Art Print Issues by Barney Davey

Art Marketing: Why Word-of-mouth Trumps Social Media and Strafrangers

It would be wonderful to have you participate in the 2012 smARTist Telesummit. It starts next week. I've watched its growth over the past six years, and presented at the last three. This year has the best speaker lineup ever, IMHO.

---

Modern Art Marketing: A Blessing and a Curse

Visual artists have the blessing of easy access to the most powerful set of art marketing tools every developed for solo practices and small businesses. They come in the form of free or affordable websites, blogs, e-commerce, email blast software, social media platforms, online press releases and more. 

 Google+ Races to 90 Million Users

There is an unending stream of new social media outlets. Google+ has just broken the 90 million mark in what surely is record time to reach that many users. Pinterest is still in the invitation stage, and appears to be gaining awareness and interest in its photo and image sharing platform. It is an addictive, fun, and potential time suck. 

Putney Week at Scottsdale Artists' School

When talking about this last Saturday to group of artists assembled for Putney Painters Week at the Scottsdale Artists' School,  I was asked which social media is best for artists. I replied it is not practical for a visual artist, who is handling their own marketing, to robustly and effectively participate in more than two social media outlets at one time.

Nearly Any Social Media Platform Can Produce Results...

Moreover, I believe there is no clear social media winner. In my opinion, any of them will work if you take the time to study how to get value from them and then diligently apply your new found knowledge to create positive results. I went on further to say if one blocks out a day and seriously assesses all available time for everything, including sleeping, eating and relaxing, it becomes obvious there are precious few hours in a week to work on marketing.  

Don't get me wrong. I like and use social media, but admit to not coming close to meeting the potential from it. That is mostly due to looking at my own blocked schedule. Mine starts with a full-time day job, so I compress writing this blog, updating and writing new books, and working on presentations such as the one for the Scottsdale Artists' School.

Come Hear Me at the smARTist Telesummit

Another example is working on the the upcoming 2012 smARTist Telesummit. My presentation there is titled Handout for "Boost Your Art Career: Using Publicity, Promotion & Power of Self-Belief ." When I look my schedule, I realize have a compressed amount of time to get truly important things done, much less effectively multi-tasking on multiple social media platforms.

What Is the True Value of a Strafranger?

The more I think about it, when it comes to how visual artists find new buyers, I believe developing a referral and word-of-mouth program will be far more productive for time spent that whiling away on social media. With that approach, Facebook can truly be a friend connection instead of a "strafranger" connection. Strafranger is a new word I coined to describe all those anonymous new friends you have on your social media platforms who offer hard-to-measure quality as potential customers.

Word-of-Mouth Trumps Social Media

I contend the value of one recommended friend is worth the value of 100 social media friends, or followers. That ratio is an admitted wild ass guess, but it supports my contention that word-of-mouth (WOM) trumps social media. If you believe I'm right, I recommend to dial back the time you spend on social media and look for ways to build your WOM marketing. 

Here are some useful links to help you get started on your own WOM marketng program:

• The Art of Self-promotion for Visual Artists
• Six Degrees of You
• Word-of-mouth Marketing 101 - get the PDF download on the right sidebar
• 5 Tips on Growing Your Business Through Word-of-Mouth Marketing

WOM Is About Referrals

Do you have a formalized referral program? Do you routinely and politely ask for referrals? Do you try to help others in your local community or larger community by offering their services to others who might need them?

The world's largest business network is BNI, it has thousands of local chapters of small businesses working to help build the members' businesses. It's motto is simple, "Give to Get." Start working on helping others, and watch who reciprocates, and how your results improve.

 

12 Mistakes Every Artist Should Avoid In 2012

Ideas to Improve Your Art Business This Year

Learning how avoid mistakes is critical to success in the art business.

Today, I'm honored to publish this guest post by Gary T. Kerr. He is the is president of Fine Art Impressions, Charlotte, NC. It is one of the most highly respected art printing studios in the industry.

12 Mistakes Every Artist Should Avoid In 2012

1. Signing your art with just your initials

 Why? There are no famous artists that did so. And, when you sign a painting with your initials, you are secretly saying; “I’m not ready yet.” There will be exceptions to this, but this is based on having photographed 10,000 paintings at our studio—a pretty good sample. Sign your paintings with your name consistently. Here are some excellent alternatives to just your initials; J. J. Smith, John J. Smith, John Smith, J. Smith. But not J.J.S.! Treat your signature the way companies treat their brands and logos. And, don’t use a Sharpie to sign your art!

 2. Not framing your art

Let’s divide up the world here. Your art is either representational or non-representational. Non-representational art may look better as a clean, frameless presentation and may be your best choice for your framing aesthetic. Conversely, representational art should be presented in a proper frame—even if it is a minimalist, floater-type. Framing your art adds value and nicely framed art is less likely to have an interested buyer balk at the price. Frame your art, present it well in a gorgeous frame to maximize perceived value and communicate to the world ‘You know what you are doing.’

 3. Touching up or altering your art after it was finished

Once finished, leave your painting alone. You must be willing to let go of your art after it is done. Tinkering with a painting is irresistible to most artists, it takes enormous discipline to finish a piece and leave it alone. The fact is, no painting is ever completely finished. Being willing to let the last 3% go is what makes an artist great. Are you?

 4. Using art height and width dimensions interchangeably

In the world of art, you must always communicate image dimensions accurately with height stated first and width stated second. It is not interchangeable. Be sure to use this consistently everywhere; web, brochures, placards, and verbally. If you catch someone doing this in reverse, please correct them—nicely.

 5. Discounting your art to make a sale

Lowering your prices to make a sale may seem like a smart move, but you are setting a precedent. You must establish a price and stick with it, or possibly raise it. Protect your past buyers by letting potential buyers know you will protect them by not discounting your art to make a sale. If you run into price sensitive buyers, offer a fine art print instead. Reserve your originals for people who really want original art and are willing to pay for it.

6. Using cheap or low-end artist materials

Every artist has been tempted to save money on artist materials. Reconsider this habit for yourself. If you wish to be taken seriously, skip the canvas wrapped panels—those are for art students. Consider a quality stretched canvas or premium brand watercolor paper and avoid the cheap knockoff brands trying to save a few dollars. Good brushes are essential too and make a difference, but only if you take proper care of them. Talented artists believe in their journey; quality art materials help you on that journey. You will be judged by the quality of your art materials. Quality art materials perform better, last longer, and put your art more in the collectible category. Sloppy, low end presentment of your art will confound your journey. Your art creates value and dollars will follow that value—but not if it looks like a homemade experiment.

7. Not Titling Your Art

Your art needs to be titled. This is a business of selling emotion, and your title will emphasize the emotional connection of your art. An untitled piece may be found with non-representational art, but avoid it if possible. A fitting title confirms to the art buyer that this piece belongs in their home. Don’t leave this critical step out of presenting your art professionally. Avoid tongue-in-cheek or kitsch titles. Observe how fine art is titled in museums and fine art galleries. Always keep accurate records of your titles and the year painted. Avoid using titles from movies or other cliché approaches.

8. Painting one-off paintings

You are on a journey. Have a plan to paint 8 to 12 pieces minimum in a cohesive voice and style. Any artist can hit one or two home-runs; successful artists paint in a consistent voice and theme, which drives sales and interest. Their discipline to stay consistent helps to build their portfolios and steady sales. The result is finding frequently open doors to galleries and with collectors. Don’t be a one-hit wonder, paint a portfolio and the right doors will open for your art.

9. Painting in multiple voices and styles

The best advice you will ever get is this: If I mix 10 of your images in with 90 other images from other artists and I can’t pick out your 10, you will struggle to attract the attention of serious art dealers or collectors. Paint in a consistent voice and theme that tells it is unmistakably you. If you paint all over the map, no one is going to find you.

10. Mishandling your art

Always treat your art as valuable. By respecting every painting you make, you are subconsciously leading to a sale if you perceive that your art has value. Treat it accordingly and the value will carry through to that sale. Whether it is your best piece or not, treat it with respect trains your mind to value all your work. Never carry your art in a trash bag, the message to yourself could be catastrophic. Professional portfolio cases and proper packaging are worth the time and effort to avoid harming your art. When shipping your art, consider a quality float-box or custom crate to ensure worry-free arrival.

11. Displaying art for sale on the floor

Where a painting is located for sale contributes to its perceived value. Always hang art, or place it on an easel and be sure it is properly lit for viewing. Art relegated to unimportant status will never help you or your sales. Take a look at the care galleries and museums put into hanging and lighting art properly.

12. Selling your art without first getting a preservation-Grade art capture

As the son of an artist who had painted hundreds of oil paintings in the ‘70s and ‘80s that are all sold, I can testify it will be a huge loss to your family, just as it was to mine, to not have even a photographic slide of any of those paintings. Don’t let this happen to your family. Your art image may actually be worth many more times the amount of the sale of the original. You would not tear up a winning lottery ticket would you? Selling your art without a capture is the same thing. The copyright laws are on your side, but without a preservation-grade art capture, that copyright is worthless. Without a quality art capture, there will be no retrospective of you in the future—don’t let that happen.

Gary T. Kerr is president of Fine Art Impressions offering art imaging and advisory services. His studio has locations in Charlotte, Moscow, Prague, Hong Kong and Sydney. He offers a free consultation to any artist looking to self-publish their art. He can be reached at his studio at www.FineArtGiclee.com or 1.800.419.4442.

 

Ten Art Marketing Points to Ponder for 2012

Art Marketing Is a Learned Skill That You Can Master.

This post is a reblog with very minor changes from one I published in 2008. The advice stands up well four years later.

Here Are Ten Points to Ponder for Your 2012 Art Marketing Plans:

1. Create a realistic marketing plan and a budget that is neither too optimistic nor timid.
2. Realize the most successful CEOs are serious planners who leave as little as possible to chance. They know getting things done revolves around executing achievable plans.
3. Break your plan down incrementally so you can fully comprehend the necessary steps and how to adequately fund them to reach your goals.
4. Be vigilant about how you allocate your marketing budget.
5. Look for the angles that put you closest to being a sure thing. When you have a sure thing, fund the opportunity fully at the expense of anything frivolous or sketchy.
6. Take a clue from the many established publishers who are trimming ad budgets and cutting back on show space. They haven't gone out of sight, but aren't blowing the doors off with big budget advertising and promotion either.
7. If you haven't already, start making plans to set up your own distribution. This could be online sales, alternative spaces or other inventive ways you can conceive to get directly to new collectors. The future success for many artists depends on their ability to deliver directly to their customers. The sooner you comprehend and act on this concept, the better off you'll be later on.
8. Beef up your plans for publicity. There is no better bang for your buck than what you get from a well orchestrated publicity campaign.
9. While the fragile economy continues to show improvement (finally), it's not a guarantee we are clear of potential problems. Mounting debt in European countries could thwart our recovery. Still, it's proven in tough time those who keep their heads and business afloat come out with significant market share and awareness over those who hunker down and do nothing.
10. Don't stop having fun or being creative. Good things come about even in the worst of times. Henry Luce launched Fortune magazine in 1932 in the heart of the Great Depression. Now 75 years later his vision and fortitude are proven out as it remains a profitable staple in Time-Warner's portfolio of publications.

Three Words and Three More Words

Ariane Goodwin, founder and creative force of the smARTist Telesummit asked me, as a returning presenter, to pen a blog post for the smARTist blog. I'm repeating that post here and adding three more important words I came across recently.

Blogger extraordinaire, Chris Brogan, talked about how he concentrates on creating THREE WORDS that sum up all that he will focus on for the coming year. His ideas, as expected, are thoughtful and practical. You can read them on the link above.

Brogan uses this Three Words in lieu of New Year’s Resolutions. I loved the idea, never having found resolutions to be more than wishful thinking and broken promises. So, I took up the challenge of creating three words that will help define and guide my actions and behavior in 2012.

My Three Words for 2012

Goodness – I will endeavor to incorporate goodness into all I do. It means seeking to achieve the best of those things most beneficial to my family, health, work, the environment and me. I will take action to become kinder and more generous.

Richness – My purpose here is not to gain wealth, although I am not against it. The goal is to seek and embrace abundance in my daily life. I will seek richness in the way I communicate, and in the way I make personal and career choices, and in my products and services I offer.

I believe, if I fulfill this goal and act as a conduit of rich ideas, adding valuable experiences and actions to those around me, that there will be a natural flow to me of resources that will lead to a life rich in health, friendships and acknowledgment for my contributions. I think wealth will be a byproduct of these other intentions and actions.

Simplify – This may be the hardest goal to reach because I have such varied interests. Some might call it focus, but that is just a matter of intention.

I’m talking about a series of purposeful actions. Without closing my mind to new ideas, I will streamline the amount of information that comes into my life. I will clean out the closets of clothes worn long ago, in another life. I will pare down anything that does not add value or beauty to my life. I will identify those possessions I no longer need or use.  And then, I will find ways to put them back into circulation so others who need them can find and use them.

Three More Words

The most recent issue of The Build magazine had an interesting article titled "How to Innovate in the Age of Uncertainty."  The gist is most of us use "predictive reasoning" to make decisions on planning and actions to execute them. This type of thinking is based on knowable variables.

What the authors say is happening now is we are in an age of uncertainty, and what worked in the past is not effective in our current socioeconomic and business environment. They look instead to how successful entrepreneurs use a different approach.

These entrepreneurs follow these steps:

• Take a small "smart" step toward what they desire.
• Pause to see what they learned by taking the step and.
• Build that learning into what they do next.

This process gives us our second of Three Words

1. Act
2. Learn
3. Build

By repeating this process, entrepreneurs are able to refine the process until they are happy with the results or decide what they are doing cannot be sustained. Following these steps keeps entrepreneurs from over committing to unworkable plans.

The first "smart" step is the crucial one. It follows advice I have offered for year. That is to accurately assess your available resources and then set realistic goals based on your resources. The final word on this concept is to not commit to using more resources than you can afford.

After taking the first step to act, it is crucial to stop and "Learn" from what happened when you did. Use this information to fine-tune your plan. This leads to the last step of "Build."

These steps will work well for visual artists who are every bit entrepreneurs. Yes, we are in an age of uncertainity, but we are also in an age of opportunity. It starts with perception. If you want to be successful, you have to believe you can be successful. Besides belief, you need a plan of action. Follow the advice in the Three Words above and you are well on your way to enjoying the success you deserve.

2012 smARTist Telesummit Early Bird Closes Friday, Jan 6

Tomorrow is the last day to save $60 on the smARTist Early Bird Special

Get Your Free Download Link Here

If you missed the call with smARTist founder and creative force, Ariane Goodwin, and me, you can listen to it now. Use this link to download the mp3 file:

http://smartist.com/live-telesummit/barney-ariane-recording/

To listen will be worth your time whether you join this year's telesummit. We ran over the hour and could have kept going for another hour or two.

This annual art career and art marketing workshop event has been used by thousands of artists to help them propel their art careers to new levels of success. If you are looking for a way to jump start your art business next year, the smARTist Telesummit is for you!

smARTist Telesummit Is So Successful...

With good reason and with great results. Founder, Ariane Goodwin, has powered and promoted the smARTist Telesummit to make it the best and longest running annual art marketing workshop and art business event. She achieves this with passion, savvy, and the most giant artist's advocate heart you can imagine. When you pack those attributes with solid business savvy, you get great results!

The 2012 SmARTist Telesummit theme perfectly defines why this art marketing workshop works so well:

Connection. Communication. Confidence.
When you know how to connect with collectors and communicate with confidence, you get more sales—every time.

Speakers and Their Information Are the Heart of the Matter, and Why You'll Succeed.

As always, the lineup of speakers represents an eclectic group of entrepreneurship, art marketing and art career training experts. You can expect to learn a host of new ideas and be motivated to personalize them and put them to work on your art business

There is no obligation, just go to the smARTist site and enter your email address to be added to the  Interest list. The names on the list will get priority notification when the registration starts.

Check Out the 2012 smARTIST Telesummit Speaker Lineup!

One glance shows some of the top art marketing minds in the business are presenting. I am back with an all new topic aimed to help ambitious and intelligent visual artists like you enjoy great success in 2012.

1 - Eden Maxwell - Define and Establish Your Value as an Artist with Three Key Questions

2 - Maria Brophy – Putting deals together; A totally out of the box use of creativity!

3 - Barney Davey – Marketing Art in the Digital World; Embracing Change and Using What You've Got to Get Ahead.

4 – Alyson Stanfield – Unforgettable: 6 Actions to Guarantee Collectors Remember You

5 – Denise Wakeman – Blogging for Visual Artists

6 - Jack White – Making and Keeping Collectors for a Lifetime

7 - Deborah Ivanoff, Ph.D. - Reclaim Your Confidence

8 - Corinne Cain - Looking Back : 7 Key Lessons from Dead Artists (Art Career Tips From an Appraiser’s Point of View)

9 - Lori Woodward - How Artists Are Making $$ Right Now!

10- Eden Maxwell – WRAP UP: Define and Establish Your Value as an Artist with Three Key Questions

 Sign Up Today to Save $60 on the 2012 smARTist Telesummit

It is the only way you will have to take advantage of the big discount Early Bird Special. I'm eager to present my information, and to see you there!

 

How to Sell More Art Using Persuasion

---

---

Free Webinar: How to Win Buyers and Influence Collectors

On Thursday, January 5, 2012, I’m going to be hosting Ariane Goodwin, Ed.D., the founder and host of the only professional development conference for visual artists, the smARTist Telesummit 2012.

She and I will be talking about: When You Know How To Communicate with Total Confidence to the Right Buyers and Collectors You Can Sell More Art.

 Sign up now for this free call with me and Ariane.  Thursday, January 5, 2012 - 7pm ET / 4pm PT
Click here -> http://smartist.com/live-telesummit/barney-ariane/

---

---

Sell More Art in 2012!

If selling more art appeals to you, then this blog post will help you. It is about using the art of persuasion to sell more art.

Before we get started, let me say Happy New Year to you! Please accept my best wishes for making the New Year the most healthy, happy, productive and prosperous possible! My fondest wish is for you to sell more art and enjoy tremendous success doing so in 2012.

No Year-end Predictions or Lists Here

At this time of year, you find all kinds of predictions, reviews, lists and resolutions. It is human nature to want to create lists, and lists make writing copy easy. I rarely get anything useful from reading them, and I never make New Year's resolutions. My take is if something is most important then I should not wait for some artificial date to get started making changes.

The business of selling art has undergone many changes in recent years, just as how we interact with all kinds of businesses. We are witnessing changes coming at the fastest pace ever seen. And, for the most part, we are adapting remarkably well to them.

The quicker we accept new ways of doing things, the more the status quo for the old way of doing things gets out of whack. Bankruptcy and downsizing at K-Mart/Sears and the United States Postal Services are recent examples of how changes have disrupted traditional, old school businesses.

Everything Is Different and We're Not Going Back

On a smaller scale, art galleries and art publishers are feeling the pinch of change on their business models. The art trade media and art tradeshow businesses that flourished less than a decade ago are near extinction. As a result, the rules for artists who want to continue to sell more art have changed.

The buzz on social media is so incessant it is sometimes nauseates me. Honestly, there are times I just feel like canceling or just taking a long hiatus from Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and LinkedIn. It just seems like all sizzle and no steak for many users trying to harness these platforms for business.

Is Social Media All It's Cracked Up to Be?

Don’t get me wrong, I am not going to jump ship on social media, but I am reevaluating how I will continue to use it going forward. That’s not a New Year’s resolution; it is a growing awareness of my limited time and my determination to follow the mandate of one of my heroes, Steven Covey, who says, “Keep the main thing the main thing.”

ROI vs. Profits - It Pays to Know the Difference

You hear talk about Return on Investment, or ROI on social media. That is wrong thinking from my perspective. The way to look at any kind of marketing is to ask if it is profitable. Do you put money in the bank after time and expenses? Can you steadily repeat the same effect? If so, you have a winner. If you are not sure, or you are not generating profits from social media, or other marketing for that matter, then cut bait and look for better spots to fish.

I know there are some artists who are doing well using social media. Going back to the painting-a-day blog, there are those who are able to harness the power of something and then spend considerable energy and creativity to produce outstanding results. Certainly, there are numerous examples of artists using Twitter, Facebook, or other social media to generate sales. But, they are the exception rather than the norm.

Dance with the One Who Brung Ya!

The country saying in the header above applies to artists marketing today. What I see happening is artists are spending more time using social media at the cost of doing other things that are potentially much more rewarding.

If you need to set a goal or a resolution for next year, my advice would be to visualize where you want your art business to be in one year, five years and ten years. Honestly assess your resources, and where you are now, and then set realistic achievable goals based on the assessment. Of course, you will need to review and revise as you go along.

Word-of-mouth Cannot Be Beat - Use It As Often As You Can

The most powerful form of marketing remains word-of-mouth. The unsolicited testimonial from someone you trust, or just know, carries impact and influence that will help you sell art. Despite multi-million dollar marketing budgets, it is word-of-mouth that feeds the success of motion pictures. If you diss the new Sherlock Holmes movie, it will probably cause me to not go, or review my hunch I want to see the film.

This same dynamic works for selling art. If someone tells someone they suggest an artist’s work, it is going to bring more influence on the decision than anything you as an artist can do on your own to market to that person.

If you have read The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, by Malcolm Gladwell, you know he describes certain individuals as connectors and mavens. Whether you are aware of it or not, you know some of these people, or you know of them. They are the ones you want to persuade in 2012, and it not likely to happen on Facebook or Twitter.

I have written previous posts here about The Power of Believing in Yourself and how to use Six Degrees of Separation to get to the people most capable of helping you further your career. You can use your own determination, persistence and charm to plow through getting to the right people, but if you sweeten the deal, you will get better results.

The Norm of Reciprocity

Researchers have found, and your own intuition would tell you the same, that we are most likely to repay others for favors they have done for us. This phenomenon is called “the norm of reciprocity”.

So if you can do a favor of some sort for those who you target to ask for help in furthering your art career, then you will have conditioned them to react positively to your request.

In a two-part post, fine art photographer, Andrew Darlow, provided some practical ideas on easy affordable ways to use art cards and small prints to promote your art business. Check them because they tie-in perfectly with what I am telling you now:

• Five Ways to Use Affordable Prints to Profitably Promote Your Work
• Five More Specific Ways to Use Affordable Prints to Promote Your Work and Earn Income

Some last thoughts are to take the time to figure out where you are headed with your career. Find out who can best help you achieve your career goals and target them intelligently. Work on these goals for next year, even at the expense of social media and you will enjoy great results.

Finally, a borrowed thought from AdWords guru, Perry Marshall. This is so important and right in line with keeping the main thing the main thing. Learn how to quit pursuing and being distracted by $10 an hour ideas, or even $100 an hour ideas.

Focus instead on those things that can make you $1000 or more dollars an hour. If you don’t think that is possible, then you have abundance blocks you may need to work on. Certainly, if you don’t deem yourself worthy, no one else will either. I have complete faith that if you diligently and intelligently pursue achievable goals that I will see you at the top.

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays & Best Wishes for 2012

Peace On Earth!

 Joy to the World ~ Joy to You

May the New Year bring you joy and prosperity.

While there are obvious difficulties each of us face—some are personal, others related to things we can't control—there are reasons to be optimistic and hopeful for 2012. We are seeing a mild upturn in economic news, the Christmas shopping season is looking good, the War in Iraq is over, and most of all, visual artists continue to find new ways to get their work sold.

Bring Back the Good Old Days

Many of us pine for the good old days when things were simpler. But, simplicity aside, it always was a tough row to hoe to become a successful artist. Straight up, it was never easy. What's different now is artists are not dependent on a gallery distribution system to get their work sold. Many still effectively use galleries, but they also are supplementing their sales by including some form of direct sales.

These Are the Good Old Days

Previously, it was nearly impossible for a single artist to amass a large mailing or emailing list of potential collectors. The degree of difficulty and the associated costs were too great for visual artists to handle, especially emerging artists.

Your Gifts from the 21st Century Are Modern Marketing Tools

Affordable websites, blogs, social media and e-commerce solutions have taken marketing art and made it the equivalent of print-on-demand printing technology. No one has to bet the farm on whether they get it right or not these days. You don't have to eat huge inventory costs of prints that don't sell. And for instance, you don't have to spends thousands on trade magazines and tradeshows to gain awareness for your art. Those are still useful marketing vehicles, but not as potent as in the past.

You Will Hear from Me About Marketing in the Digital Age in 2012.

Putney Painters Week - Scottsdale Artist's School.

If you are in Scottsdale this January, I'm speaking at the Putney Painters Week

Date: January 16, 2012 - January 20, 2012 ♦ Location: Scottsdale Artists School and Legacy Gallery

"Outside the Box" Art Marketing Seminar with Lori Woodward and special guest speakers.  Difficult times call for different approaches to selling artwork.  Join Lori, along with guest speakers Jason Horejs and Barney Davey as they present both traditional, as well as unconventional ways artists are actually making a living in today's economy. January 19-20, Thursday and Friday, 9am - 4pm.  $200 for 2 days - In studio at SAS.

2012 smARTist Telesummit

For the third year, I'm back with new ideas to present at the 2012 smARTist Telesummit. This year's lineup of speakers is jam-packed with entrepreneurship, art marketing and art career training experts.

My presentation is:

Marketing Art in the Digital World; Embracing Change and Using What You've Got to Get Ahead. 

For a complete list of speakers, see my blog post about the 2012 smARTist Telesummit. Sign up now to get on the no-obligation Interest List. It's the only way to be advised of the Early Bird Discount.

Last Call for Alyson Stanfield's Art Biz Coach Santa Sale.

Monday, December 19 is the last day to get in on Alyson's fabulous Santa Sale.

When you buy her book she throws in six extra goodies. These bonuses offer value and insights you can use to help you market more effectively in 2012. They make this one heck of a deal!

I should know, one of them is mine. It's my new unreleased How to Sell Art, Make Money and Be Happy – Essays on the Essence of Art Business Success e-book.

Click Here to Order Your Copy

smARTist Telesummit 2012 - Art Career Booster

The 2012 smARTist Telesummit Is Just Around the Corner.

Sign Up for the No Obligation Interest List to Get the Early Bird Offer

This annual art career and art marketing workshop event has been used by thousands of artists to help them propel their art careers to new levels of success. If you are looking for a way to jump start your art business next year, the smARTist Telesummit is for you!

smARTist Telesummit Is So Successful...

With good reason and with great results. Founder, Ariane Goodwin, has powered and promoted the smARTist Telesummit to make it the best and longest running annual art marketing workshop and art business event. She achieves this with passion, savvy, and the most giant artist's advocate heart you can imagine. When you pack those attributes with solid business savvy, you get great results!

The 2012 SmARTist Telesummit theme perfectly defines why this art marketing workshop works so well:

Connection. Communication. Confidence.
When you know how to connect with collectors and communicate with confidence, you get more sales—every time.

Speakers and Their Information Are the Heart of the Matter, and Why You'll Succeed.

As always, the lineup of speakers represents an eclectic group of entrepreneurship, art marketing and art career training experts. You can expect to learn a host of new ideas and be motivated to personalize them and put them to work on your art business

There is no obligation, just go to the smARTist site and enter your email address to be added to the  Interest list. The names on the list will get priority notification when the registration starts.

Check Out the 2012 smARTIST Telesummit Speaker Lineup!

One glance shows some of the top art marketing minds in the business are presenting. I am back with an all new topic aimed to help ambitious and intelligent visual artists like you enjoy great success in 2012.

1 - Eden Maxwell - Define and Establish Your Value as an Artist with Three Key Questions

2 - Maria Brophy – Putting deals together; A totally out of the box use of creativity!

3 - Barney Davey – Marketing Art in the Digital World; Embracing Change and Using What You've Got to Get Ahead.

4 – Alyson Stanfield – Unforgettable: 6 Actions to Guarantee Collectors Remember You

5 – Denise Wakeman – Blogging for Visual Artists

6 - Jack White – Making and Keeping Collectors for a Lifetime

7 - Deborah Ivanoff, Ph.D. - Reclaim Your Confidence

8 - Corinne Cain - Looking Back : 7 Key Lessons from Dead Artists (Art Career Tips From an Appraiser’s Point of View)

9 - Lori Woodward - How Artists Are Making $$ Right Now!

10- Eden Maxwell – WRAP UP: Define and Establish Your Value as an Artist with Three Key Questions

 Sign Up Today to Get on the smARTist 2012 Interest List.

It is the only way you will have to take advantage of the big discount Early Bird Special. I'm eager to present my information, and to see you there!

 

 

---

2012 Color Trends: Paint Hues Drawn From The American Landscape

The Color Trends for 2012 are taking their cues from outdoors. The palette appeals to me. Its bright look sends a message better times are ahead.

Consumers are still cautious and remodeling is not in the budget for many. However, a fresh coat of paint, some new artwork and a few well chosen decorative accessories can freshen a room to make it look new again.

Do You Want a New Source of Sales and Income?

Consider working with redecorating specialists in your area. You can find them in the search engines. Let them know you can deliver giclee prints made to order and that you can work with the palette they need for the jobs they are working on. Develop a relationship with a few redecorators in your area. It could become a nice new source of revenue for you in 2012.

Wondering about the hot color trends are for next year?

Wonder no more:  The 2012 paint palette will draw heavily upon the natural colors in the American landscape, according to Debbie Zimmer, color expert at the Paint Quality Institute. 

“Native plants and flowers, oceans and lakes, and rocks and minerals are the sources of inspiration for the paint colors that will be ‘in’ next year,” says Zimmer.  “If you’re thinking about repainting your home interior, look to the great American outdoors.”

Here are some highlights:

Blue, the Jewel of the Sea
Blues gained popularity in 2011 and continue to be red hot in 2012.  “From sparkling sea-glass blue to colonial blue-grey, blues are suitable for all living spaces, being a naturally soothing color that is loved – in one iteration or another -- by almost everyone,” says Zimmer. 

 

Green, From Farm to Forest
Greens, ranging from celery and asparagus to fir and fern, allow homeowners to bring the comforting feelings of the world outside into the world within.  According to Zimmer, dining rooms and kitchens are the “natural” spots for in vogue greens, but the hue is also at home in family rooms and bedrooms.

 

Violet, Majestic Purple Mountains
“A harmonious combination of patriotic blue and red hues, violet can add ‘punch’ to any room when used as an accent color, or serve as the dominant color in a bedroom,” says Zimmer. 

But natural hues aren’t the only news for 2012.  Zimmer predicts that three paint and decorating trends will gain prominence next year:

Patterns
In 2012, patterned paint will take center stage, with increased interest in hound’s-tooth finishes, lacy designs, and bold color blocking techniques.  “In some cases, pattern will be the main decorating feature in a room; in others, it will provide a subtle, textured backdrop for fine furnishings and artwork,” says Zimmer.

 

 

 

Black & White

The classic combination of black and white isn't just for Cape Cods any more. You'll see much more of it in all sorts of settings, from contemporary apartments to historic homes, says Zimmer. "The pairing is a great way to freshen an interior with something smart and stylish," she says.

 

 

 

 

 

Exterior Paint Combinations

On the home exterior, shutters colors will begin to shift away from the traditional look of high-contrast green, red, or black to a more monochromatic palette. "You'll see more shutters that are painted just a shade darker than the siding," says Zimmer. "Owners of homes with stone exteriors can get in on things by matching the shutter color to the dominant color of the stone."

 

 

 

 All photos are courtesy of The Paint Quality Institute.

On Being Thankful - Heaven's in Our Heart

If we have faith in humankind
And respect for what is earthly
And an unfaltering belief
In peace and love and understanding
This could be heaven here on earth
Heaven's in our heart ~ Tracy Chapman "Heaven's Here on Earth"

Sometimes you just can't find words to say it better. Such is the case with this post. This is a reprise from my 2007 Thanksgiving post. Actually, I fully credit the sublime Tracy Chapman for this enduring sentiment and inspiration. My unending thanks go to her for communicating a simple idea so eloquently.

From the moment of creation when each of us became the specific person we are, endowed with our own uniqueness and incredible special gifts, we are indeed a most lucky person. We have beaten the tremendous odds in nature's selection process to become a person, to be alive. Who cannot be thankful for the opportunity to be alive?

If you are reading this blog, you, as I am, are greatly blessed. For there are so many who, while lucky to be alive, will never glimpse much less experience the privileged lives we lead with our computers, cell phones, cars, warm homes, plentiful food and with an abundance never known by previous generations.

I am grateful for what I have and have been given. To me the greatest gift of any parent is the one I have known and possessed all my days, that is unconditional love from my parents, siblings, extended family and close friends. I will be in the company of part of my family again for this Thanksgiving holiday. For that too, I am grateful and blessed and am eager to bask in the warmth of their love and friendship. No material gifts nor money can match such a magnanimous rewarding gift.

Reflecting on Thanksgiving and family brings to mind the powerful poignant lyrics of Tracy Chapman's "Heaven's Here On Earth" from her New Beginnings album and the above video.

You can look to the stars in search of the answers
Look for God and life on distant planets
Have your faith in the ever after
While each of us holds inside the map to the labyrinth

And heaven's here on earth
We are the spirit the collective conscience
We create the pain and the suffering and the beauty in this world

Heaven's here on earth
In our faith in humankind
In our respect for what is earthly
In our unfaltering belief in peace and love and understanding

I've seen and met angels wearing the disguise
Of ordinary people leading ordinary lives
Filled with love, compassion, forgiveness and sacrifice

Heaven's in our hearts
In our faith in humankind
In our respect for what is earthly
In our unfaltering belief in peace and love and understanding

Look around
Believe in what you see
The kingdom is at hand
The promised land is at your feet
We can and will become what we aspire to be

If Heaven's here on earth
If we have faith in humankind
And respect for what is earthly
And an unfaltering belief that truth is divinity
And heaven's here on earth

I've seen spirits
I've met angels
I've touched creations beautiful and wondrous
I've been places where I question all I think I know
But I believe, I believe, I believe this could be heaven

We are born inside the gates with the power to create life
And to take it away
The world is our temple
The world is our church
Heaven's here on earth

If we have faith in humankind
And respect for what is earthly
And an unfaltering belief
In peace and love and understanding
This could be heaven here on earth
Heaven's in our heart

Have a blessed safe holiday if you are celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend. Wherever you are, regardless whether a splendid celebration of or a mere late fall weekend somewhere where the Thanksgiving holiday is not celebrated, please take a moment to rejoice for your blessings, gifts and your little piece of heaven here on earth all the same.

Please know I also am grateful, thankful, humbled and honored to have you as a reader of my blog.

All the best for a Happy Thanksgiving!