PSA For Other Artists…

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abstract art, art, art selling, art success, Artist, artists tips, best selling practices, Colorful Art, how to sell art, how to sell art online, how to sell prints, modern art, print selling, selling art, selling art online, selling prints, sharon cummings, sharon cummings art, successful art business, successful art career, successful artist, successful artists

PSA for this blog means Promoting Sells Art. I am focusing on ONLINE PROMOTION.

Everyday someone says to me, “How do you sell so much art?”….”You sure are lucky!” or “I wish I could (fill in the blank) like you.”

The answer isn’t luck, magic or talent beyond compare. No no no. What you have to do is promote yourself. A LOT. This means being on various social media platforms actually interacting with other human beings. Liking their posts, commenting in a meaningful and sincere way and getting your work out there regularly. In means being grateful and saying “thank you” all day long. It means TIME.

“But I don’t want to waste all of that time on promoting. I just want to create. That’s what makes me happy.”

In a perfect World we would spend all of our extra time slinging paint, clicking that mouse or snapping that picture. But we don’t live in that World. The one we inhabit doesn’t work that way if you want to SELL YOUR ART. If you just want to have fun and don’t care if you ever make a single sale, then you are already set. Read no further.

All others:

Understand that I am a CAREER artist…Not a hobbyist. I don’t look down on people that dabble, do this for fun or just have a side hustle. I don’t look down on anyone. Selling my art is my ENTIRE source of income. So the stakes are high for me. I am willing to sacrifice more of my time than others. But I still manage to have a happy healthy life! I maintain a strong marriage, spend time with my daughter, (with Hubby) take care of a 10 acre homestead with 32 animals, exercise daily, go to church several times a week, read and go to my bookclub, hang out with my friends regularly, travel and visit family, travel for leisure a few times a year, AND create for 4 or 5 hours a day and I also do other things not listed. And I do it ALL without griping about the things that aren’t awesome. My life is REALLY HARD sometimes, but REALLY GOOD too. I am genuinely thankful for every day!!!

There are 24 hours in each day and I sleep for a solid 8. I spend about 3 hours TOTAL per day on Social Media…That leaves me 13 hours to do everything else. Yes 3 hours seems like a lot and I would much rather be CREATING during that time. But the REALITY of actually making SALES dictates more interaction on Social Media….Not just DUMPING posts and running away….But actually communicating with other human beings and cross promoting other artists. That is making me sales, growing my audience and getting me to where I need to be to make consistent sales.

EVERY real job I have ever had since the age of 13 required me to do things I did NOT enjoy doing. EVERY SINGLE ONE! Some required discomfort for many hours a day. Some ALL day long. 3 hours of Social Media time not only seems reasonable to me in light of my previous jobs, but I have found that my ATTITUDE has shifted. I decided to make Social Media enjoyable and that has made ALL the DIFFERENCE! Most of the things we complain about come down to our thoughts and beliefs about them. And thoughts can be changed. Try purposely changing your feelings about something. Force it until it becomes real. Most things are not near as awful as you’ve made them out to be and some can be quite lovely if you let them. Sure, there are days I am pressed for time and have to rush through cross promoting and doing any Social Media work, but overall, I am feeling enriched by the INTERACTIONS. I am making friends and learning more about my collectors. I no longer dread it, but look forward to it!

If you want to learn from an amazing group of artists who actively support each other, you are welcome to visit at the following link.

Learn How To Sell Your Art!

Making M.O.N.E.Y. While I Sleep…

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abstract art, abstract art for sale, abstract prints, art for sale, artists, buy art, buy modern art, buying prints, canvas prints, career, goals, hard work, making it as an artist, making money, modern art, modern art for sale, money, perseverance, print sales, prints, prints for sale, selling prints, sharon cummings, strength, success, successful artists

 

I am back this morning from a 3 day getaway with my daughter.  We had a blast in Orlando enjoying the Gaylord, noshing and shopping!  While I was away, I sold 15 prints between Etsy, Society 6 and Fine Art America.  I still have to smile big when I realize how amazing it is to “make money while I sleep” or in this case vacation.  For years I resisted selling prints of any kind.  I thought they would reduce the value of my originals.  But the opposite has been the case.  I’ve been able to raise the prices on my originals and commissions and enjoy a steady income from my prints.  I no longer have to paint 6 hours a day plus promote myself for another 6.

Of course it wasn’t easy to get to this point with my prints.  Many countless hours have been spent over the last 2 years using intensive social media promotion to get my prints “out there”.  I have blogged, Tweeted, Facebooked, Buffered, Houzzed, Waneloed, Pinned, Tumbled, Link’d, Stumbled and Googled my way to sales 7 days a week (except for small bits of time off here and there).  And for the past year, I have had a group of 12 other artists and photographers that I cross promoted with daily. On average, I’d say I spent 4 hours a day promoting myself and cross promoting others.  Whew!  That’s a lot!  Especially when all I really want to do is create.  However, it has finally paid off and I can now make sales even when I am on vacation and doing nothing to promote myself. Since May 1st, I have not done any cross promoting and very little self promotion.  About 30 minutes a day 5 days a week.  And I get weekends free again!

Hard work…….it can pay off!

If you have goals for your life, do not give up!  And for goodness’ sake, do not listen to those who tell you that it can’t be done. 🙂

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Is Digital Art Real Art?

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abstract art, abstract art for sale, abstract paintings, art, art for sale, art mediums, butterfly wings, buy abstract art, buy art, buying prints, canvas, canvas prints, christmas gifts, computer, computer art, computer generated art, computer paintings, computers, contemporary art, digital art, digital artist, mixed media, mixed media art, modern art, modern paintings, paintings, peacock feather, prints, selling prints, sharon cummings, tampa artist

I had a conversation with a friend the other day about Digital Art.  He wanted to know if I was going to be taking a mix of all my work (i.e. acrylic paintings) or more of my computer art to my upcoming show.  Throughout the chat the words were never said, but the implication was there.  The acrylic paintings were “real art” and the digital stuff…well….not so much.  I myself was resistant to computer generated artwork for years.  I did not think it belonged in the same category as paintings or drawings.  To me it looked “different” and as a traditional painter, I was having trouble with that.  I also did not understand how much hard work it was!  There is also the argument that states that you cannot get a “one of a kind” piece with digitally produced media.  This is true!  But you also cannot get a one of a kind photograph either unless you have the negative or file yourself and then you can only enjoy it as a small inverse image or on your computer.  To fully enjoy photography you must have a print made of it so you can hang it on your wall.  It is the same with digital art.

I do not create ANYTHING entirely with my computer.  I do not do fractal work.  I always start with one of my original paintings or a photograph.  I copy my own hand painted patterns from original works.  I draw designs.  Every piece I create on my computer starts with something I did with my hands away from the black box.  My mandalas start from my paintings on Yupo.  My Stone Rock’d Art starts with patterns from my Labor of Love pieces which I painted by hand.

I am sure that the charcoal and fruit ink painters were incredulous when oil painters came along.  It was something new and untested. How could something so radically different from charcoal ever become popular?  To me “real art” has nothing to do with the mediums used.  If you lock a creative person into a room without anything, they will make art from dust particles.  Art is the expression or application of creative skill and imagination, producing works to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power. But is it “real art”? Is it collectible?  In the last year I have sold over 1000 prints that I produced with the aid of my computer.  Now to me that is beautiful and oh so powerful……and undeniable real!

Digital artists….rock on!

Enjoy all of my work here…both traditional and contemporary:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-sharon-cummings.html?tab=artworkgalleries

Is Digital Art Real Art?

Tags

abstract art, abstract art for sale, abstract paintings, art, art for sale, art mediums, butterfly wings, buy abstract art, buy art, buying prints, canvas, canvas prints, christmas gifts, computer, computer art, computer generated art, computer paintings, computers, contemporary art, digital art, digital artist, mixed media, mixed media art, modern art, modern paintings, paintings, peacock feather, prints, selling prints, sharon cummings, tampa artist

 

I had a conversation with a friend the other day about Digital Art.  He wanted to know if I was going to be taking a mix of all my work (i.e. acrylic paintings) or more of my computer art to my upcoming show.  Throughout the chat the words were never said, but the implication was there.  The acrylic paintings were “real art” and the digital stuff…well….not so much.  I myself was resistant to computer generated artwork for years.  I did not think it belonged in the same category as paintings or drawings.  To me it looked “different” and as a traditional painter, I was having trouble with that.  I also did not understand how much hard work it was!  There is also the argument that states that you cannot get a “one of a kind” piece with digitally produced media.  This is true!  But you also cannot get a one of a kind photograph either unless you have the negative or file yourself and then you can only enjoy it as a small inverse image or on your computer.  To fully enjoy photography you must have a print made of it so you can hang it on your wall.  It is the same with digital art.  

 

I do not create ANYTHING entirely with my computer.  I do not do fractal work.  I always start with one of my original paintings or a photograph.  I copy my own hand painted patterns from original works.  I draw designs.  Every piece I create on my computer starts with something I did with my hands away from the black box.  My mandalas start from my paintings on Yupo.  My Stone Rock’d Art starts with patterns from my Labor of Love pieces which I painted by hand.  

 

I am sure that the charcoal and fruit ink painters were incredulous when oil painters came along.  It was something new and untested. How could something so radically different from charcoal ever become popular?  To me “real art” has nothing to do with the mediums used.  If you lock a creative person into a room without anything, they will make art from dust particles.  Art is the expression or application of creative skill and imagination, producing works to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power. But is it “real art”? Is it collectible?  In the last year I have sold over 1000 prints that I produced with the aid of my computer.  Now to me that is beautiful and oh so powerful……and undeniable real!

Digital artists….rock on!

Enjoy all of my work here…both traditional and contemporary:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-sharon-cummings.html?tab=artworkgalleries

Gerald Marella Patience To Perfection Photographer

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art, Artist, bird, birds, buy prints, eagles, feathers, fine art america, floral, flowers, Gerald Marella, landscapes, nature, nature photography, nature prints, owls, patience, photographer, photographs, photography, photos, professional photographer, scenic photography, selling prints, skill

I’ve always envied people with a lot of patience.  When I take photos, I just randomly snap whatever catches my eye.  This is not the case for Gerald Marella.  When I was first introduced to him and his work, I could tell that he was different.  He was certainly interactive in our social media group, but it was obvious that his heart and mind were always on his craft.  He made excuses for absences sometimes, but there was really no need.  His work shows where he spends his time and the results are utter perfection.

I recently asked Gerald the same questions I have been asking other photographers I am featuring.  Here are his responses:

What inspires your works?  I love being there.  When I’m out photographing I try to become invisible. That can take time and patience, but if I can become part of the landscape a lot more natural behavior happens around me. Even when photographing eagles in an area where they aren’t habituated, it takes time to become ignored as part of the environment.  Getting to that point and capturing a good photograph is very satisfying.

Which of your photographs is your favorite?  I’d have to say the Barred Owl. It took a while to get to the point where the owl didn’t mind my presence. After that I was able to slow down, watch, and photograph the owl in a natural pose. I was careful to be respectful of it’s space and back off if it became too aware of my distance.http://fineartamerica.com/featured/barred-owl-portrait-1-gerald-marella.html

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/bald-eagle-over-ice-gerald-marella.html

Is there a photographer you relate to? And why?  I don’t know if relate is the right word, but Thomas Mangelsen’s work is amazing.  When I see his nature photos I see some similarities in style.

Do you ever feel like giving up?  I’ve never wanted to “give up”, but there are days when I think that I shouldn’t be allowed to own a camera.  That’s when I know I need a break.

How long have you been taking photos?  For many years, but for the past 15 or so with my focus on nature.

What’s the best thing about being a photographer?  I love the process.  Being out trying to become part of an environment and attempting to capture a photo that reflects a moment in time as if no one was there to see it.

What’s the worst thing about being an photographer?  The equipment can be heavy to lug around. I always use a tripod and for small creatures a long lens is necessary.

Is there a purpose to your photography?  I’m very literal. When I see a subject that I’d like to capture, I like the result to be an accurate portrayal of what I was seeing. That can be a tack sharp stop action, or the blur of a running animal. When I get the right result I feel that I’ve captured a second in time that will never be captured exactly the same way again.

How do you feel when people interpret your photos differently?  I feel great! When people interpret a photo differently it means that they’re emotionally involved in the moment of capture as if they were there when it happened.

What advice do you have for aspiring photographers?  Learn the mechanical and technical functions of your camera. You can’t effectively portray the emotion of the moment if you don’t know how your camera settings will manage the light and background. And, don’t accept OK. Your vision and style will change over time.

You can view more of Gerald’s amazing work here:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/gerald-marella.html?tab=artwork