The current rebellion over underpricing soccer moms on Etsy has gotten a lot of other artists’ undies in a bundle. There are few options for artists to sell their work on-line so the sites that offer all the things that make us creatives shudder like credit card processing, store front design etc., are very enticing.
creating art is a revolutionary act it changes things, it changes the way we see the world and more importantly effects the way those who see and get our work also see the world.
creating art is not about following directions, it’s not about “doing the right thing” , it’s not about fitting in and it’s not about precisely emulating a style.
One of the favored ways for most artists is to lick their index finger, and stick it in the wind…back in the day it was the way most of us did it , in fact we did it because we didn’t know any better.
Sure, some of us kept data bases of every conceivable shred of information from sales, inventory to who bought what. Well…that did nothing more than let us continue to live out the fantasy of “doing something”.
From a very early age I was drawing and painting, and every Christmas and for every Birthday I was given pens, pencils, paints, paper. I learnt to sew also when I was very young, and my Grandmother taught me how to do embroidery. She had a very old Singer sewing machine, not an electric, you had to turn the handle.
The large box of Crayolas with the sharpener in the back and my farm set were my two favorite childhood possessions. Drawing, painting and creating all kinds of things has always been an important means of expression for me.
Tell us about your marketing journey, how did you start?
I really went into this blindly! I had a bit of beginner’s luck: I was accepted into the first exhibit I applied for, which was really shocking to me. At the end of the four weeks, I had sold all but one piece…I simply couldn’t believe other people wanted my art in their homes. I think early success is the universe’s way of telling you you’re on the right path. It gives you the confidence you need to keep traveling, even after the road gets much steeper and more difficult to navigate.
Welcome to the first annual ARTISTScenter holiday gift guide. As a way of saying thanks to all of you fellow creative souls I’ve decided to set up a section within the blog to provide you with another way to be seen and hopefully receive some extra income over the holidays.
Michelle Ciarlo-Hayes is an award-winning fine art photographer and digital artist from Philadelphia, and her work has been featured in venues, that include the Tiberino Memorial Museum (PA), City Hall (Phila, PA), and the Straube Art Center (NJ).
My mission in creating the blog is to promote and help visual artists by teaching them how to market their work in ways that will allow them to increasingly support themselves from their art.
One of the ways I do this, is to feature visual artists who are expanding their horizons by finding new and innovative ways to get their work into the world and develop additional income streams that support and build their artistic voice.
This site is the labor of love of a seasoned self taught 63 year old geekzer who cut his teeth on punch cards, fortran and main frame computers all the while designing, drawing and photographing . [read more…}
The Art List — Monthly e-Newsletter and searchable database listing upcoming Art Contests, Art Competitions, and Opportunities for visual artists and photographers.
