How to get started as an artist

Many artists with immense talent may struggle to get started as a professional artist.  Here are my recommendations.

Marketing

Website

You can hire a web designer later.  You need a website immediately.

Go to a website address URL purchaser such as GoDaddy.com.  Purchase a URL that is something like yournameart.com or yournamestudio.com or yournamepainter.com.

Then go to Wix.com and purchase this website template: https://www.wix.com/website/templates/html/all/7?screen=preview&template-slug=1589

Do not purchase a URL on Wix.com.  You already have one on GoDaddy.

Fill out the information on the website on the Wix.com website template and upload images.

Then place the Wix.com website on your GoDaddy.com web address URL.  This will take some work to figure out how to do.  Do the work.

Place an email address and phone number of how people can contact you.  If you don’t want to post your phone number, you can get a Google phone number that will forward calls to your number.

Place an Instagram social media button/link on your website, or at least type it out that you have one.

Website examples

Erin Hanson

Angus Wilson

Cathy Carey

Susie Zol


Instagram

Start and Instagram account that mirrors your URL name. If you need to, you can use an underscore between words, such as your_name_art.

Post five images of your paintings to start.

Then post at least one image per week.  No more than two images per week.

Most of the images should be of your art.

Every month or so, post a picture of you painting, or you posed in front of a gallery where your art is featured, or you standing in front of your art hanging in a gallery. 


Instagram examples

Angus Wilson

Erin Hanson

Cathy Carey

Susie Zol


Learning

Management & Representation

It may be a good idea for you to hire an agent or marketers (who will take a fair commission or a reasonable fee) or a helper. They will likely help you look out for many things that you may not be aware of as you get your art career going.

An agent or a helper can likely help you earn much more money than you could on your own, especially negotiating and approaching galleries.

If you don’t have money right now, I recommend getting a job at a grocery store or washing dishes at a restaurant—any job that will bring in cash. It will also be good discipline for you as an artist. I recommend doing this for a least a few months, even if it means delaying your art career a bit.

Brining in cash will also help you as you approach people asking for help, such as web designers or printers. It’s not appropriate to ask people to work for you for free.

Videos





Things to read





Image




Video: TED talk on selling: 100 days of rejection

Book Executive Presence by Silvia Ann Hewlett

Book on pitching and selling: Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff

Book: Read the fifth chapter in this book The Laws of Human Nature. It’s about Coco Chanel


Money

Once you are earning money, I recommend the following:

1. Place 10% of your earnings in savings. Go to Schwab.com and open an investment account. Of the 10% of your earnings, place one-third of that amount in each of the following three mutual funds: SNVXX, PRPFX, and SWPPX. These funds will offer you short-term, medium-term, and long-term savings options and a variety of conservative and aggressive earnings potential. Should you ever need the money, pull from a fund that has gone up in value.

2. Use 20% of your earnings to pay off any debt you may have.  After a while, you will have no more debt.

You may also wish to hire a financial analyst.  

Schwab.com and Fidelity.com can also be good resources, and their phone agents can direct you.






Galleries

Look at the galleries or on their websites and see what they have.  Figure out if your work is at that level or of similar style.  Or create some new pieces that you think they will want.  Or pitch them anyway with what you’ve got.  The worst they can tell you is “no, not right now.”  Who knows, they may tell you that they want what you have now, or later, or will want you to create something new for them.

If you haven’t already, I recommend watching this video on selling: 100 days of rejection

If any turn you down, ask them for recommendations on:
—What would improve your art
—Recommended Teachers 
—Critics
—Agents
—Helpers or consultants you could hire
—Other galleries that might accept your submissions

I recommend thinking about starting with art walks, street fairs, and art festivals.

For artists in Southern California, here are some places to try. Really, any gallery in any of these fine cities will be great for you.  Any gallery that will accept your art and sell.

Laguna
Any gallery in Laguna that will take you

Palm Desert  
Jones & Terwilliger Gallery (also in Carmel) 
 
Scottsdale 
Legacy Gallery 
American Fine Art 
The Marshall Gallery 
Wild Meyer Gallery (also in Tucson) 
 
Sedona 
Exposures International Gallery 

Carmel 
Zantman Gallery 

Santa Fe 
Ventana Fine Art 

Taos
The Ranch at Taos

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