Archive for category Business of Art
EBSQ Friday Five
Posted by Amanda Makepeace in artistguide, membernews on February 1, 2013
1. Winterwood – EBSQ Artist Mark Satchwill, may be best known for his portraits, but he proves he can paint anything with this wonderful winter landscape.
2. EBSQ January Exhibits – Today is the first day to vote in January’s online exhibits. We have two shows: FOTM – Mixed Bouquet and Norse Mythology.
3. Getting Ready for the Circus Show – Claudia Roulier shares how the background of her paintings evolve.
4. How to Choose the Best Social Media Outlet – Don’t have time for multiple social networking sites? All you really need to do is pick the right one for you and your art. This article from EmptyEasel.com shares some great tips!
5. Stay Connected with EBSQ – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Forum
7 Art Portfolio Best Practices to Start 2013 with a Bang!
Posted by Amie Gillingham in artistguide, Howto on December 27, 2012
Day of the Dead New Year by EBSQ Artist Susan Brack
Ok, I admit it: this is a repost from last year. But the advice is just as timely. Get ready for 2013 with these 7 readiness tips.
Is your contact information up-to-date? Make sure we have your current private email address for lost password retrieval and public contact information for people who want to learn more about your art. We’ve often seen members post that they do commissions but don’t offer a contact method for potential buyers. If they can’t connect, you’ve lost a sale.
Are your website and blog addresses still correct? How about your eBay and Etsy IDs? Again, if we don’t have the right information, people aren’t going to be able to find you or your work at your preferred sales venues.
An addendum to the above: Have you linked to all of your current venues? And have you unlinked venues you no longer use? If you’re primarily selling at FineArtAmerica, but you only have a link to an abandoned eBay account, you’re squandering an opportunity to direct interested parties to work that’s currently available. We suggest you consider removing venues you aren’t actively using or maintaining. This includes placeholder websites and blogs that haven’t been updated in over a year.
When is the last time you took a serious look at your artist’s statement? Do you have a “Hi, I’m new,” message that you posted back in 2007 and simply forgot about? Or notes about your Spring cleaning sales from last year? Are you talking about your photography or sculpture when you’re now showing a portfolio full of abstract expressionism? Have you done any new shows or changed galleries? Don’t forget to add this new information to your CV.
Have your commission prices changed? If so, don’t forget to make these edits if you have pricing listed on your commissions page. Or maybe you don’t do commissioned work at all anymore–you can always turn off this feature by unchecking the “commissions available” box in your profile tools.
Are you showing your newest work? While we do have members that update their portfolio as soon as they have something new, others simply upload a handful of work when they join and forgeddaboutit, letting their portfolios collect cyber dust. When was the last time you added something new? Every time you add new art to your portfolio, that piece shows up on the front page of EBSQ, which in turn brings more people back to your portfolio. For best success, we strongly suggest you upload new work monthly, or even weekly. “Post and Pray” does not work.
Is it for sale? If so, you can add in a PayPal “buy it now” button directly in your artist statement. You’re also welcome to link directly to other venues where a specific piece might be available. (Just make sure you update your information if it’s already been sold!)
Have another great tip for getting your portfolio into shape? Please share it in the comments below!
PS Not yet a member? Grab a great deal on EBSQ Artist Memberships through 31 December 2012!
EBSQ Friday Five
Posted by Amanda Makepeace in Business of Art, membernews on November 16, 2012
1. Lady Luck – EBSQ has an abundance of visual artists but did you know we also have some amazing glass artists? I love these original earrings by Vickie Miller.
2. Strathmore 2013 Workshops – Strathmore has opened registration for their 2013 workshops. This year’s classes are: Abstract Fine Art Painting with Mixed Media, Sketching & Drawing with Toned Paper, and Artful Card-Making Techniques.
3. Copy Rights – What is fair use? Where do you draw the line? This is an interesting article from March of this year from Art News magazine.
4. 8 Secrets of a Successful Artist’s DNA – The habits and traits of a successful artist are examined in this article from Light, Space, & Time.
5. Do you have a news worthy blog post you’d like to share with our readers? Email me at amanda[at]ebsqart[dot]com.
Expanding Your Art Expertise: 4 Ways To Use Your Talents
Posted by natasha in artistguide, Business of Art on November 1, 2012
In my latest blog, I’ve discussed the importance of expanding your art beyond the work itself. Not only for your own personal evolution as an artist, but in a financial aspect. Everything has it’s seasons and sometimes business slows down for work. I notice for myself, the typical seasonal slow downs are holidays, back to school and summer time. Everyone is off on vacation, away from home or busy dealing with the juggling of school plays or sports practice.
For some artists, taking a break is great. For the rest of us, we need to find other ways to make money. And while our goal is to create other automatic streams of income by art licensing, we should consider our potential in working on creative projects that aren’t entirely related to our fine art.
For example, doing projects in design, mural art, teaching an art class to kids or adults and even helping put on events for other artists is an example of things we could do outside our typical work.
KEY is to find ways to make money when the art isn’t selling or sales slow down.
5 Ways To Use Your Talents: Read the rest of this entry »
Open Thread: Do you watermark?
Posted by Amanda Makepeace in Business of Art, openthread on October 23, 2012
Rules change all the time, like whether newborns should sleep on their sides or stomachs. The same seems to be true of artists using watermarks. Everyone has an opinion and ultimately every artist does what they feel is right for their art on the web. I thought it would be
interesting to see where our readers stand on the topic and to explore some updated ideas on the issues. Once upon a time, watermarks were for protecting your art from theft. But not anymore. Take the poll and then I’ll explain.
What follows is my personal opinion. It should not be taken as fact. We all ultimately do what we feel comfortable with when it comes to sharing our art across the web.
We’ve all heard the two sides to this argument:
1. Watermarks protect your art from theft.
2. Watermarks are ugly and put off buyers.
One of these statements is myth. Can you guess which one?
Watermarks DO NOT protect your art from theft. However, they don’t necessarily put off buyers and they don’t have to be ugly. So what is the purpose of a watermark in the 21st century?
Credit.
It’s like the telephone game, where you stand in a line and pass a message on to the person next you. By the time the message reaches the end of the line it’s usually a far cry from the original. Imagine a similar situation with an artwork that’s been repinned thirty times on Pinterest. Maybe you were the original source of the pin and you put in the description your copyright info. But the next ten people who repinned your artwork changed the description to, Beautiful! or Stunning! Then it’s repinned from those people another ten times. By the time the 50th person see it they may have no idea where the image came from or knowledge of its creator. But. If you’ve put a small watermark with your info, like my painting shown to the left, wherever you art ends up a viewer will know you as the creator.
I’ve placed the copyright info on my painting The Moon off to the side, that way it doesn’t detract from the artwork but still gives me clear credit and a name for viewers to Google.
Now it’s your turn. Let us know in the comments if you use a watermark on your art or if you don’t! We want to hear your thoughts.
Building Trust with Online Art Buyers
Posted by Amanda Makepeace in Business of Art on August 14, 2012
You Can Trust Me by Kris Jean
Building trust with online art buyers is essential. The internet is home to thousands of artist websites, online marketplaces, galleries and arts organizations. Standing out is the key to being noticed, but trust turns a visitor into a buyer. In a recent EBSQ forum discussion, I brought up the importance of portraying your true self online. For the most part, online buyers don’t get to meet you in person and a computer screen only offers a two-dimensional view of an individual. It’s therefore vital for us to show potential buyers that we are “real” people. We want them to trust us and buy our art. That’s not to say that an online persona can’t achieve success, but as it turns out, there is a trend toward buyers choosing to purchase from an individual over a logo.
EmptyEasel.com has an excellent article on building trust through social media. Here are their five tips:
1. Don’t Make it About “You”
“It’s about the community. People aren’t going to follow you if all you do is try to sell them stuff and promote yourself. Become a trusted resource, instead of a salesperson.”
2. Be sociable
“…the next time you think about listing one of your art pieces, take the time to figure out how you can present that piece in a more social manner.”
3. Show the real you
“Use a photo of yourself for your profile image, not a photo of your art, or company logo. People want to connect with people, not products or businesses.”
4. Respond to your fans
“When you respond to your fans (or customers)…have a conversation with them.”
5. Be consistent
“From how you portray your company across various social networks, to how often you post…”
I’ve reiterated many of these tips before. They are not new ideas–they are trusted rules. The quotes above are from the heads of different companies and marketing firms. Following these tips, over time, will build trust with your online following and when it comes time for them to make a purchase, either for themselves or as a gift, they’ll go with someone they know. Be sure to check out the full article at EmptyEasel.com.
EBSQ Friday Five
Posted by Amanda Makepeace in artistguide, Events, membernews on June 29, 2012
1. Purple Mountain Majesty – Artist Cynthia Agathocleous might just be one of my favorite abstract artists at EBSQ. Her current style, geometric, is mesmerizing!
2. Mission: Small Business & EBSQ- Help EBSQ qualify for a $250,000 grant from Chase and LivingSocial! This grant to support Small Businesses would go a long way.
3. When Drawings go Ugly – Ever have one of those days where your pencil and brain are not connecting? EBSQ artist, Michele B. Naquaiya has some great tips.
4. Shutterbug – Photographer and EBSQ member, Michael Glover was featured in the magazine Shutterbug! Congratulations!
5. How to Get your Art on Greeting Cards – I’m not talking about one of those sites where you sell your own greeting card. This article at Empty Easel is about submitting your designs to greeting card publishers. Excellent resource!
Have a wonderful weekend!
EBSQ Friday Five
Posted by Amanda Makepeace in artistguide, membernews on June 22, 2012
1. Cuban Coffee, Lime and Creamer – Sounds like a perfect way to start a Friday morning, doesn’t it? It’s also a beautiful painting by EBSQ artist, Maria Soto Robbins.
2. Make your own refillable journal – Elis Cook has a tutorial for sale on Etsy you won’t want to miss!
3. EBSQ 12 in ’12 Update – June is the halfway point for the 12 in ’12 Challenge. I posted an update on my blog. Are you participating in the challenge?
4. Guest Blogging Strategy for Artists – EmptyEasel.com has an informative article on guest blogging. Writing a post for another blog is a proven way to generate interest in your own blog.
5. Do you have an article you think should be in the EBSQ Friday Five? Email me at: amanda[at]ebsqart[dot]com.
Have a great weekend!
Taking a Second Look at Tumblr
Posted by Amanda Makepeace in Business of Art on June 12, 2012
Tumblr is not a new site, but it has grown by leaps and bounds over the last three years. More often than not I see things posted on Pinterest which came directly from someone’s Tumblr site. In simple terms, Tumblr is three things:
A. A community
B. A blogging site
C. The father of Pinterest
Tumblr tends to be image heavy, attracting new artists and photographers to the site daily. Members follow blogs and reblog what they love (the pin and repin model). Some Tumblr sites consist of only reblogs. This is supported and encourage. If you run a creative business, Tumblr can be a great way to introduce your art to its members. Tumblr is also a perfect site for those artists who find the writing side of blogging a challenge. They have themes set up to look like galleries. All you have to do is post your picture, add a caption and you’re done! My personal Tumblr site is a combination of my art, things I love, and reblogs from other Tumblr sites.
If you’re a resistant blogger, Tumblr might be worth your time. I treat Tumblr as an additional creative outlet. It does not replace my blog, it is something entirely new. It also does not eat into my busy schedule. I spend about 15-20 minutes on the site every other day, posting something and checking out the other sites I follow. If you decide to take the plunge and need a little help EBSQ artists can contact me through my profile page.
Tumblr FAQs
- As of June 8, 2012, Tumblr has over 58.9 million blogs.
- Half of Tumblr’s visitor base is under the age of 25.
- The slogan, We are the 99%, originated from a Tumblr blog.
- Tumblr has an Superb App for blogging on the go.
Summer Vacation and the Working Artist
Posted by Amanda Makepeace in Business of Art, openthread on May 22, 2012
The time is here. Are you ready for summer vacation? I’m not referring to vacations to the beach or canoe trips in the mountains. I’m talking about those three months every summer when US school children are home 24/7. For an artist, or anyone who runs a creative business from their home, this can be a challenging time. But it doesn’t have to be a stressful one. If your business is a large percentage of your income then you might consider summer camps and babysitters. However, if you’re like me and your business is only a supplement it’s time to think about priorities. Children come first. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a fun summer with your kids and run your business. I’m going to share how I do it and would love to hear about other strategies from artists who work from home.
1. Change your Schedule: My summer schedule changes drastically when my daughter is home, but it’s the same schedule I’ve kept for the last five years. It may be summer, but I get up early, have my coffee and work till about lunchtime. After lunch I do something with my child. The rest of the afternoon is her time.
2. Activities with Friends: Make arrangements with your child’s friends so that 1-2 times a week you do have an entire day to yourself! There’s nothing wrong with this and your child will love being able to see their friends.
3. Art Activities: I’ve always made a point of buying my daughter art supplies of her own, but what a child loves even more is when you buy them the same sketchbook you use. It makes them feel like an artist! I take my daughter on sketching days. I pack up our sketchbooks and go to the local botanical gardens. Not only am I spending time with my child (outside of the house) but I’m also creating art. This is a perfect time for sketching out ideas for future projects or just letting my inner artist doodle for a bit.
- Sometimes we take cameras too and go on Nature walks. I always find great inspiration for my art on walks.
- Call your local community arts center, sometimes they have mini classes for parent and child–like Try Clay classes.
- Are you a jewelry artist? Make jewelry together!
- Visit an art museum.
4. Take a Day Off: Just do it! Your creative muse will thank you. Creating non-stop is a good way to burn out. We need other experiences in our lives from which to draw creativity. It’s never been easier to take time off but still be in touch with your business. If you sell on Esty, there’s an Etsy app that will keep you in touch with your customers while you’re away.
Children grow up so fast. Don’t let the most important years pass you buy!
Are you an artist and a mother, or father, who works from home? Share how you adjust each year to the kids being home for the summer.
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