Reflections of an Artist

Art Sales and the Economy

      It's been a great year. So far, I have sold more this year than all of 2010 and there are still nearly five months left in 2011. I have had two very successful plein air event, winning an award in one. I am now showing my work in three galleries and I was juried into a very important national show. I noticed that people were finally feeling good about spending money and positive about the future so it is not surprising that the economic news has put a damper on my forecast for the rest of the year. What will this mean to artists who depend on the discretionary spending of clients for a luxury item like art?  If you are in the small group of well-known established artists whose customer base is not largely effected by the economic news, you may not have to do anything different. But for an emerging artist whose client base may not have the same resources, I need to consider the consequences of the economy. If the past is any indication, sales will suffer. I was wondering if there was anything I could do to lessen the blow.

      I will be looking closely at my expenses and make cuts where I can. Spending on art trips, supplies, fees, workshops or any other art related costs need to be evaluated to determine if I can cut my expenditures but that is still not enough. I need to generate income. Since larger paintings are more expensive, I will switch back to a smaller format. I have always been very successful with my plein air pieces and the 11x14 is a great size that people love but it means I will have to sell more paintings to achieve my sales goal. Not an easy task in a slow market.

      I was considering having a home sale. I know several artists who have done this with success and am looking into the possibility. It would be a lot of work but that isn't a big deterrent and I think it would be fun. I need to expand my exposure and research those venues which I have been procrastination about. The more people who see my work the more likely I am to sell. Staying active in your success is  important and it sure beats waiting for something good to happen.