The Old Dog Asks: How Can Artists Sell Their Work?

in #art7 years ago (edited)

To Sell it People Have to See it!

Do the upscale offices and studios of Doctors, Dentists and Financial services offer artists an opportunity?

I have a relative of mine who is a very talented artist. He has done all kinds of schooling in fine arts and he works at it with great passion. It's been a tough go to make a living and he's often had to take on other jobs. It seems to me that one of the problems that artists have is getting their work in front of the "right" eyes.

More established artists may manage to have a showing in a gallery but this is no easy task for a newer artist.



This colorful piece adorned what otherwise would have been a much starker environment! All photos by @kus-knee



Although this area of the office has windows not much light enters and the painting offers a brighter reception!

Could The Offices of Doctors Lawyers and Financial Institutions Hold The Key?

Today, while doing some work for a dentist in Lugano I admired some of the art that he had on the wall. The art work changes regularly and there is a price list for the pieces on display in the waiting room.

I know that at least some pieces do sell because about a year ago I saw a piece that I liked and was looking to purchase it for @lellabird as an anniversary gift. After consulting the price I expressed my interest in the painting but I was told: "I'm sorry, it's already sold!

Location, Location Location!

The expression location, location, location is usually applied to real-estate but in the case of art it needs to capture the eyes of those that not only appreciate it but can afford it! In this case the Dental office in question is the the wealthiest area of Lugano and caters to posh clients.



The view from all but one of the dental studios looks directly onto the lake. Would this put you in a buying mood?

Maybe not while your teeth are being drilled or pulled out!

Here is Some More of The Work That Was on Display


This piece is about 1 meter long, is hung in the hallway and lit form above.


This was my favorite piece although I didn't get a good shot of it.


I like the different shades of blue in this painting.


This painting also added color and interest to the hallway!


The artist is obviously fascinated with swirls!

What Are The Advantages of This Type of Gallery?

  • The artist gets a place to show their work
  • The office gets free decoration that they can change form time to time
  • The work is put before the eyes of those with the means to purchase it
  • The artist can leave their business cards and other sales material in the office

What Are The Disadvantages of This Type of Gallery?

  • There is a lot of work involved in delivering and displaying he work
  • The customers have not gone to a gallery "looking" to make a purchase
  • There is no salesperson there to prod the curious customer into making a purchase.

Does This Type of Gallery Actually Work?

Depending on the location and the type of clientele or patients it could work rather well. Here is the link to an article that I found which debates the usefulness of this type of display.

What Has Your Experience Been?

  • Have you ever seen art for sale in this type of setting?
  • Have you ever purchase art work in this type of setting?
  • If you're an artist would you consider using these offices as a gallery?
  • As an artist have you made any sales this way?


I hope that you enjoyed this article which asks: " How Can Artists Sell Their Work?"



Until next time,


@kus-knee (The Old Dog)

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Interestingly enough, last night, I was in an Indian restaurant thinking about posting my photography there as there were a bunch of framed pictures definitely not of high quality and thought, maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't mind having some extra sceneries in their establishment...

As always, a very good posting. You keep on inspiring me to post and post more often! Thanks a lot for another good opportunity to share, namaste :)

Go for it @eric-boucher! Have you already moved?

More on the topic of moving possibly in the next post! I've been on Vancouver Island for 2 months now and there is only one thing missing, a job! Otherwise, this is it, I'm set.

Namaste :)

Hmmm a job! Surely they are in much need of a professional encourager like you!

Vancouver island is a beautiful place. I had a nice tour there about 6 years ago. Are you near Victoria?

Thanks a lot for the warm thoughts, I'm in Nanaimo, about an hour and a half from downtown Victoria. The island is a very beautiful place in deed and come back here after having lived here for 2.5 years before living up in the Northwest. What a treat!

Namaste :)

wow....great idea for exposing artist's work....sometimes one finds what one likes without looking for it....that's the best kind of acquiring...

It's a novel idea to utilize these spaces on mutually beneficial terms. Customers find the art work in a live setting and need not specially go to any gallery. And the affinity or liking so developed towards the art piece is very intuitive when you are not actually looking to purchase it. This way customer may even want to pay higher price.

In HIndi there is a saying that "jo dikhta, vahi bikta" (Only that things sell which are visible!).

I like the Hindi saying! By the way there is an Indian Cultural show in Lugano on Saturday!!!

I’ve often wonder why artwork is not sold in larger social gathers myself.

Perhaps it’s merrily because of lack of security or the art work does did not fit well with the typical cliental the venue was geared for.

I think it would be really cool if restaurants had artwork that was for sale. It help change the backdrop and give people a conversation piece every so often new to talk about.

American restaurants the lower to medium end of the scale tend to have a gumball machine, or a claw machine. I can only imagen they don’t bring in much money at all anymore; even more so, since we are starting to go more as a cashless society.

Selling a painting on the walls of where such old and classic machines are standing now would be more performed at least for me.

Imagen the kind of artwork a McDonald’s would be selling lol. Would you like a $5 painting along with your kid’s happy meal :)

"Imagen the kind of artwork a McDonald’s would be selling lol. Would you like a $5 painting along with your kid’s happy meal :)" Hahaha
Yes different venues can be used!

Why is it that artists truly become famous after being dead several decades later?

There work becomes very rare! Like when the last of the 21 million bitcoins gets minted!

That is not so comforting when these artists have mouths to feed.

My Dentist is an art collector and he has many beautiful piece of art from his collection in his studio! I think every place can be a good place to show art. I admit that I watched art exhibition in many different place as abandoned buildings and church, in the train stations, in many bookstores and yes, in the studio of my dentist :D

You and your husband are the experts in this!

Awesome art bro its make that room more beautiful resteemed and voted thank for posting this post waiting for your next post. Thanks

Hi, i think artist can be anybody, but not all of them can live from his art. So it depends by artist how many his want and how many is possible to do . All the time we choosing what to do, what the way to choose to go right. Art has no rules, everything depends on artist what a value his giving on his works.
Basic thing is to have a flow from making own art , if not, its only job for money, but not expression of life.

to be honest i have never seen or even if i have i didn't even knew about the art selling in this fashion to make a living for anyone is important and for artist this may become quite challenging sometime i guess if this thing used more and create some kind of awareness among people the word of mouth will play an important role here.

As proprietor of a small independent art gallery, I can attest that it is very difficult for an artist to make a living completely from their art. Of about 40 or so artists we have contact with, only 3-4 make significant income enough that art is their primary job.

One of the best uses of public space as art gallery I have seen was at a small hospital in Hudson, Wisconsin, which used almost the entire hospital as a public (juried) art show-- especially the waiting areas were more like a museum/art gallery than a hospital.

There were two great effects from this: excellent exposure for artists because people spend a lot of time "waiting" at hospitals, so it was "something to do," with basically a captive audience AND it served to make the hospital feel almost "homey" as opposed to cold and institutional.

A small description and price was listed next to each painting/art piece, and if you wanted to make a purchase, you simply took a small card with the identification from a holder (like a business card) to the hospital gift/snack shop and purchased it there.

I think for this kind of setting to work, both the artist and the "host" has to be interested in making it work. It's not a place for pushy sales... it's more about passive exposure; and the artist(s) and host need to really work out how art ("soothing" and "restful") is of benefit to everyone, not just a sales opportunity for the artist.

Thanks for your great and insightful comment. It's good to have feedback from someone in the know!

Being an artist myself, I have learned that making a name for yourself and putting your work out into the world is how you become successful. I think that these artists sell art to these offices so that various people will see and spread their name. In my opinion, it's one of the best ways to try and make a living as an artist! There is always somebody who wants to buy your work, or commission you! :)

Thanks for your input. I had a look at your blog....welcome to Steemit!

Very interesting topic and a good solution if you are not connected.
I guess that combinded with your own art homepage that can really work.
Shared with my followers :-)

Thanks for the visit and the share!

I've seen art displayed at cafes for sale. A lot of people won't consider going into a gallery, but there are plenty of other places they could see it. I'm sure there a business in placing at in such places for a commission

Yes about businesses doing it for a commission I was thinking the same thing. I feel for artists because they have great passion and skill but often are undervalued.....much like musicians!

Interesting topic, however I am not a fan of these random colours art work and hope to not see more of them everywhere. A lot of offices now allow staff to display their work or display (and rotate) from local galleries.

Yes, well, when it comes to art work taste comes into account. I like the ones with the brighter colors but usually my style is much different!

Old is Gold . Interesting topic . Thanks for share

Could be true!

I like the idee. But in essence showing of the work alone is not enough to get it sold sadly enough. You need some people with the money to buy it. To much people these day of photographs from ikea hanging on there walls :'(

I try to buy art whenever i can, does he have a portfolio website or a website with the art he curently has for sale?

I find it interesting and encouraging that you like to buy art in the Ikea age!

Hehe, art is like crypto a good investment.

I wonder what the relationship was between the dentist and the artist.
They should also check out online sites that I have stuff up at https://fineartamerica.com/ and also
https://www.redbubble.com/

Those sites look great! What do you have up there? Photos?

I had pics of my kids' pets and had them put onto coffee mugs for them for Christmas. But they have regular artwork and they handle all the backroom framing, shipping, etc. The artist sets their own prices that they want to make after all of the expenses :)

Very interesting!

Have you ever purchase art work in this type of setting?

I have wanted to purchase a piece of art I saw in a restaurant on vacation once. Ofcourse it was too pricey for a school girl to actually buy, but I guess I can see the use for it. I've thought about doing this for my pictures, though I never made any work of it.

Cool! I have a friend who had his photos printed on canvas and then had them showing in a pastry shop. He sold quite a few!

Oh wow, that's awesome! Gotta rethink this thing huh :D

Very nice art.. but I think it's the same as on steemit.. in order to get noticed you need to build relationship.. for sure the best painters in the world still need to be discovered...

Those paintings look amazing
Nice work

Thanks so much for having a look!

You are welcome

What a great idea! It is a win-win situation. I have to admit though that the only artwork I have ever bought are framed paintings that my daughters have done in elementary school. My walls are covered in these masterpieces!

Hey, we can't beat our kids art! I understand you perfectly!

If I were an artist, I would find a nice sponsor who would successfully sell my work:))) This work is very cool in my opinion, despite the fact that I do not like asbestractionism

Thanks so much for having a look!

@kus-knee - Oh my goodness, I didn't aware about this before Sir. I saw this on few places but I thought it's for the decoration purposes. My bad Sir, but it looks like a good idea :)

+W+ [UpVoted & ReSteemed]

Yes it could be a good idea for some artists!

Nothing sells itself even though there is such an expression. I think if you aren't being seen you don't exist, this is also true in all situations. Artists are usually very sensitive, and thus they are sometimes scared of putting themselves "out there ". Location is important but today when it comes to the internet, locations has taken on a different meaning. Because the internet is the "one location" that can be seen by everyone. These days I strongly believe in social media to promote the work if you are an artist. tip! 0.3

Sorry, the tip is higher then your deposit.
You can check your balance by sending 0.001 SBD to @tipu with memo: balance
(the minimal tip is 0.1 SBD)

Yes the internet is certainly a game changer!

@kus-knee The Old Dog 🐶 Reporting..

Yeah.. I have seen so many art for sale in this type.. But I purchase art work in this type rarely..
I'm very grateful in your effort.. Thanks for sharing.. Upvoted and cheers..😊👌👍🍺🍻

Yes I'm not sure how well it works but if I saw something thatI liked at the right price I'd buy it!

WOW!!! You're right he is VERY talented! I had a friend in Phoenix who was a Navajo artist whose works graced many lobbies and offices in the downtown area. The Heard Museum (for American Indian artists) used to market them for him.

My dentist there (who was a dentist at Ahn Ke in Nam) used to show his wife's art in his office and waiting room. She too was talented- she painted many seascapes- people used to buy them from there, so you may be on to something.

It seems to be quite a popular way to show your work!

I think it is the brand that sells more than the painting. A well renounced painter work would sell at a better price than that of a common painter, even if later work is exceptional.I don't think this strategy of displaying it in office would work,yes but can be good for marketing. For eg. where do you want to buy groceries ,in supermarket/grocery store or in medical store?(Lets assume medical store has some grocery product)

I can understand your reasoning and your logic is sound.

The Ideas are simple great and to be recognised and to sell the Work of an Artist this kind of steps are necessary and Nothing comes easily Struggle and Patience are the stairs of Success .
There are many Talented artists who we don't know but if they get to show their talents in public than they would have made a great place for themselves :)

"There are many Talented artists who we don't know"

This is so true!

I like to enjoy the paintings on street, or at the showcases of art shops in my city! I think the offices are a good idea, but a small percentage of people who want to buy. Such people go to special exhibitions. I recently visited the Italian courtyard at an exhibition of a Polish artist, I'll tell you later! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Today I started the day with listening to beautiful music on the streets of my ancient city! Enjoy with me @kus-knee!

Yes I guess that most people won't buy at the dental office but it may be worth trying.

Recently I sold many of my artworks, especially HunChakra series. My customers were mostly natural therapists, musicians, yoga-trainers and even an excellent humorist, Andras Laar, who is my brother's best friend. Nowadays, such a request is unfortunately very rare. I make my HunChakras and other paintings personally, only on order. I would be very happy to make you too, for STEEM, of course.

There is a great place for fine arts at private clinics , consulting rooms and at dentists, they have serious healing effect. I know a great Hungarian artist, whose piuctures are exhibited in a cancer clinics in Budapest. Or there are restaurants, tea-houses, conference-rooms, many-many opportunities. one thing is important: there is a need for acquaintance, I can not go there as a stranger who wants to exhibit (my own experience). I have no chance in art galleries, only insiders can exhibit there, but they can make any shit they call "art".

"I have no chance in art galleries, only insiders can exhibit there, "

That is so true. Check out this song if you don't know it. The lyrics are about what you wrote!

Thank you!

Do you sell your artwork or is it just a hobby?

Well, i am not a professional but i would like to sell my paintings because right now i need some money to pay my post grade in medicine.. My country Venezuela is right now in a political-social trouble and is a difficult situation

The scary part is when I go to a lawyers office and they "rent" expensive artwork to hang on their walls. I say scary because it's bad enough to pay a lawyer's fees let alone pay the admin fee for someone to swap out artwork to "keep it fresh". On the other hand... if someone like @eric-boucher were to innocently hang one of his awesome pictures with his phone# in the same lawyers office....would he fetch a better price :) Dang, I almost want to try it...you know without asking :) Seems like old fashion fun to me :)

If you experiment with it let us know how it goes! Some nice shots of your flights on the dentist's walls!

I think at my family doctor in the waiting room they have paintings that are for sale, but honestly I am not 100% sure as I never really paid too much attention to it ^^

Then you are not the target market! HAhaha! Maybe now you'll have a look!

Interesting ideas on displaying art. I also think flower shows and maybe even florist establishments would be good places to display art. I have just finished having a good bit of dental work done and anything that gets one's mind off the discomfort that is happening would be a nice display in my opinion.

You make some interesting points! It's important to be distracted from the drilling!

Mmmm, i don't like too much this kind of art, i don't understand it..
But i like a lot the studio with view on the lake...you can swim after the dental sessions!

Yes the location is beautiful!

The art looks pretty much like grafitti. I like the style and the usenof the colours. Bit what a view over the lake, that is my favourite! Even when a hole is drilled, i still can enjoy such a view... from the paintings i will be more dizzy at that drilling moment 😉

Yes the view is great!

Coincidence. My dentist offered to me to make an exhibition in his rooms just a couple of months ago. I accepted, of course, and the exhibition will happen in december :)

It will be interesting to learn how it goes. A nice post of the process would be great! I wish you great success!

thx Old Dog!
I'll report it carefully, when it will happen :)

I'll wait patiently!

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inspiring post. thank you @kus-knee

Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.

Nice saying!

Thanks's for your appreciation.

@kus-knee Steemit is gonna change lots of lifes, it has changed mine and many others but that is just the beginning. Followed

Wow, very good art @kus-knee, I also make a lot of miniature house as an art. Beautiful painting.

Miniature houses...wow cool!

Wonderful art and beautiful painting,very good post
thanks

Thanks for coming!

I think you should try everything to sell your art. Don't bet on the best way to do it. Experiment with different types. Maybe you find a new client group.

Good points!

The artist is always beginning. Any work of art which is not a beginning, an invention, a discovery is of little worth

wow, this is art - first i was thinking you created that - would not be surprised my talented Mr. Bones

Hey @uwelang are you back from the Beer Gardens? Thanks for the visit!

Hi! I am a robot. I just upvoted you! I found similar content that readers might be interested in
http://www.artistdaily.com/blogs/the-artists-life/a-simple-formula-for-pricing-artwork

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