It's time to start showing your work in galleries | "Starving" to Successful | The Fine Artist's Guide to Getting into Galleries and Selling More Art

Do you have a studio full of art but nowhere to show it? I met an artist in Santa Fe last summer who told me "a painting isn't art if it isn't on display in a gallery; it's just a storage problem." In August I published "Starving" to Successful | The Fine Artist's Guide to Getting into Galleries and Selling More Art. The book will give you insight into every aspect of preparing yourself and your work for gallery representation, including:   Quality During the workshop I will give you an understanding of the importance of creating quality artwork that will fit seamlessly into a collector's home. When you are looking at your artwork you need to step back from it and look at it objectively, and from every angle. Art collectors are discerning buyers, and they are looking for artwork that will fit seamlessly into their homes. Consider how you frame, for example. Invest in the highest quality frames you can afford. I am sure you have stood in a gallery looking at artwork that is okay (certainly no better than yours) but is presented in a spectacular frame and priced in an equally incredible way. While the quality of the artwork has to be there, often the presentation can make the difference between success and failure. The same is true in the bases sculptors use on their sculptures, the fittings fine art jewelers set their work in.   Education You certainly don't need a formal education to be successful in the art world, but your collectors and the gallery owners you encounter will likely be interested in your training and background. You can enrich your relationships with art connoisseurs as you constantly strive to increase your education. Take classes and workshops, study with a mentor, visit museums, associate with other artists in your area.   Subject Matter I am often asked by artists, "What will sell?" The truth is that there is no magic formula you can apply to your work to become instantly famous. There is no secret subject matter that will lead to success - the secret is to create what you are passionate about and then find the right gallery to market it. That said, you do need to strive for consistency in the work you are going to present to galleries. I understand many artists crave variety, and enjoy experimenting. This is great, except when you are looking for gallery representation. Gallery owners want to be sure they can rely on a steady stream of consistent artwork. They want to know you can provide work that will sustain their marketing efforts. That's not to say you are going to be boxed into a corner for the rest of your life creating the same artwork over and over. They do, however want to see that you can create "masterpieces" consistently. Visit my gallery website to view samples of artists who are consistent in their work, cohesive in their look. Robert Burt Lorri Acott-Fowler John Horejs (my father) Bev Pettit   Production If there were to be one secret of success for artist it would be productivity. While there are certainly exceptions to this rule, it is important to understand that in general successful artists are prolific artists. If your goal is to create art full-time, to make a living selling your creations, you must produce. During the workshop I will share with you some fairly astounding figures showing you how much work professional artists are creating annually. I will also share with you tips from artists on how you can focus your creative energies to be more productive.   Creating a Unique Look - Finding Your Voice While the term branding may have become a cliché, having been over-used by advertisers and marketers, the principles of branding are critical for any artist looking to stand out from the crowd. In the pages of "Starving" to Successful will help you begin to examine your brand as an artist. We will begin by analyzing your buyers and potential buyers, then study your competition, and start you down the path to creating a point of difference that sets your work apart from the multitude of artists who are vying for attention.   Pricing One of the greatest challenges you face as an artist is pricing your work correctly. The goal is simple; price your work at a level which will sell, while generating the profit you need to allow you to pursue your passion. Coming up with your pricing is anything but simple. A survey of the market will confirm this. Some artists are selling their work for hundreds of dollars, while others are selling them for hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the book you will learn of the many pitfalls of pricing your work, including: Undervaluing your work Pricing your work based on the local market rather than the true value Valuing your work inconsistently Risking your relationships with galleries by underselling them in direct or internet sales. And, you will learn how to overcome them   Organization A dirty word to many artists, but a key factor to your success. As an artist you must wear two hats. You have to unleash your creative passionate side to create great artwork. Once the work is created, however, you need to keep it under control. The more productive you are the more likely you are to feel buried in a mountain of work and you can quickly lose track of art. In "Staving" to Successful I will share with you sure fire ways to manage your inventory, and I will show you how to do it in a way that won't eat all of your time - freeing you to spend more time in the studio. We will talk about inventory systems, what information you should include with each piece of work, and what you can do to make it easier for your galleries to keep track of inventory.   Collateral Material I have met many artists who have spent a tremendous amount of money on printed materials in an effort to promote and sell their work. Professional printed materials certainly enhance your credibility as an artist, but you must be very careful how you spend your money - you risk throwing money away if you don't focus on the most important marketing materials. I worked with an artist who spent over $12,000 on a brochure to promote his work. It was beautiful, but the problem was that within 6 months it was out of date. Now, several years later he has boxes of the brochures gathering dust in his studio. I can't blame him for not wanting to throw them away. In the book I will help you prioritize and tell you which of the following are critical, and which are optional as you set out to find gallery representation: Business Cards, Brochures, Postcards, Artist's Biography, Artist's Statement, Resume, Portfolio, Website. The ins and outs of each product will be discussed, how important they are, and how to format them for optimal success.   Finding the Right Galleries for your Work Most importantly, the book is going to give you concrete steps you can take today to research and find the right gallery for your work. I will help you chose the right markets for your work, and then research the galleries in those markets. You will be surprised by the markets I suggest you approach first.   Approaching the Gallery for Representation You will also be surprised by the approach I suggest you take to get your work in front of the gallery. You will find a variety of opinions out there as to the best way to contact galleries, and I will tell you that most of the approaches suggested are ineffective. I have been approached by hundreds, if not thousands of artists over the years, and I will give you a very clear understanding of the most effective way to increase your chances of success. I will share with you exactly what you should do and say in your approach, removing the mystery and fear from putting your work in front of gallery owners and directors.   Building a Successful Relationship After you've successfully found representation for your work, you have only begun the process of building a successful relationship. I will help you navigate the consignment process, and share with you the most important questions you can ask a gallery owner as you begin your partnership, including: How much of your work does the gallery wish to have on hand? How frequently would they like you to rotate the work? How much of your work can you expect to be on display at any given time? How frequently can you expect a show?   I will also let you in on the secret to receiving great show space for your work.   This is just a sampling of the information I will share with you in "Starving" to Successful. You will come away from with a concrete plan to move forward with your career - including four steps you can take immediately to jumpstart your gallery marketing efforts. The first printing of the book sold out in a month and the second printing is now over 3/4 sold out - order your copy today!     "Starving" to Successful will give you concrete, actionable guidance in organizing the business side of your career. It will also give you an understanding of the art business from the perspective of a gallery owner with 17+ years experience in the business.    If you are ready to put your art career on track and start selling your work, order "Starving" to Successful today.  Click here to learn more and    Sincerely,                      J. Jason Horejs        Owner        Xanadu Gallery        7039. E. Main St. #101        Scottsdale, AZ 85251              jason@xanadugallery.com        Recomendations from artists who have read the book Hi Jason, I just finished reading your book, "Starving to Successful," and am so glad I bought a copy of the first edition! The book is full of practical and useful tips, and clearly points out the mistakes that artists make and, even more importantly, explains why they are unsuccessful.  Plus your writing style is very conversational and accessible so it is as if I am having a face-to-face discussion with you!  Between your webinars and this book, I have learned so much about how galleries work and how artists can best interact with them.  Thank you so much! Best wishes, Caroline M. Sun www.carolinemsun.blogspot.com Jason- A quick 'thank you' for writing this book!  I read through it in one sitting the day it arrived and studied it for the second time more slowly.  My notes are made and the plan is in action.  I have my first commercial local gallery and the response from their clientele has been so positive that they have scheduled a solo show for me in April 2010.  Now to work, work, work for that to be a success.  Onward and upward from here. Again, many thanks.  I will keep your book open and get paint splatters on the pages! A grateful artist, Pat Burns Hi Jason, What an extremely helpful book!  As an artist who has planned for years to make a professional business of my art [but with trouble extracting myself from a regular paycheck situation] I have read many books on this subject.  Your book, by far, illustrates a more frank and constructive approach to being a professional artist than any of the other books.  Thank you for taking the time to write this. As a gallery owner, you come with an arsenal of information that others don't necessarily know or are unwilling to tell in such an honest and frank way. I'm at a transitional time in my life now, with the opportunity at last to make my art into a business.  This book will no doubt be a tremendous tool in helping me create a useful business plan for making the business aspect of my art a reality.  I will let you know about future progress when it is evidenced in tangible results. All the best, Gina Knepell Fine Art Painter San Francisco

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