There are many challenges facing artists but one of the most pervasive, especially with artists who are just beginning, is selling their art. Whether you sell your work or not does not matter, of course, although many people do want this outcome.
I know I did when I started. I still do, as I could not afford to make art otherwise.
Part of the problem is the actual making of art doesn’t always leave you feeling particularly bullish about the value of your artwork. If you are like me, the better the work ends up being in hindsight, the more insecure, the more unsure I was when I finished it. Sometimes I just know, but often if I have really broken through—which is what I am trying to do all the time, I wont necessarily recognize the work as particularly strong. I just can’t see it objectively. There is vulnerability involved in making authentic artwork. It just doesn’t seem to build your self-esteem, your confidence up. It is hard to put a high price on something if you feel slightly unsure. As a result artists frequently undervalue their own work.
Figuring out the money part is challenging. I would like to offer a few lessons I have learned that have helped me in this aspect of my career.
Finding your price point
Your work will sell at a certain price. (And it is crucial to put your art in front of the right audience, but leaving that aside for now.) However, generally speaking if you haven’t sold your work before, you need to find that price. Sometimes we can price our work too high. In a way this is good, for the artist should value their work. Erring on the side of too high seems reasonable. However, if the outcome is few or no sales then the artist is left with a bit of an emotional tide to swim against when setting about making more art. It is hard in the face of no sales, even though this has no relationship to how good you should feel about your art, to plow ahead and make 10 more of what you just didn’t sell. Far better to have sold some, even if they sold for a bit less than you would of liked, because the net resulting feeling is positive and most importantly you are more motivated to make more Art! So don’t worry, especially in the beginning, if you price your art on the low side. Prices generally can only be raised because the art sells, so don’t let a too high price stop sales, especially in the beginning.
[Tweet “”Share your success so you can have more.” – Nicholas Wilton”]
There is more where that came from.
If your objective is to sell your art, especially when starting out, it is important to re remember this idea about abundance. We make art and we put all the care in the world into it. We micro manage every aspect of its birth. However once it leaves us and heads off to a gallery or is for sale then we need to lighten up about its future. Obsessing too much on getting exactly what you want and not a penny less is, in my opinion, not where the energy of the artist is best spent. If you end up selling it for what might seem a bit less than what you would like then first congratulate yourself on selling something – this alone is no small feat – and then instead of bringing in negative thoughts around this positive occurrence, use the positivity, your good fortune to begin another piece of art. Selling Art is partly perpetuated by simply selling art. Keeping your mindset positive and inspired so that you can make more art is key.
Share your success so you can have more.
I hate to say it but one of the key human motivators is money. I know it seems better to keep all the income from possible sales of your artwork, in other words, cut out all those middlemen, galleries, designers etc. In the short term this might be the way to go. It certainly feels better keeping all the profit. But if the selling of your art, can allow other people to make money, then you suddenly have more than just you interested in the sale. When you can make it easy and possible for others to profit from your success, you will have a thriving business. It is hard, but try to think of all those percentages you might share with others as an investment in your career. Try not to think of what you are giving away, but instead think of all you can create in the future with others helping you to sell your artwork.
The idea that we can create something out of nothing, over and over and over again is important to remember when dealing with the marketplace. We, unlike most businesses, can generate product – our art – out of virtually nothing, over and over again. The supply is endless and if you are like me, you wouldn’t want it any other way. In my opinion the deck is stacked in our favor. Don’t let the tiny side show of selling your art distract too much from the awesome creative endeavor of making your Art.
What has your experience been in selling your work? How do you approach this aspect of your art practice? Please share your thoughts and comments below.
In gratitude, Nicholas
10 Comments
Hi! I’m
Nicholas Wilton
the founder of Art2Life.
With over 20 years experience as a working artist and educator, I’ve developed a systematic approach that brings authenticity, spontaneity and joy back into the creative process.
Join me and artists from all over the world on our Art2Life Instagram account or learn more here about Art2Life.
Wow–there are really a lot of great topics in this one newsletter, Nick. Pricing artwork (challenging), the emotional impact of selling (or not selling) your artwork, sharing your success with galleries (which leads to, which galleries, how many galleries, etc.)! These are all questions I bet a lot of us think about, so I appreciate your take on all of this. I am at the point in my career where I am in some great galleries, but contemplate how many more I should be looking for before I become spread out too thinly. As for pricing, perhaps I was lucky when one day, a lady cleaning my house saw my work and suggested a gallery to me, told me my prices were way to low, and casting fate to the wind, I decided to listen to her and raise my prices up, even though it did indeed feel a little uncomfortable at first. As I’ve heard “you can always go up in price, but you can’t go down” (anyone else hear this?)), I knew it was a risk. But, deep down I did feel my work had value I wasn’t giving myself enough credit for. Once sales were made at the higher prices, I felt justified that although the work didn’t sell fast, it did sell, and now I try to create work over a wide range of prices, so I don’t exclude anyone who might like to acquire something of mine, but feels the work is out of their price range. I like to have some work very reasonably priced (even too low), for work which is very small, and I tend to treat these works as “Hi, hope you like this. Please buy it, and maybe come back for more. Consider this work my business card.” Once I’ve sold about 20-30 at these low prices, I can gradually move the prices up and hopefully keep the buyers wanting more.
I would love for you to address the gallery hunting, mating, marrying, and signs of impending divorce scene in one of your future newsletters. So many galleries out there, usually far from where we live; how does one go about finding, selecting, and asking the right questions to find that “perfect” fit – which is so rare for an artist? Thanks, Nick!
Hey Pamela! yes we all find that price to enter at but it is tricky. Also how to figure out which galleries would be a good fit…I really value above all else how easy it is to work with the particular gallery. I am looking for a good relationship that can grow over time…I like to go into galleries I might want to work with as a total stranger and see how they treat prospective buyers..are they helpful? Are they friendly? I am in Santa Fe doing that right now…once I visit then I know…I ask other artists…then make an inquiry…..
Wow–there are really a lot of great topics in this one newsletter, Nick. Pricing artwork (challenging), the emotional impact of selling (or not selling) your artwork, sharing your success with galleries (which leads to, which galleries, how many galleries, etc.)! These are all questions I bet a lot of us think about, so I appreciate your take on all of this. I am at the point in my career where I am in some great galleries, but contemplate how many more I should be looking for before I become spread out too thinly. As for pricing, perhaps I was lucky when one day, a lady cleaning my house saw my work and suggested a gallery to me, told me my prices were way to low, and casting fate to the wind, I decided to listen to her and raise my prices up, even though it did indeed feel a little uncomfortable at first. As I’ve heard “you can always go up in price, but you can’t go down” (anyone else hear this?)), I knew it was a risk. But, deep down I did feel my work had value I wasn’t giving myself enough credit for. Once sales were made at the higher prices, I felt justified that although the work didn’t sell fast, it did sell, and now I try to create work over a wide range of prices, so I don’t exclude anyone who might like to acquire something of mine, but feels the work is out of their price range. I like to have some work very reasonably priced (even too low), for work which is very small, and I tend to treat these works as “Hi, hope you like this. Please buy it, and maybe come back for more. Consider this work my business card.” Once I’ve sold about 20-30 at these low prices, I can gradually move the prices up and hopefully keep the buyers wanting more.
I would love for you to address the gallery hunting, mating, marrying, and signs of impending divorce scene in one of your future newsletters. So many galleries out there, usually far from where we live; how does one go about finding, selecting, and asking the right questions to find that “perfect” fit – which is so rare for an artist? Thanks, Nick!
Hey Pamela! yes we all find that price to enter at but it is tricky. Also how to figure out which galleries would be a good fit…I really value above all else how easy it is to work with the particular gallery. I am looking for a good relationship that can grow over time…I like to go into galleries I might want to work with as a total stranger and see how they treat prospective buyers..are they helpful? Are they friendly? I am in Santa Fe doing that right now…once I visit then I know…I ask other artists…then make an inquiry…..
Nicholas, once again you write of something that has been a personal struggle for me. I have been struggling with pricing and sales ever since I had my first art showing 12 years ago, when I sold a third of my paintings and was then told that my prices were too low. My last show in May 2014 I sold 1 small painting, and 8 months had a show where I sold 1 small painting, and together I was out $1500 for framing alone. For me it was not necessarily that my work was over priced, although I have had some people say they could not afford it. Instead I concluded that the lack of sales suggests that my art doesn’t have a huge market appeal. Even though I know my work is well received, it is perhaps not what people want to hang over their sofa. And so that creates the tension between painting for my own creative self expression and exploring meaning through creative expression and painting to sell.
I was losing money by having shows and going into debt and people were telling me how much they love my work. See the problem? I was getting mad at my paintings for not selling. I joined an online gallery that takes 45% – in the last year they have sold more paintings for me than I have sold in the last 2 years. And I didn’t have to frame the works to sell them. I see the 45% as payment for all that they do to promote my work. They are my only source now.
I am retired and living on a fixed income – I am not wealthy but I don’t need to paint to keep a roof over my head – I need to paint because I love to paint. And it was that realization that helped me to make amends with my paintings for not selling. Now If I have a show I will look for ways to hang my art without framing – I work on paper so that will be tricky – I have limited space for art to accumulate in my house which includes a nice little studio. And paintings on paper take up less room that paintings on canvas. But I am not going to let lack of sales stop me from painting. I think it is more important for me to paint. And if a painting sells through my online gallery then that is an unexpected bonus and it makes me happy to know that someone somewhere in this world loves my work enough to want to own it.
I also submit to several national watercolor and watermedia shows and being juried into them definitely makes me feel more secure about the quality of my work. And it builds my resume and reputation to be hanging in a show with some of the best artists in the world in my medium.
I want to add that your blog is my favorite art blog. I always feel as if you are writing directly to me and my concerns. So thanks so much for that!
Jim
Nicholas, once again you write of something that has been a personal struggle for me. I have been struggling with pricing and sales ever since I had my first art showing 12 years ago, when I sold a third of my paintings and was then told that my prices were too low. My last show in May 2014 I sold 1 small painting, and 8 months had a show where I sold 1 small painting, and together I was out $1500 for framing alone. For me it was not necessarily that my work was over priced, although I have had some people say they could not afford it. Instead I concluded that the lack of sales suggests that my art doesn’t have a huge market appeal. Even though I know my work is well received, it is perhaps not what people want to hang over their sofa. And so that creates the tension between painting for my own creative self expression and exploring meaning through creative expression and painting to sell.
I was losing money by having shows and going into debt and people were telling me how much they love my work. See the problem? I was getting mad at my paintings for not selling. I joined an online gallery that takes 45% – in the last year they have sold more paintings for me than I have sold in the last 2 years. And I didn’t have to frame the works to sell them. I see the 45% as payment for all that they do to promote my work. They are my only source now.
I am retired and living on a fixed income – I am not wealthy but I don’t need to paint to keep a roof over my head – I need to paint because I love to paint. And it was that realization that helped me to make amends with my paintings for not selling. Now If I have a show I will look for ways to hang my art without framing – I work on paper so that will be tricky – I have limited space for art to accumulate in my house which includes a nice little studio. And paintings on paper take up less room that paintings on canvas. But I am not going to let lack of sales stop me from painting. I think it is more important for me to paint. And if a painting sells through my online gallery then that is an unexpected bonus and it makes me happy to know that someone somewhere in this world loves my work enough to want to own it.
I also submit to several national watercolor and watermedia shows and being juried into them definitely makes me feel more secure about the quality of my work. And it builds my resume and reputation to be hanging in a show with some of the best artists in the world in my medium.
I want to add that your blog is my favorite art blog. I always feel as if you are writing directly to me and my concerns. So thanks so much for that!
Jim
I very much agree with the concept of sharing success to have more. I don’t begrudge my art dealer his percentage because he works hard to get my work sold to clients and has overhead to pay for his gallery where my work hangs, or my coop gallery’s commission for giving my paintings another outlet to be seen and sold. I like the fact that I am a “job creator” in this way.
I very much agree with the concept of sharing success to have more. I don’t begrudge my art dealer his percentage because he works hard to get my work sold to clients and has overhead to pay for his gallery where my work hangs, or my coop gallery’s commission for giving my paintings another outlet to be seen and sold. I like the fact that I am a “job creator” in this way.
I started off pricing too high. My paintings take a long time, lots of dots, lots of detail, include poetry etc. But this year I lowered my prices and sold quite a few pieces. I think my work was so much an extension of me, like an arm or something, that I didn’t actually want to part with any of it at the beginning and put too high a monetary value on it. I didn’t know my place in the ‘marketplace’, but when I learned and adapted, I got results.
Also, this might sound kind of woo-woo, but I also regularly donate prints of my work to silent auctions and charities I believe in, and almost every time I have done this, something bigger has been returned to me. One time the person picking up a print for her charity asked to come in and see my original artwork and and ended up leaving with a painting in the back of her car. If you give from your heart, then I believe that a portal sometimes opens for gifts coming back to you.
Annabelle
I started off pricing too high. My paintings take a long time, lots of dots, lots of detail, include poetry etc. But this year I lowered my prices and sold quite a few pieces. I think my work was so much an extension of me, like an arm or something, that I didn’t actually want to part with any of it at the beginning and put too high a monetary value on it. I didn’t know my place in the ‘marketplace’, but when I learned and adapted, I got results.
Also, this might sound kind of woo-woo, but I also regularly donate prints of my work to silent auctions and charities I believe in, and almost every time I have done this, something bigger has been returned to me. One time the person picking up a print for her charity asked to come in and see my original artwork and and ended up leaving with a painting in the back of her car. If you give from your heart, then I believe that a portal sometimes opens for gifts coming back to you.
Annabelle