School of Creative Business - Creative Entrepreneurship

A Gift for his Sister

Over the holidays, I was commissioned to create a mixed media collage for a co-worker's sister. Well of course I completed it before Christmas, but I did not want to post it, caused I feared that maybe his sister would view my post from his blog. So I decided I would post it today.

I going to send you to my new blog -Studio 2229. Here is where I have posted A Gift for His Sister.

Note: Studio 2229 will serve as a place I'll discuss my artwork in progress, art shows, and anything relating to me creating artwork. I will still post to the Mixed Media blog- it will still remain a place I write about the business of being an artist. I will write more about the purpose of these two blogs later in the week. But for now go read- A Gift for His Sister.

Why People Buy Art : Buliding a Foundation For Your Artist Career

Yesterday you looked at the qualities of the people you wanted to work with, not lets identify your target market. Your ideal clients are a subset of the target market you choose to serve. It is just as important to identify a target market you feel passionate about as it is to identify the ideal clients that you are inspired by. The benefit of identifying a target market is that it allows you to more easily determine where to find potential clients/ art lovers who are looking for what you have to offer. In order to reach these potential clients/ art lovers, you've got to know where to find them.

The next step we are going to take, are steps that will be will worth your time. Understanding why people buy art is really important in creating relentless demand for your art. The following four steps will help you understand the why.

 Who's the Target Market of Your Artwork

Take a few moments to think about the following questions and jot down whatever comes to mind.

1. What is the geographic location of your target market? 

 Name the neighborhood, city, state, region they may live in. Do not forget to consider the social networking sites they may also live. Since many artist typically sell art online works very well (Etsy). Considering online sites might be better, but if you are considering selling at a market, then you specify the general location.

2. What are the demographic characteristics of your target market?

A few years ago, I was working with a client who said her target market was women you liked wearing dresses. Well that is a very large target market and that size of a target market is very hard to sell to. So to help her out- I asked her to choose her favorite television show or movie  of women who would wear her dresses. She chose Girlfriends and Sex and the City. With this new information we were able to actually visualize each woman wearing her dresses. We used the characters personalities, jobs and interests to describe the demographic characteristics of her target market.

If choosing a character from a movie or television show helps you identify your target market, then please do so. But make sure to  describe the observable, factual characteristics of your target market - such as age, income level, family size, gender, ethnic group and hobbies/interest.

 3. What is your target markets'motivations and purchasing patterns?

The observable factors are important, but you also have to consider the less tangible factors. Try to answer these questions.

What is important to your target market- price, quality, or convenience?; What kinds of companies do they prefer to do business with - small, large, socially responsible, or locally based?; How do they view themselves- technically savvy, smart shopper, stylish or cutting edge?

What are your customers purchasing patterns- paypal, cash only, credit? How often do they buy art - once a year, every other month, when there is a sell, or during special occasions?

4. What is the market size of your target market?

Keep the answer to this question simple. Do you think the market size for your art is small, medium or large. If it is small look for other small target market group, if it is medium, then you are good to go for a few years, and it is large, then that is great, but you are going to have to keep coming up with unique ideals to keep them interested in your art.

Now look over your answers and try pulling it all together. Write a brief description of your target market.

My Target Market is .........

 

This new found information will help you more successful at creating and selling your art.

Alright we are almost there. We have 2 more post to go, before we have completed the foundation of our art career. Thursday I will discuss the importance of developing your personal brand  and Friday I will end How to talk about what you do.

Make sure to subscribe to my blog if you haven't already. Peace and More Love, Alease

Artist Tip of the Week: 5 Things To Do To Make Sure Your Artwork is Seen

 

"You build it, they come." Well I am not sure if that statement is true when it comes to creating art. But what I do know is that we as artist have to plant seeds into the minds of art collectors. Today I want to give you 5 examples on how to make sure your artwork is seen. But let me say, while this post contains 5 ways to promote your artwork- I rarely use all of them at once. I only use these promotion tools to plant seeds, not grow a forest! I  want to share with my clients what new from my studio with the hopes that they might visit one of my art shows, participate in a workshop I'm conducting and/or purchase artwork.

 5 Things To Do To Make Sure Your Artwork is Seen!

1. Tweet It - A good way to get others to see your artwork is to tweet it. Tweeting a link is quick and easy to do- and it you do well it can be quite effective at getting others to see your work. The effectiveness of this does depend on the size of your follower group. So if you do not have an tweeter account - Quickly sign up for one.

2. Facebook Status Updates(and other social media sites)- Updating my facebook status with links to images of artwork and my events has worked out very well for me. I have received comments on new work, commissioned projects and some have signed up to attend a workshop.

3. Show Artwork to other Artist - When I'm working on a new piece of art, I sometime think of what another artist would say about. So instead of thinking about it, I just send an email to a few artist friends and ask them to give me some pointers or just to share their thoughts. This has worked out for me also, I have received really good advice and contact information from gallery owners looking for work similar to mine.

4. Attach an Image with Your Email Signature - Many artist have links to their websites posted along with their email signatures, but what about directing or attaching a image of your artwork to the email. People seem to always be intrigued with attached files, especially if there is no risk of a virus. 

5. Ask Your Audience to Share Your Artwork with Others- This can be a hard sell. But if you are confident in your work, ask your clients to share your work with others who might be interested. It's no harm in asking - Remember, "Ask And You Shall Receive."

Before I end this post, I want to say that you must have persistence and maintain relationships for any of the above promotions to work. Much of what I've described are things I have been doing for a while, and only through persistence have I been successful with them. But even with persistence, you have to keep good relationships with others. Alot of the above promotions are based on current relationships you have already developed. So maintaining and growing new relationships is important.

Good luck and please share your experiences with the above promotions with me.

Peace and More Love, Alease

 

 

Joann Loveless - Commissioned Artwork

This is a piece commissioned by one of my sorority sisters " Secenario Jones" for our 22nd International Grand Basileus, Joann Loveless of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. This piece made me a little nerves, because this was project that was important to me as well.

I felt so honored to do this for Grand Basileus Loveless. This commissioned piece was to honor her 1st year as Grand Basileus of Sigma Gamma Rho.

  I love being a Sigma Gamma Rho.

A Wedding Gift- "The Chesters"

^{11x14 Mixed Medium Collage on Watercolor paper}

This was a wedding gift I created for a very close friend of mine. I was suppose to have sent a while ago, but better late than never. Actually I sent it just before their 1st year anniversary, which is in August. 

A Quite Man - Commissioned Artwork

 

"A Quite Man"  11x14 on Water Color paper

This piece was commissioned by a son who truly thought of his dad as the Greatest Man Alive. James wrote:

" I remember about my Father as a quite man, but a strong man, a man who I never heard raised his voice much but got results. He loved to paint and I think that is what made him go in business for himself. He was very self motivated. He worked for a company as a painter, but one day he came home with one of the guy's truck and enough equipment to go into business for himself and every since then he never looked back. He painted houses for as long as I can remember. He taught me to be a man and how to provide for my family."

This is the reason why I choose to use images in my mixed media collages. These images have stories that scream to be told. And I feel honored that James allowed me to tell his dad's story.

Grandma Mag - Commissioned Project

Grandma Mag- 8x10 Digital created Collage

Poem written by granddaughter

My Aunt Elizabeth

                    

This was a retirement gift to my Aunt Elizabeth. She has been more than an aunt to me, she has been my friend and mother. I wish her the best in her retirement.                                                                                

Commissioned Artwork - Sisters

Stephanie Taylor & Sisters

 

Commissioned Artwork - Whitney & Brother

 

Whitney & Brother, 2008, commissioned artwork, 9x12