Visual artists lose the masks, open a vein and rev up your potential for online sales in 2012

By Theresa Franks, for Fine Art Registry®

They say a picture is worth a few thousand words and while this may be true, it’s really not enough to effectively market and ultimately sell your work online.

In 2012, wouldn’t you like to rise above mediocrity and separate yourself from the pack? If so, consider the benefits of dropping that mask you’re hiding behind and opening up a vein or maybe even an artery to find out if you can seize the attention of a universe of potential collectors. Just as it is human nature to rubber-neck while passing a horrific car crash on the roadway—the mangled, twisted metal bewitches us somehow—the wreckage slows us long enough to take a good, long look, even if we know we shouldn’t. The same is true for visual art collectors who are traveling on the Internet superhighway searching for a visual artist that will root them from their mundane shopping experience and transport them to another world, to visual artists unlike any others. Are you one of these artists? 


Creating and making art is one thing. Being successful at marketing and selling it online is, well…another art form altogether, especially if you are (like the vast majority) a self-representing artist—meaning you wear all the hats: creativity, production, marketing, and sales. Oh, how many artists we have heard from that dream of being represented by an art agent (charged with the business of marketing and selling for them) while the artist is left to do nothing but dream and create the next masterwork in his or her sun-drenched studio while the sweet notes of Bach or Beethoven tickle the ear—as romantic as it is to dream about, it's just so 19th and 20th century. It is a fantasy for most artists and there is often is a dark side to agent representation which will be the subject of a future article on the Fine Art Registry® Blog. This is not to say there isn’t a place for agent representation in the art industry these days—it just isn’t necessary to have an agent in order to be a successful visual artist—not by a long shot, much like it isn’t necessary to successfully self-publish a book these days. Agent representation can very often be a detriment to the artist and there are many cautionary tales of artists that have been ruined as a result of agent representation. Art consultation with a professional on the business or marketing of art would be far and away more productive for artists.


In the 21st century, the art market is constantly in flux—technology is changing exponentially—and artists have to be fluid, flexible, and ready to change with the art industry (pop culture) and the market as a whole—no matter what your age or skill level. The amount of work and attention to detail you are willing to put into your self-promotion will ultimately determine how successful you will be as a visual artist and success is usually always measured by sales—and regular sales at that. Sure, we have heard of those artists that say they don’t care if they ever make a sale—they just create art for art’s sake, blah, blah, blah. This article is for those visual artists that have an insatiable thirst and are driven to make the dream of a full time career creating their art a reality and, more importantly, having complete control over the entire venture—it’s for those that have a deep desire to someday quit their day job to create, market, and sell their artwork on a full time basis and make a living from it. Is this possible? Absolutely.

The Lure, by Lorna Wallace-FAR ID 28133

Fine Art Registry artist, Lorna Wallace, is a success story. Once an executive, working in the rat race of corporate America, Lorna took a step of faith and began to chart her own destiny when it came to creating her art—and she didn’t depend on anyone to do it for her. She worked hard, representing and promoting her own artwork. After a couple of years, she retired from her job as a corporate executive and is now creating, marketing, and most importantly, selling her artwork worldwide. And because Lorna represents herself, she doesn’t share the proceeds from her sales with anyone—no middle men and no agents. Lorna has her entire body of work registered with Fine Art Registry®. Her portfolio consists of 1,937 pieces, to date. Lorna also enjoys listed artist status and has had great success. What does it take? Determination, drive, heart, and the willingness to open up and be a bit vulnerable and let the world know who you are as an artist and what moves you to create.

Lorna Wallace will be the first to tell you that there is no one on the planet that can market and promote your artwork better than the artist creating the work. So, how about broadening your horizons and let the world know something about your creation by blogging, tweeting, and facebook-ing about it? Tell the world why you create, what inspires you, what drives you as an artist, what you love, what you hate, what makes you tick, or anything else that may cause collectors to connect with you on an emotional level or any other level. Forget about the boring, dry, age-old, high-priests-of-the-old-order-biography that no one ever reads. Create a bio that someone will read—make it sensational—just like your artwork. Bring something new to collectors—help them see you like they have never seen you before—make slow down to stop, look and listen to what you have to say both through your artwork and your prose. You should come alive, larger than life through a blog post, a tweet, or a facebook message. It’s all about letting go and letting would be collectors know what makes your art original and worth collecting. This is what excites collectors and compels them to desire to collect your work.

Vick Rides Barbaro & Friends, by Steven Chandler-FAR ID 16707

You don’t have to be a professional or even a good writer  to crank out some emotive prose that will help enhance your visual art and effectively promote you as an artist. Keep in mind that controversy sells art! Don’t be afraid to be controversial in your art or in your writing. A fine example of an artist who isn't afraid to be controversial is Fine Art Registry artist, Steven Chandler, and his artwork sells like hot cakes on a Sunday morning. 

In today’s economy, collectors are more selective than ever as to what they spend their money on—so being able to connect emotionally with your prospective collectors is critically important and will most certainly give you the edge. But keep in mind, just like your artwork, blogging and writing is a commitment—even if it’s just a matter of posting a tweet or a quick sentence or two on facebook once a day or once a week…if you decide to start and you absolutely should, remember to do it on a regular and consistent basis.

Remember to treat the marketing, promotion, and sales of your visual art as if it is part of the creation of the artwork itself. So, go ahead! Open a vein (and regularly) bare your soul in prose just as you do when creating your art and share it with the world of prospective collectors and see what happens.