process and make it easy to say “Yes.”

Let’s explore how you can do this effectively to get media attention. Lots of it, in regular doses.

Know your story. You could write a press release that you are showing your work in such-and-such exhibition, which is the 14^th Annual blah blah blah . . . and you may or may not get a mention in various publications. But that isn’t your story. Your story is real and authentic and it appeals to other people.

When you understand how to tell a compelling story about yourself and your work, you can use it to reach readers emotionally. What is fascinating about your work and your subject matter? What experiences have you had, and what inspires you? What huge, devastating mistakes have you made? How did you triumph over them? What do you passionately care about? Give your story careful thought and hone it thoroughly before you submit anything to anybody.

Become the story. When you really pursue press attention, you don’t just want a passing mention. You want to become the subject of a news story, to be interviewed by a reporter, and have great images of yourself and your work included to make it even more exciting and readable.

• When you submit a press release of a compelling story to suitable publications, and follow up promptly, you make it easy for them to say “Yes.”
• When you invite the reporter to your studio, or offer additional materials about your work, you remove barriers to their process.
• When you send them gorgeous professionally-shot photos of your work, and of you working in the studio, they will be thrilled that you made it so easy.

Submit to the right publications. What is your specialty? What themes do you work in? You could pursue local or national press, a niche publication, or even a trade journal. Where would you like to see your story published? Make a list, and continue to email press releases to them on a regular basis. Then, follow up consistently.

Kick it up a notch. Submit your images and information for other stories that will appear in publications by checking out their editorial calendar, and finding upcoming articles which relate to your work. Why should they include you?  Because you did your homework, and you’re just the perfect fit for their article.

Become a source. You could hire a publicist, or subscribe to HARO and pitch your own story to the press when you find a request that’s right up your alley. Find an angle to relate your art, your passion and your story to their needs.

Write your own articles. Become a guest blogger to get exposure and create backlinks to your own website. Many artists trade posts with each other. Check out MyBlogGuest to connect to opportunities. And be sure to visit Jon Morrow’s GuestBlogging.com for great tips on using this technique to grow your visibility.

Persistence is key to getting results. They don’t happen overnight. Make your efforts to get publicity for your work and your art career a regular part of your schedule, and don’t give up. You will end up with a number of press mentions and articles that will enhance your reputation and your business.

What’s the secret to an artist’s success? The right mindset and a lot of hard work. Let’s get started . . .

Lesley Riley is an internationally known artist, teacher and author with a passion for spreading the magic of art. While she likes to make things, she now devotes her time to making things happen for other artists through her company, Artist Success. Lesley provides resources, creativity management, coaching and mentoring to artists, enabling them to achieve their vision of success.

AS: Lesley, you oftentimes work with client on their mindset and thinking about the bigger picture of what they can achieve. What does that mean? 

LR: Any artist can have the kind of success they dream of, but so many believe that it is an impossibility or out of their reach. That’s called thinking small and is a result of self-limiting beliefs.  What holds many artists back is acting small. Taking the actions that propel you towards your dreams are often difficult and scary and the process seems overwhelming. There are so many things that hold your back – confidence, courage, know-how, commitment and self-worth. I help artists see what’s possible and then we work to break it down into doable steps.

AS: What do you find that artists struggle with most in stretching themselves to grow their businesses?

LR: Discipline.  If you don’t treat making your art as a job, then it becomes your hobby. You cannot expect to make a living or grow your business with a hobby mindset.

Having a successful career as an artist is no different than working 9-5 at McDonalds or a desk job. You show up and work in order to keep your job so you will get paid.  Being disciplined sounds counter-intuitive to creativity, imagination and artistic endeavors, but it really is the key to creating the success you desire. Show up in the studio on a regular and consistent basis.

To make success happen, you need a plan, a marketing plan. And then you need to take consistent action on that plan. Lack of time is not an excuse. Small blocks of time add up to success. I know. I built my art career with 5 children at home and an almost full-time job.

AS: Galleries are closing and the market is getting tougher out there. What recommendations do you have for artists who want to increase their income?

LR: My recommendations:

• Sell smaller works on Etsy
• Teach an online class or one 1-day workshops
• Barter for services
• Create affordable table art: paint or mount work on 5 x 5 or 8 x 8 gallery wrap canvases
• Sell a small ‘artwork of the month’ subscription series of your work
• Add a Pinterest link to the art on your site so others can publicize it for you
• Figure out your unique factor and build your brand around it. Then market it.

AS: Please tell us about your speaking engagements and your workshops.

LR: I speak to groups and teach 1 and 3-day workshops based on my Artist Success Action Plan (ASAP). If you haven’t realized it by now, taking action is the key to success. Just as I do with my private coaching clients, I break down the necessary steps into accessible and doable actions, add in the mindset and guide artists towards achieving their personal vision of success.

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

Kathy Swift is a full-time mom, part-time cattle veterinarian and a jewelry artist – with a popular retail website specializing in cow art. She is a busy lady, which is why catching her for an interview means having a phone conversation with her while she is driving around in her truck (to the next farm, I believe.)

How did she get involved in all of these seemingly unrelated activities? She’s lived on farms all her life and loves the lifestyle and the people involved in “Ag” whom she describes as the best people on earth. At a friend’s barbecue, she met an artist and got into a conversation which intrigued her enough to start classes in jewelry making, which she fell in love with.

It seemed natural to make what she loved, which means cow-related jewelry for the most part. Her website Cow Art and More features the work of about 25 artists who also produce art and giftware for the bovine-inclined of the world. About half of those artists live on farms or ranches, so they have a direct connection with the theme.

Cow art is definitely a niche – and we love niche marketing! Kathy has great tips on how artists can grab more market share for their work by using some smart strategies to reach their targeted audience. Her opinion is that all artists have a niche, even though they may not realize it. Is your niche a theme, a medium, or a process? Then you have fans out there who are crazy about what you do. Your job is to find ways to reach out to them and promote your work.

Kathy recommends:

1. Start with who you know. If you create work in a niche that you know and love well (like those cow artists who are living on farms and ranches), you are in a community of like-minded people. This is your first network. Let friends, relatives and neighbors know what you are doing, and reach out to them with your art, to help spread the word. And word-of-mouth is about the best recommendation you can get!
2. Cross-promote with other artists. Yes, your niche has other people in it who create art and other wonderful things. Get to know them and create a strategic alliance where you can each refer business to the other. That’s one of the ideas behind Cow Art and More. Kathy’s frequent newsletters to her fans celebrate the gallery openings, awards and other news of her artists. They in turn direct traffic to her fun website which has everything a cow lover could ever want.
3. Network like you’re trying to infiltrate the mob. Yes, that’s a quote. Kathy’s plan is to approach a group or organization within your niche in an authentic way. Show them that you are truly interested in what they care about. Build rapport and start relationships with those who respond to you. Eventually you can share your art with them, and since you are right up their alley, you will most likely get a very warm response. Which means you’ve successfully infiltrated!
4. Give and you shall receive. She shared a story of how she spread the word about partnering with organizations which promote the future of farming. A big industry publication picked up on it and contacted her for an interview. Thousands of dollars in sales later, she is still raving about the tremendous boost in publicity and revenue that came due to her support of good causes.

Cow Art and More is currently seeking more work from artists in the US, Canada and the UK who are interested in joining her in offering a barn full of wonderful cow products to raving cow fans everywhere.