Back to work and Back to Making Money with Art.

        These last few months have been very difficult with my business. 
I have not really been  very busy with my business because of a life changing illness, in my family. 
 My husband has been very sick and my family has  made a big commitment to help with his care.
However,  this summer I have been working a little bit with some paintings and trying to change a style or brand here or there. 

HUGGGGH!!!!!!!!!!
    That's the truth that many artist are going to face sometimes.

If your paintings are not moving( Selling), and you want to sell your art work you better do some research.

I am not going to use that negative  Phrase, not selling, because  sometimes  it makes artist think, the work they do is not good.

Look, you could sell a painting of a cow pattie if you would market yourself correctly or present the image in a more desirable way.

So here is what to do. Get Busy and Change tactics.

 
 

 

Number one get a 90 day plan  to market your art.

Use cards, Facebook, send emails, even consign your work to stores. Get a Plan!!!!



Two, Check and see what is selling.

Do a survey on facebook :

Ask people to list the kind of art  they would buy and have them comment.


Search etsy.com, art.com. and even ebay.com to see  what is selling.



Do a series of paintings: 4 barns,5 owls, Old Stores, fish etc. Go for it and see what works.


Now is the time to beef it up  on your work.  From September to November is a great selling time.



Its a lot of work but you can reap the rewards.


And these days people really love art.

So go for it!!!  Get busy and get a piece of the pie.  Here are some of my latest paintings

 

Getting a Commission from Facebook!.

Getting a Commission to sell personal painted portraits with

Facebook is  really, a lot easier than you think.

 I have been successfully selling portrait paintings on facebook of

many  friends and their  loved ones.

Getting a commission
on FaceBook!

Where else would you start your business, than through your friends on facebook. 

Your Friends on Facebook are your best assets. They will help  get your talent advertised  out there in the cyber world.

Its the good ole word of mouth, once again, that helps your popularity and  increases your business.

I have  customers who have bought  seven portraits of friends and family.

 

Facebook can even create a repeat customer list and collector list.
More business , more money.


These are my steps to selling Portraits on Facebook:

Create a portrait of someone:

Do your Best:

Post a picture of your painting on facebook:

List your contact number and advise all, if they are interested
in a portrait  to contact you.

You can even list your  services on  the local Swap shops

Ask all people to like your paintings.

You can even offer a free portrait  for the most likes.

Then Hashtag  #portraitpainter on you listing.

Okay,  go for it . Don't forget to make your backgrounds
interesting with color splashes.

Good luck, and Wishing you good commissions.

 

Vintage Country Decor Highlighted with Paintings.

What is the most popular decor these days ?

 I think we may have two, three, or maybe even more, but I

know today  a lot of the home decor include vintage images with
paintings.

    Usually it was the  baby boomers that loved the nostalgic look

and decor. However, alot of  younger people appreciate the past

 and display many antiques or recyclables.

       What ever the case, many people are buying and snatching  up

 many paintings to go with  thier home decor.

        So the themes go on, Rustic, Barns, Landscapes, shabby chic,

 Country decor, cabin decor,Vintage gas  stations, and country farm

 decor.  These images with distressed

furniture, over fireplaces  and even in kitchens. They all

enhance our home and bring a story of begnning and end. 

Not only do they bring a story, but they bring color and a homey  homestead feeling for many homes.

Original paintings make our home enjoyable and give us an unique

character to our selves.

Check out my painting at http://www.esty.com/CountrypaintingsbyBL

If you have an image that you would like to have painted just  send me a note . Thanks Belinda

Barn Paintings For Sell/ Painting Rural America.

   How many times do we all long to get away and see the countryside.

Vacation time is happy time. So , traveling to  and from what ever
vacation we are going ,is seeing Americana.

  One of the most important icons of Americana, are Barns.

Barns are our heritage, past , present, and future.


And one of the best selling painting themes.


Another exciting  thing about Barns is that they tell a story.

And that story is up to the viewer.

Who, What , Where, When, are all the questions and agenda anyone can enjoy discovering when seeing or visiting a barn.


Here are some recent paintings I am selling on ebay of barns.

AT : stores.ebay.com/belindalawsonart

Each barn has a story of its own.

 

 

 

 

I love Painting these images.

 

See you next time . hope you like the barns , try and paint one.



My next post will be a step by step painting of a barn.



Check me out in a couple of days.

How to Get an Art Commission in One Day.

     I can tell you how to get an art commission in one day.

I have three ways to get  an art commission in one day , and I am going give you my secret.

No surprise, but you will need a photo of the artwork preferably saved on our I-phone or phone.

This should be either a novelty painting , such as a  sports Icon.

Or  a painting that you want to target to a certain person or group.

  Okay So we will be begin: This is how I  get a commission in a day.

The easiest way is to post on facebook. And not just your personal page.

Search on facebook for groups that are swap shop pages or antique or collectible pages.

You can also go to the internet to google search type in swap shops  antique and collectibles on facebook .

Find your local swap shop and  collectible pages on facebook.

  With your local swap shops ,You can post your art for sell.
 Make sure you post a photo and give the size and detail. Sample: (wrapped canvas , Acrylic, watercolor, oil,etc).
 And begin your statement  with: Selling this beautiful blah , blah or taking orders for this , blah blah.

Also at the end write: inbox me for more info.

I have sold many paintings this way on facebook. Hog paintings, horse paintings, cat paintings, and landscapes. When people see your work they also inbox you for other types of paintings.




 The Second way to sell a painting in a day is kind of quirking.

As  above, I always carry all my paintings that I want to market on my camera phone.

Sometimes When I go to a restaurant I look at the design detail.

I like to go to the restaurants that are locally owned.

I have commissioned and sold sports paintings of  local sports teams to restaurants.

I will Pick out the owner or even talk to a waitress about the restaurant.
 I greet the waitress or person and say I love your restaurant decor and I am an artist.
 I paint so and so ,like georgia bull dogs, etc.
 I would love to paint you a painting of someting to go with your decor.
And  if I have a sample of a painting they might like I will show them on my camera phone.

They usually ask me how much and  the sell takes off. I give them
Sizes and prices.

I start out at 11 X14 is this price.

16 X20 is this price

18 x 20 is this price.

I am not going to give a price because  that is up to your decretion.

Always price  your art by your financial demographics in your area.


And set a quick date to get it back. not more than a week to two weeks.


I have sold oriental paintings to oriental restaurants, Hog painting to BBQ restaurants , Alligator painting to cajun restaurants.

Just be friendly and don't over price.

The third way to get a commission is to deal with a bank , credit union or non profit organization that you are familar with.

You can use the same MO as decor or you can discuss a fundraiser painting of a local sports icon or historical landscape or etc.

A lot of times banks will have a donation or a contest to get people to open  new accounts or etc. They will use  a piece of art to  inspire people to open new accounts or take out a loan for a raffle to just have  chance to get this art work.

Let's, say, you live in Texas or somewhere on the ocean, any of these themes would be great to offer as a incentive campaign for a bank.


So, these  are the three ways to make a commission in a day.


Good luck , hope you can utilize this to your instincts in commisioning your art. let me know . Belinda Lawson







 

How to be Successful in Selling Your Art.

Okay, One of the first things I have done to be succesful  in
marketing and sales is to determine one goal  and list how I am
going to accommplish it.

       When I sat down to do this , It was confusing. Yes I wanted to be a successful artist but, what kind of successful artist?

        Of course, I wanted to make lots of money but making lots of
money and being a famous artist are two different things
sometimes.

     You can make a lot of money by designing and  paintings art
work  for furnture companies, greeting cards, childrens books, adult
book covers, textile, fabrics etc.

 But you are not neccessarily famous. Hummn!

    So what kind of successful artist do you want to be.

A successful artist that everyone wants your paintings and after you die your works go for millions of dollars because your dead.

Or , A famous gallery artist of a metropolitian city.

Or maybe, a successful artist selling online.



Any of these can be done. But first you have to list your steps to begin the process.


Only one in a million of us will be like granma Moses, where the
 art dealer came by the country merchantile and bought all her
paintings, she was selling for nothing. He then  took them to His
New York Gallery and she began a following of customers   and big   success for Grandma Moses.

MAKE A LIST:


Set a goal on what type of artist you want to be and list your process.
I wanted to be a successful local artist and online artist.

So , I designated to sell art in my area and online.

I decided to get a series of art to exhibit in our local nature center, of certain species.

I am still working on them . But I plan to finish by next fall. 25 pieces.

I will present them to the gallery and see what happens.

Also I have sold art locally by art  fairs and facebook swap shops.

Online I have used Etsy and Ebay.

Working full time has slowed down my online

because I dont have the time for painting many

pieces. So the next step  is to create resell prints.


You have to set a goal and stick to it atleast  six months.
Also , realize your goals will change .
 So  when  you acomplished one goal or not ,
make another goal with a list with sequence of 
steps to obtain your goal. 

So , I hope this will help you get started and steer
you in a direction with list and goals to be
accomplished and successful.

Let me know how it goes, I am
very interested in your success

.


    

  

Beautiful Wildlife Painting of Elk in Natural Habitat

                                    ForSale at www.stores.ebay.com/belindalawsonart

There are many subjects of paintings that you can paint to make money by selling. However, sometimes we want to brand our selves by painting either a certain style or subject.

    In my thinking,   I find this difficult because I always like to try new things. I do not like to stick to one subject and I prefer to tunnel vision just rural and landscape items but my biggest revenue comes from novelty subjects. Such as cross paintings, sports, and graphic owls. My husband says those items are  my bread and butter.

Don't get me wrong ,but I sell my fine art  landscapes and other watercolors for  much more higher prices.  And in this economy, not everyone can afford the finer art works. So, no matter what you paint you are using your artistic abilities to benefit monetarily.
And that's what its all about as a professional artist. I love to paint  but its not just a hobby for me.

 Many artist focus on one  subject and make great careers.
Such as , bird paintings, flower paintings, wildlife paintings, and the list goes on. Art critics believe that you should stay on task with one subject and brand yourself in this area. However, I feel that you should create a style of  painting like Van Gogh where people will recognize you.
 This is one of those HUmmm  moments and its up to you to make your own decision.  What ever decision you make keep to your goals work hard and I know you will suceed.  I fully believe in the 3 D's . Determine, Decide,and Dedicate.

Pass it ON/ How to create Art Classes With Revenue.

Sorry I have not blogged in a couple of months, but the fall months are my biggest revenue time and I have been so busy.

.
Now is the time that the winter sets in and being in the south, even though we don't have bad winters most of the time, I will be  paintings and collecting inventory for my summer sales and other spring happenings.

I just kinda wanted to let you know about some ways  that I have managed to make some big revenue during the Fall.
I have been selling my novelty paintings mostly of razorbacks and this has been overwhelming.
Also I have been commissioned by several people to paint portraits. Whew!
And , I have been selling a lot of wildlife paintings and cross paintings. I want to share  and  tell you about them. 
But today I

am going to tell you about making art by teaching what you know and sharing what you can do. 
Because many people out there have a hunger for the arts and if you love art you are a messenger and teacher to pass your gift on.

                              Latest art painting
However for right now, on this post I want to talk about making revenue form art classes.
Well I have had  several art classes for  children from 8 - 13 years of age.
These Classes have been on Saturdays and have lasted about  three hours.
And they have been on certain topics or Subjects.
In September We have our annual local rodeo and fair . So I did a rodeo roundup class, which 
consisted of drawing and finishing colored pencil  horses.
These were images of horses in the arena with a cowboy or cowgirl and the children loved them. Very Simple and Basic Drawing.
They made their own horse picture and we talked about entering in the county extension art contest at the Fair
I helped them frame and wire their pictures, and the 
  children entered  and  won various ribbons. Even the county extension women loved me for supporting their program.
I charged a fee and had over 25 children . Now calculate this by your fee charge and see how much you can make.
The expense was paper, colored pencils, wiring materials and the children had to bring their own 8 X 10 frames.
Another expense was pizza and Coke. I went ahead and  fed them lunch since we were there for three hours.
And some Pizza places such as Caesars you can get pizza cheap.


 Now the secret to getting my  children to come to these classes took  four scenarios.
First I made flyer of the rodeo roundup art class on the computer.

Second, I contacted the local girl scout program and asked them   If they would send out my flyer to local girl scout groups in the area. They said yes , because  the girls get a badge for art .
So, I emailed them my flyer.
Third, I ran off about 50 Flyers and called a local school to hand out to the children to take home. My target was a certain age ,children  in 3 grades.
They agreed because the schools have to have community involvement now with  their new evaluation plans and state curriculum plans.

Fourth and Last , I got on Facebook and went to the local county or city swap shop and posted my flyer of  the class.
I had several children's parents inbox me and sign up through this medium.
So I guess you would say that the Flyer was the key  to my class success.
This was a good advertisement because , parents loved the class so much that they contacted me about more classes . 

So later , for Halloween I had another one, where we painted Halloween images on canvas and painted a message.
They also contacted me at Christmas for another class but I was busy with the children's Christmas program and could not do one,

So this is one of my success stories of selling art and making money with art.

A lot of these parents bought my novelty art and a couple grandparents commissioned me for portraits. 
So think about this  venue and stay  tuned for the next episode of how to make money with art.

I love what I do and I hope you have success with one of my making revenue with art project goals. Good luck  and take a look my art  I have been selling on my online websites.

How to Paint a VintageTtruck with Acrylics

Well first I would like to apologize for the horrible grammar and punctuation on my last post. It seems I was blocked from posting as much  as possible from my school computer . And in saying that my ability to correct  grammar was unobtainable.
 
Please forgive me. However I would like to thank you for all your visits and I hope you enjoy what you read here today.


Do you ever wake up and have an image of a painting, that you want to paint put it just doesn't  paint out like you would like it too.

Well the only thing I can say to that is : Is your painting the exact placement of your subjects you visioned ?  Are the colors the same? And last are your shading of grey scale correct with your colors?And , Sometimes we are to hard on ourselves as artist . We are our worst enemies. Always remember they say, your attitude sells your art.And what you are disappointed with someone my absolutely over joyous love it.

That being said I would like to show you my latest painting. I painted this 49 or 52, Truck on 9 x 12 canvas board. And as I have told your before I started with an under paint. 

I painted the whole board with a deep green and medium yellow mix. I wanted a dark background. And in some areas I added Black to the paint.


Then when that dried, I mixed white, burnt umber, and burnt sienna to create a light brown and carefully painted the form of the truck with a then brush as a contour. That means , as the shape of the truck.

After that, I mixed my green with some white and yellow . This made a light green. I then took a fan brush and painted the leaves in the top background.

Next, came the painting of the truck.
 And this I will talk about next week . 
So ,get your background done and next week we will finish the truck painting.

Also, look at my other double truck painting .
Do you know what model and make these are ?

Please make a comment or ask questions  and let me know 
what you think or are thinking?

Have a great time painting.

Getting Back to Selling Art

Well hello everybody, I have been on a semi vacation from my blog for a couple of weeks.

 But I hope everyone is well and okay.

This summer has been so much fun for me and I have really gotten a whole lot of sells with my novelty paintings.

I guess people are getting ready for the fall closer to August   and getting ready for Christmas gift buying. And not to mention the fall activities.

Like this pumpkin truck  painting I did. This is my husbands favorite painting, cannot wait til the fall .

Just a few pictures of my Summer activities.

We live on a three acre place with the family farm about 60 acres. so We are country people and like to just do country things. And my granchildren, as well, like to ride in his funny car around the property.

Also, my painting classes have been going well  every Monday Morning with some little tykes.

Sometimes we have painted some old windows and they have really enjoyed this.
Here is one we did of owls .

So, now is the time that you need to make goals of what you would like to sell and create an inventory.

Are you ready to do portraits, or Santa paintings, or Deer paintings or fall paintings and how are you going to market them.

As you know the number one paintings sells are in landscapes. so that might be an market for you.


Many people are wanting landscape paintings with fall colors and also  moonlit scene is popular.

But how do you get exposure?Well you can try to sell on esty, ebay , or craft markets or facebook.


Doing all of these I have had a lot of success with ebay but the profits were low.
Esty, I have great sales but the sales were low.


However Facebook is very good and sales keep coming in with placing the painting on local Swap shops.


My advise to you is to open a Facebook page and sell. Also you can  go to craft or art markets and sell.
 Using the swap shops on Facebook are a great to get exposure.

Still keep your online accounts like ebay or esty  because these online store will store our sales and let you know what is popular. However it takes a long time to get a following.


Get out there, get exposed and good luck.

Next post is about painting a truck and steps. See you soon. Belinda

Vintage Gas Station Painting of a town Called Lucky North CArolina

This is a recent watercolor of a vintage gas grocery store  from a town called Lucky in North Carolina.

I love painting these old gas stations.


I feel like I capture a bit of history and add flavor or color to it.


If you like it  Give me a thumbs up . 

 

Selling your Art at open Markets-Little Rock River Market

Well people and fellow artist , I have talked about selling your art  at craft fairs and open markets .

And let me tell you  I made a lot of money for the week of the fourth . Well  into  the four digit concept. I was successful by posting on the local swap shops, In my area. on face book.

Let me tell you how  I marketed myself .

First  I posted  one of my commercial paintings of a local football mascot and some paintings of
Themes that are very popular in kitchen decor.

Now I went to Facebook and I searched for swap shops in the four area towns , surrounding  my address.

I  invited them to come to the art or craft fair I was participating in on the Fourth of July.And I used the pictures of my popular sales on the swap shop.

I brought several of my landscape paintings , window paintings, and unmatted watercolors in plastic covers. And along with this, I brought my  business cards.

As some people were leaving early I was the last one to stay

Because my booth was booming. I had a lot of sales, but the ones that did not buy , I created a friendship.
I created this friendship with them by asking what they liked or what kind of art  theywere interested in.With this attitude I got many commissions that have been a domino effect for July.

So let me tell you the markets work. Craft fairs, art fairs, are very willing to have you set up a booth and you can make money.

Now what do you think about selling at  produce markets

Well I was out today at the Little Rock River Market.

This is  a pic of the  Little Rock River market with my family

In Little Rock my state Capitol  . On Markham street , this is the old part of Little Rock next to the river , we have a river market that sell vegetables and other produce .

Much to my surprise , we also have other artist there. They sell jewelry, woodwork , artisan basketry, and pottery. But guess what .we have artist that sell art: paintings , photography, and other stuff.

Check out theses other booths.

So guess what the fee for the booth is cheap, and the traffic flow of people is a zillion

Because the area has bars and restaurants and a water park for kids . This is a popular date night area too.

So I am going to set my booth up there in the next week and see where we go with sells

And by the way , I am going to advertise in the Little Rock swap shop on face book. Just like I did for my fourth of July art fair.




Wish me good luck , this will be an adventure.

So tell me what do you think and have you been successful with open markets.

And another thing there was a snake women up there . I am going to post a picture.

She as so stinking cool . I think I would just like to have a booth up there to be around her. Hah.

Love it!




my family and I had a great time.

Tell me what you think???

Primitive Home Decor Paintings for Art Sales

So we talked about target markets .

 And one target market is the buyers of primitive collectibles and this includes home decor.

 And home decor means primitive. 
Example my painting of the Crow and his pumpkins:

Listing on ebay : Http://stores.ebay.com/County-art-loft

   Now what I would like to say is , you can do your fine art painting but sometimes if you want a good income coming in, a side line target can help.

  So selling primitive paintings are a growing market.

  Painting crows, pumpkins, scarecrows, aerial landscapes and just anything country or primitive . 

This is where your online research will help .

 You can google primitive paintings or folk art and see what is selling . 

 Then get your style.
 You would be surprised  how well you do selling primitive paintings .

 Good luck and make money from your art 

  Check these paintings out on my eBay website at the right and corner of my blog.

Listed on esty: Http://esty.com/shop/Belinda57