My Art Is Serving a Purpose

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I'm thrilled! I've been very unsuccessful at trying to sell my art work. However, I donated 3 original pastel and oil paintings to an auction last fall, and just received a letter that they netted $1250 from them! Woohoo! I feel like my art is doing more than just sitting in the basement in boxes, and actually is contributing to someone. Here is a link to my blog with some of my art images you can see. https://letsgetreal2016.wordpress.com/2 ... paintings/

Congratulations! That's excellent news that people appreciated your work and it benefited a good cause. You have a real skill. I hope that you will keep sharing your work.

Thank you! I most certainly will.

Someone else can make money from your art, and yet you can't ... ?

You need a manager, or at least an agent. True, they will get 10%, but you will get 90%. This means that a $1250 sale will net you $1125, while your agent gets $125.

If anything worth doing is worth doing well, then anything worth doing well is also worth being paid well to do!

I find your comment rather rude. Are you familiar with the art world? Are an artist, art agent, etc?

That's brilliant, congratulations. And your work is so good! Keep creating!

Thank you very much Miss Skitty. I appreciate your support and sharing my happiness.

Hey, this isn't rude. I don't think considering your work agent worthy is an insult. He emphasised that the cost is minimal compared to the service and outcome.

If you have problems socialising and maintaining connections it can really help having someone fill in those blanks for you. When I was starting I had a few well connected friends in marketing who had good social savvy and they helped me get work when I wasn't motivated to create the connections myself, without them nothing would have got moving for me and I wouldn't be working in art and graphics today, they earned more than their 10% in my eyes just by reducing my social mishandling that little bit. It's well worth considering. I know the logistical and pragmatic pressure of the art world can retract from creativity and expression which is again all the more reason to put it into someone else's hands, especially now you know you can generate some income off it. If you can make it a career think about how much of a relief that may be and it also gives you a one on one contact who understands and supports what you do.

Do you know how I can find a reputable agent? I have no idea how to go about finding one. The art world is extremely competitive, and my art is traditional, not trendy, hip, edgy. I'm not willing to change my way of expressing myself just to be more commercially successful.

The flowers and pastel house are really, really good. You have a real touch for lighting. Congratulations on the sale of your work.

My first thoughts were the same as Fnord, which you shouldn't be offended over, no offence was intended. I'm sure it would've been nice to have that money to yourself, but giving to charity is nice in principle.

Turning a hobby into a job is a rocky road though. It can take all the fun out of it.

Helloarchy I've been mulling over the fact that I took offense. I have PTSD from horrible abuse. Perhaps I good what ford said the wrong way. I do agree that turning a hobby into a job takes all the fun out of it. I very much appreciate your positive feedback.

I sell my art through Facebook classifieds and it's not half as good as yours.
Originally I just wanted to get rid of the clutter but now I paint things purposefully to sell.
Pretty pictures of flowers and such seem to sell better than anything too artsy (around here, anyway) so in a way I feel like I've sold my soul, but I'm happy to be able to paint something that people actually like and buy - and it keeps me out of trouble.

Vince idea Raleigh. I will check this out.

Nice idea Raleigh. I will check this out. I do have an etsy store and sell two or three a year through that so I haven't been altogether unsuccessful.