My name is Gregory Peters and I am an artist living in Long Beach, California. I promote and sell artwork locally and on the Internet via my web site, DimensionalCanvas.com. Additionally, I write about promoting the sale of artwork.
I’ve spent years promoting goods and services for many major companies, and have successfully applied many of those same skills to selling my artwork. It’s always an adventure selling art, and the experience is constantly changing. I’ve certainly learned a lot in the process; sometimes the easy way, sometimes very painfully. I decided to share some of that experience with other artists who might need a helping hand.
To sell artwork you must first promote it. I wrote a book about this which I published a couple of years ago on Amazon. I recently produced a second updated edition as an eBook. It’s called “DIY – Do It Yourself Art Promotion”, and is designed to help artists take control of the process of selling their artwork. This fact filled book has information about key topics artists need to know to take advantage of opportunities they may not find any other way. Featured are chapters on publicity, promotion, web sites, the media, the marketplace, promotional tools and URL links galore for further information on the Internet. This is me giving back to my fellow artists.
There are many books written about selling yourself as an artist. I should know, I’ve got at least 20 of them. One of the areas rarely mentioned is the promotional aspect of being an artist.
Most artists are lousy salesmen, but if your art is saleable it will speak for itself. Time and again I have seen customers’ eyes glaze over when the artist is explaining his or her “vision”. They know what they like though, so getting all esoteric about it serves no purpose. Let the buyer decide the worth of the art in terms of their vision. Not all artwork is saleable, and it is not for me to judge, but if you are producing art of interest to someone, you must sell to this market and this market alone. Forget the rest of the world, they’ll never understand you! Not everyone is going to like what you do no matter how nice it is. You will have to get people to look at your stuff, and you can’t carry a portfolio at all times. No, there are far better ways to do this. While I talk of many ways to use various “tools” in my book, the process is essentially this:
You must create interest first (perhaps a business card), provide a means to push that interest further (provide a web site to go to for instance), and then offer something of value (perhaps an incentive or even information like a newsletter), to stimulate the subconscious desire to start a dialogue with you.
This is a multi-step process which serves to create value in you as an artist in the mind of the viewer. Anyone can provide pictures to look at, but I’m certain there is more to you than just art. Does this make sense to you? Good.
I’d like to see you more successful by thinking creatively using some of the tools I suggest and start planning a bit like a person running a business and enticing passers-by in ways you may not have thought of.
Some of those “tools” to your future success are at my blog, DIYartpromotion.com. I offer many suggestions you can put to use today. And if you have experience to share, let me know and I’ll add to the site.
Gregory Peters
Besides the links, below, I am on FaceBook and LinkedIn.
Blog:
Virtual gallery: http://dimensionalcanvas.com
About the Artist:
I have been producing and selling art for a number of years to a growing collector base. I have produced artwork favoring both western and far eastern subject matter. My art hangs in homes around the nation and overseas, has evolved from simple landscapes to highly complex compositions with 3-dimensional elements to enhance visual impact.
I live in sunny southern California and also write about art. I’ve been painting since I was 5 years old. My little studio is out back of my house. When I’m not producing fine art, I create graphic design and illustration for many companies.
Artist Statement:
“I find 2D art to be somewhat limiting at times. Realistic objects as subject matter can often be better expressed by bringing the viewer into the picture. Incorporating real dimensional objects and blending them with illustration adds graphic impact that can’t be achieved otherwise. I try to establish a tactile connection with the viewer with every image I create.”
