Lots of pretty drawings and paintings are off to new homes...
Sending out drawings and paintings gets me excited about creating new work! Tomorrow I am back in the studio :)
Unique Portraits and Fine Art by Kristina Laurendi Havens. Figure Drawing Techniques. My Inherited Artistic Talents. Current Paintings and Drawings. Selling Art On-Line.
Showing posts with label etsy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label etsy. Show all posts
Monday, January 2, 2012
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Artists Helping Artists Radio Show - Listen for my Advice on Selling Art on Etsy
I was invited to be one of the Artists on a radio program called "Artists Helping Artists". Along with two other Professional Artists, we will be giving tips and helpful hints on sucessfully selling Art On-Line. The program will cover two major venues - Ebay and Etsy, discussing the pros and cons of both sites, helpful pointers on getting started on the right foot, and how to build your business thru networking, blogging, and utilizing the best of what each site has to offer.
(And don't worry...I have promised not to sing OR swear OR talk over any other guest OR use sarcasm. I know what you're thinking...so, I'll be muted the whole time?!?)
The program will air on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artistshelpingartists Thursday February 24th at Noon EST. Have questions? A success story? Want to request a song? (think long and hard about that...I paint, but I can't sing!) Call in at (646) 915-9243. Miss the show? Listen anytime on demand.
And while I'm here...just finished this new drawing on modeling paste! This might be my favorite in the series so far.
(And don't worry...I have promised not to sing OR swear OR talk over any other guest OR use sarcasm. I know what you're thinking...so, I'll be muted the whole time?!?)
The program will air on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artistshelpingartists Thursday February 24th at Noon EST. Have questions? A success story? Want to request a song? (think long and hard about that...I paint, but I can't sing!) Call in at (646) 915-9243. Miss the show? Listen anytime on demand.
And while I'm here...just finished this new drawing on modeling paste! This might be my favorite in the series so far.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sell, Create, Grow, Sell, Create, Grow...
I'm in a place right now that is often elusive to artists...Art is Selling and new ideas are coming to fruition. To have some of my favorite pieces heading off to new homes is, as always, bitter sweet.
This beautiful and sensuous nude in Crimson is making a trip across the country. She was part of a National Juried Competition last year, but has been hiding in my closet ever since. Now, she will be gracing a wall, where she deserves to be. (Prints are available)
This beautiful and sensuous nude in Crimson is making a trip across the country. She was part of a National Juried Competition last year, but has been hiding in my closet ever since. Now, she will be gracing a wall, where she deserves to be. (Prints are available)
I had received an e-mail about this drawing of the ballerina in the striped stockings before I had even finished the piece. I had turned down the sale, knowing that I wanted to continue the series, and felt like I needed to "live with" the pastel for a little while. But as I started preparing for the next drawing/paintings in the series, I faced the usual dilemmas...the need to buy supplies and the need for space! So...I e-mailed the collector and she bought it almost immediately. (Prints are available!)
And, the second drawing of the ballerina is heading for a long journey as well. It sold within 5 hours of listing it in my on line shop. Almost a little too quickly for me! I'm finding it difficult to say good-bye...
I saw a quote from another Etsy Artist, Panchromatica, that sums up what I am feeling, and asked his permission to share it here...
"Unless you are content to let your work pile up at the back of your studio or in the attic, you need to sell your work. That puts you in business and the ultimate purpose of any business is selling a service or a product to someone willing to buy it at a price that makes you both happy.
Being in business as an artist is of course different to a degree. Selling art and selling cars may share some characteristics but they aren’t identical. When you sell a painting or a print, you are partly selling something of yourself. Paradoxically though, you don’t lose anything when you sell. Each painting, each print you make takes you one step further towards being a better artist. So, in a strange way, selling your work, by giving you the capacity to make more, can be an integral part of your development as an artist – and let’s be honest - who doesn’t get a buzz when somebody likes your work enough to pay over cold hard cash for it?"
Being in business as an artist is of course different to a degree. Selling art and selling cars may share some characteristics but they aren’t identical. When you sell a painting or a print, you are partly selling something of yourself. Paradoxically though, you don’t lose anything when you sell. Each painting, each print you make takes you one step further towards being a better artist. So, in a strange way, selling your work, by giving you the capacity to make more, can be an integral part of your development as an artist – and let’s be honest - who doesn’t get a buzz when somebody likes your work enough to pay over cold hard cash for it?"
For more from this artist, please check out his blog. This quote is from a future e-book on Business Planning for the Working Artist.
So, I'm saying good bye to some pieces that I am very proud of, but my sorrow, thankfully, will be replaced by new energy and the need to continue creating. This morning I met with a beautiful young dancer who continued the theme of Classic meets Quirky, like the ballerina above. Here is a teaser from our photo session, and I look forward to sharing new work with you very soon!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Start your own Mini Art Gallery right on your fridge!
I have just listed my first Art Magnet in my Fine Art on Etsy shop! "Grace and Light" is a beautiful 2" x 3" lightweight and flexible magnet that has been professionally printed to capture all the colors of the original drawing. Limited quantities are available! Enjoy :)
Art Magnet - Ballerina in Striped Tights - "Grace and Light"
Art Magnet - Ballerina in Striped Tights - "Grace and Light"
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Original Art SALE in my Etsy Shop! Save 30% on All Original Watercolors, Pastels, Paintings and Drawings.
Thanks to a great new application, I am finally able to have a STORE-WIDE Original Art Sale in my Etsy Shop!
Are 30% Off! No need to wait for a refund or enter a special code...just shop and buy!
It's not that I don't love each and every piece...but it's time to clean out the studio!
And...I broke my glasses. So I need new ones :)...or my new work could look REALLY blurry...
Friday, August 6, 2010
Selling Fine Art on Etsy. What I've learned the last two years!
It was two years ago today that I had my first sale on Etsy, this beautiful original drawing to a client in New York.
I was SO thrilled! My shop had been open for just about a month. In that first month, I spent a lot of time in the Etsy Forums, reading advice and meeting fellow sellers. At that point, the only way I was promoting my shop was thru the forums and renewing.
I also followed the excellent advice of several veteran sellers and built up my feedback. I did this a couple of different ways. My favorite way was buying some awesome products from other Etsy sellers and trading with a couple of sellers as well. If you are interested in trading, check out the list of Etsy Teams for those focused on Trading. Buying and trading helped me in so many ways beyond feedback as well.
I traded prints with a fellow artist in Canada. That was a very valuable lesson in shipping to Canada. First of all, I used UPS, which was a HUGE mistake. They wanted over $20 in fees on an $18 print (that they didn't tell me about) that they were going to charge the recipient upon delivery. She refused the shipment, sent me a very kind note explaining why, and I retrieved the package from UPS. Then I went to the US Post Office and learned about International shipping and filling out customs forms. (There is also a great thread in the forums that covers international shipping) I re-sent the package and our trade was a success! I was so glad that I had that experience with an understanding and experienced fellow seller.
I also traded with some artists here in the states. At this point, I was shipping my 8 1/2" x 11" prints matted to 11" x 14". One artist let me know that even though I had stamped the package "DO NOT BEND", her print arrived folded in half. *sigh* VERY frustrating! But that experience led me to seek out a better way of safely shipping my prints. I ordered no bend mailers from Uline and stopped shipping with matting - just the print and extra cardboard inside a clear envelope, tucked safely inside the mailer. So far...no prints have been damaged!
I also joined several Etsy teams that focused on Visual Art. This was a wonderful way to network with fellow artists, get my Art included in team treasuries, and learn the ins-and-outs of selling Art on-line.
As I continued to sell, I followed the advice in the forums and started a blog, a Twitter account, and a Facebook page. Twitter had kind of a "golden age" right before it got HUGE (I blame Ashton and Oprah!) where I really got to know several Clients and Etsy sellers. I had several Original Art sales the first 6 months I was on Twitter. I still think Twitter is great for my business. I have connected with Interior Designers, fellow artists, local media, etc. It does seem, like most social media platforms these days, that you need to post 4 times as much as you did just a year ago in order to be seen, while still remaining SOCIAL and not spammy. As with anything - you will only get out of it what you put into it! So decide what's the best network for your work, and your time!
One of the greatest boosts for my business came from my participation in the Storque. Writing articles about my success on Twitter and my life as an Artist led so many new friends and clients to my work. I know your next question...but how do you GET in the storque?!?! My best advice - write about what interests you on your blog or another platform, or start an interesting topic in Etsy's forum. Etsy's administration and blog content team is watching. They will connect with you if your story and advice is beneficial to the Etsy community.
So that's what's worked for me so far as I sell my Fine Art on Etsy! A few things that I've learned that don't work for me..
1. Creating what I think people "want", not what I feel compelled to create. These pieces don't sell! If I put my heart into my work, that's what sells.
2. So far, expensive Blog advertising hasn't worked for me. I have found that renewing and listing new work is the best way to make sales and remain "seen" on Etsy. For more on blog advertising, check out this thread in Etsy's forum. With any endeavor, there will be some trial and error. Be prepared to try new things and see what works for you!
3. Thinking that you can sit back and relax when you are "on a roll". Sometimes there are several great weeks, or even months, in a row of steady sales, and I'll sit back and think "I'm on a roll! I can relax a little bit." You may be able to scale back your renewing budget a bit or spend more time in your studio than on your computer, but make an effort to promote a little bit every day. You want that roll to keep going! Not come to a halt :)
4. Trying every new venue for selling that pops up. It seems that there is a new venue for selling on-line almost every week. I've tried a couple of these, and for me, it just doesn't work. Selling one Original Drawing on three different venues just doesn't make sense! Etsy has more traffic and viewers than any other venue. If you have a product that you can make tenfold, then perhaps, yes, having your work in several places is beneficial (soap, jewelry, make-up, etc.) But as an Artist who sells a lot of one-of-a-kind pieces, I have discovered one thing that helps me sell more work - Create New Work! And the more sites/shops I have to maintain, the less time I have in my studio. So I found the best use of my time is one great shop on Etsy, and then CREATE new work the rest of the time!
I hope you found my experiences helpful. I have SO enjoyed selling my Art on-line these last two years. I love that I have sold Original Art from coast to coast in the US, numerous clients across Canada, and almost a dozen different countries around the globe. I receive kind e-mails and notes from people who love my work or get inspired by my blog, which is so flattering and really boosts my soul! I feel very lucky to be doing what I love.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Does Paid On-line Advertising Work? My March experiment.
I have been selling my art on-line via Etsy for almost 2 years now. I have been building this art blog, my presence on Twitter, and my Fan Page on Facebook. I have tried selling in other venues such as 1000 Markets, but find that maintaining two stores is not easy nor managable with the time I have available to spend on the computer.
One of my main goals is to be able to spend more time creating and listing new items in my Etsy shop, and less time driving the traffic to my store. So, I had a good sales for the month of January and February, and I took some of that money and invested in some on-line advertising for March.
First, I chose a smaller blog that I discovered on Twitter. It cost $15 for a spot on the side of the blog, the image was probably 175 x 175 in size, and selected by the blog owner. When I signed up for the campaign, I suggested that the owner look at my "sold" items, to get an idea of what people are buying in my shop. (I would have picked a popular print or one of the nude drawings, both of which sell very very well). I was a little surprised, and dissappointed, to see that they had selected one of my Angel paintings - not that I am not proud of them, but they do not best represent what is in my shop.
When I contacted the blog owner, they explained that they felt their "readers" would like that item the best. When I asked if it could be changed, they said "no".
For the month of March, my Google Annalytics show that 21 visits to my shop came from that blog. Each visitor spent an average of 1:52 minutes on site and looked at 5 pages per visit. I do not know if any sales directly resulted from those 21 visits (which is approximatly .0019% of the monthly viewers on the blog).
My other experiment was with a very high-end, high traffic blog. A 125 x 125 advertising spot on the side of the blog was $250 for the month. This blog guaranteed a certain number of "impressions", or views, of my ad. I believe my ad bought 1,100,000 impressions. One thing the ad staff let me know, was that an industry standard "click thru" rate was about .1% (POINT one percent) So what is that...if I get the industry standard of click thru...1100 clicks. But according to my Google Annalytics for the month of March, 226 visits came directly from the blog ad.
Again, I can't tell if any sales came directly from the ad. About 31% of the visitors from the blog were new to my shop, a stat that surprised me. I was hoping that it would bring a lot more new visitors to my work.
So...what do I recommend to those testing the blog advertising waters for the first time?
*make sure you get to pick what item you want to promote. You know your clients, you know what sells in your shop. It's your money!
*have a great looking ad if you are going to invest money in the ad space. I think I fell short in this category on the expensive blog...but unlike the smaller blog, the large blog was willing to change my ad from the first one I provided to a second one I created which looked better half way thru the month.
*pay attention to when you are getting sales and how people are getting to your shop - my biggest traffic sources are my blog, facebook and Twitter. And I can always tell when I have been actively promoting on-line - because the sales follow shortly after.
I'm not sorry that I invested $265.00 in this advertising experiment. I had the money to do it, and I wanted to know if it would work for me. For now, it seems like I should keep doing what has worked best for me so far - keep making art, make sure I talk about it on my blog, and promote it to my fans and twitter followers.
(A note to my fellow Etsy sellers...I did not renew at all for the month of March. I only listed new items or re-listed prints that sold. )
And a note about Karma...I was incredibly grateful that Etsy published my story about my success on Twitter in the Etsy Blog on March 10th. It meant a HUGE boost of traffic to my shop, and it helped me to not sweat the fact that I had invested this money in advertising! I had a great month of sales on Etsy and I am so thankful for the exposure.
One of my main goals is to be able to spend more time creating and listing new items in my Etsy shop, and less time driving the traffic to my store. So, I had a good sales for the month of January and February, and I took some of that money and invested in some on-line advertising for March.
When I contacted the blog owner, they explained that they felt their "readers" would like that item the best. When I asked if it could be changed, they said "no".
For the month of March, my Google Annalytics show that 21 visits to my shop came from that blog. Each visitor spent an average of 1:52 minutes on site and looked at 5 pages per visit. I do not know if any sales directly resulted from those 21 visits (which is approximatly .0019% of the monthly viewers on the blog).
My other experiment was with a very high-end, high traffic blog. A 125 x 125 advertising spot on the side of the blog was $250 for the month. This blog guaranteed a certain number of "impressions", or views, of my ad. I believe my ad bought 1,100,000 impressions. One thing the ad staff let me know, was that an industry standard "click thru" rate was about .1% (POINT one percent) So what is that...if I get the industry standard of click thru...1100 clicks. But according to my Google Annalytics for the month of March, 226 visits came directly from the blog ad.
Again, I can't tell if any sales came directly from the ad. About 31% of the visitors from the blog were new to my shop, a stat that surprised me. I was hoping that it would bring a lot more new visitors to my work.
So...what do I recommend to those testing the blog advertising waters for the first time?
*make sure you get to pick what item you want to promote. You know your clients, you know what sells in your shop. It's your money!
*have a great looking ad if you are going to invest money in the ad space. I think I fell short in this category on the expensive blog...but unlike the smaller blog, the large blog was willing to change my ad from the first one I provided to a second one I created which looked better half way thru the month.
*pay attention to when you are getting sales and how people are getting to your shop - my biggest traffic sources are my blog, facebook and Twitter. And I can always tell when I have been actively promoting on-line - because the sales follow shortly after.
I'm not sorry that I invested $265.00 in this advertising experiment. I had the money to do it, and I wanted to know if it would work for me. For now, it seems like I should keep doing what has worked best for me so far - keep making art, make sure I talk about it on my blog, and promote it to my fans and twitter followers.
(A note to my fellow Etsy sellers...I did not renew at all for the month of March. I only listed new items or re-listed prints that sold. )
And a note about Karma...I was incredibly grateful that Etsy published my story about my success on Twitter in the Etsy Blog on March 10th. It meant a HUGE boost of traffic to my shop, and it helped me to not sweat the fact that I had invested this money in advertising! I had a great month of sales on Etsy and I am so thankful for the exposure.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Creative Stay-at-home-moms and why we sell on Etsy!
A few weeks ago I was contacted by a journalist who was putting together an article about Women, preferably mothers, who sold their work on Etsy. How did we discover the venue, why we do it, how many kids we have, etc. I answered a few questions and today I got a note from Karina Ioffee and she finished her article!
"Crafty Stay-at-home moms turn to On-line Sales" on http://uk.reuters.com/.
I thought it was a great peek into why we sell on Etsy, and why it's important for us to do something we love, as well as contribute to our Family's finances.
Then I got to the last couple of paragraphs with my quotes and I laughed out loud...I swear that was not supposed to sound like that!!! And then I kept laughing for about 2 hours straight. When I read my quote to my sister she said "yup - that sounds like you!"
Rest assured, I KNOW that I am a very, very lucky person - to be able to watch my kids grow up, to be an active participant in their lives, and yet still be able to provide a couple of hours of school for them each day, and myself a few hours to create and sell my work.
As I said in the article - the Balance in my life, between being Mom and Artist, has never been better, and I owe it in part to selling on-line.
Let me make one thing clear - simply posting your Art of Craft on-line is not enough, and there is a lot of work involved. But when everything comes together and sales and creativity can co-incide with supplementing the Family's income, that's a great feeling.
I'd like to share the other Etsy shops that are featured in this article!
"Crafty Stay-at-home moms turn to On-line Sales" on http://uk.reuters.com/.
I thought it was a great peek into why we sell on Etsy, and why it's important for us to do something we love, as well as contribute to our Family's finances.
Then I got to the last couple of paragraphs with my quotes and I laughed out loud...I swear that was not supposed to sound like that!!! And then I kept laughing for about 2 hours straight. When I read my quote to my sister she said "yup - that sounds like you!"
Rest assured, I KNOW that I am a very, very lucky person - to be able to watch my kids grow up, to be an active participant in their lives, and yet still be able to provide a couple of hours of school for them each day, and myself a few hours to create and sell my work.
As I said in the article - the Balance in my life, between being Mom and Artist, has never been better, and I owe it in part to selling on-line.
Let me make one thing clear - simply posting your Art of Craft on-line is not enough, and there is a lot of work involved. But when everything comes together and sales and creativity can co-incide with supplementing the Family's income, that's a great feeling.
I'd like to share the other Etsy shops that are featured in this article!
by Lara Lewis
by Julie Boyles
And of course my Fine Art on Etsy shop by Kristina Laurendi Havens!
There is also a site mentioned, http://www.craftmba.com/, a blog aimed at helping artisans market their products online, by Megan Auman.
If you are interested in learning more about Etsy Sellers who are making their shops a SUCCESS!
Read this series "Quit Your Day Job" on Etsy's blog!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Twitter success story...a follow-up to the Etsy article, Part 2
Let's keep chatting, shall we? So you've decided to focus on your strongest body of work, you've started to connect with members of the Twitter community with like-minded interests, and now you are ready to build on those relationships!
Build Relationships
Answer questions, compliment a blog post or new piece, try and take an interest in what they are talking about. Of course you cannot do this with everyone, but what’s great about Twitter is you can do this quickly with several people each time you log in. And who knows if your interest in them will lead to an interest in you, and your work?
Think about how you build relationships in the real world. It starts with a handshake, the simple questions of "what do you do?" "where are you from?" "where did you go to school?" etc. On Twitter, it's just that simple, too!
I find that a lot of what I post on Twitter are those little moments that are funny...at that moment (like about 1/2 an hour ago when I cut open a bag of green onions, only to realize, upon turning the bag over, it had a zip-lock seal on the other end...sigh) But then other tweeters respond and I can laugh at myself and move on to the next thing!
If you are following people in a field you want to break into, be sure and respond to or re-tweet their interesting posts. For example, if there is a blogger who you would LOVE to feature your work on their blog, pay attention to their current projects and show an interest in what they write.
Not everyone will write you back, but don't fret, and don't take it personally. Sometimes they may mark your tweet and respond to it later, or may remember your name the 2nd or 3rd or 97th time you tweet back to them (remember - there's a fine line between friend and stalker) and then take a moment to really check out who you are and what you do.
Build on Your Success
Don’t be shy! Brag about yourself a little! Did you sell a big piece? Let us know! Did you finally master a new technique? Tell me how! Get into a major juried show? Awesome! I once had a fellow artist tweet to me, “You are always so positive about your art. I can’t do that with my own work!” To which I replied, ”Well if I don’t like it, who will?”
I am a firm believer in "Shameless Self-Promotion". Well, maybe shameless is the wrong word...dilligent? aggressive? Maybe...but seriously! - we need to be our own best advocate for our work! If you are a memebr of a gallery - awesome! Great! Your work should be there. But the gallery owner will not ALWAYS push your work over another artist to a buyer.
I spent a lot of time selling my art directly to buyers IN PERSON - at gallery shows and outdoor art shows as well. I know the questions potential clients will ask, I know what questions to ask them about their needs, I know how to SELL my Art.
Be positive about your work, show that you believe in what you are doing.
And then, when you have a great sale or story...let's hear it! When my work was selected for a new frame collection in Restoration Hardware, I wrote about it - and got additional sales from it - because people who saw the work searched the web for "Restoration Hardware Art" and found my blog post. Had I not said anything...I could not have built on that success.
***If you have any other questions, or some great tips on using Twitter - or a Twitter success story - I hope you share it here in the comments!***
I'd like to introduce you to another favorite Etsy artist, a great example of an Artist at Work! Victoria Webb, also known as FuriousDreams. We have chatted so many times, and share many of the same views on Art and Selling, and I hope you take a moment to visit her amazing shop!
Build Relationships
Answer questions, compliment a blog post or new piece, try and take an interest in what they are talking about. Of course you cannot do this with everyone, but what’s great about Twitter is you can do this quickly with several people each time you log in. And who knows if your interest in them will lead to an interest in you, and your work?
Think about how you build relationships in the real world. It starts with a handshake, the simple questions of "what do you do?" "where are you from?" "where did you go to school?" etc. On Twitter, it's just that simple, too!
I find that a lot of what I post on Twitter are those little moments that are funny...at that moment (like about 1/2 an hour ago when I cut open a bag of green onions, only to realize, upon turning the bag over, it had a zip-lock seal on the other end...sigh) But then other tweeters respond and I can laugh at myself and move on to the next thing!
If you are following people in a field you want to break into, be sure and respond to or re-tweet their interesting posts. For example, if there is a blogger who you would LOVE to feature your work on their blog, pay attention to their current projects and show an interest in what they write.
Not everyone will write you back, but don't fret, and don't take it personally. Sometimes they may mark your tweet and respond to it later, or may remember your name the 2nd or 3rd or 97th time you tweet back to them (remember - there's a fine line between friend and stalker) and then take a moment to really check out who you are and what you do.
Build on Your Success
Don’t be shy! Brag about yourself a little! Did you sell a big piece? Let us know! Did you finally master a new technique? Tell me how! Get into a major juried show? Awesome! I once had a fellow artist tweet to me, “You are always so positive about your art. I can’t do that with my own work!” To which I replied, ”Well if I don’t like it, who will?”
I am a firm believer in "Shameless Self-Promotion". Well, maybe shameless is the wrong word...dilligent? aggressive? Maybe...but seriously! - we need to be our own best advocate for our work! If you are a memebr of a gallery - awesome! Great! Your work should be there. But the gallery owner will not ALWAYS push your work over another artist to a buyer.
I spent a lot of time selling my art directly to buyers IN PERSON - at gallery shows and outdoor art shows as well. I know the questions potential clients will ask, I know what questions to ask them about their needs, I know how to SELL my Art.
Be positive about your work, show that you believe in what you are doing.
And then, when you have a great sale or story...let's hear it! When my work was selected for a new frame collection in Restoration Hardware, I wrote about it - and got additional sales from it - because people who saw the work searched the web for "Restoration Hardware Art" and found my blog post. Had I not said anything...I could not have built on that success.
***If you have any other questions, or some great tips on using Twitter - or a Twitter success story - I hope you share it here in the comments!***
I'd like to introduce you to another favorite Etsy artist, a great example of an Artist at Work! Victoria Webb, also known as FuriousDreams. We have chatted so many times, and share many of the same views on Art and Selling, and I hope you take a moment to visit her amazing shop!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Twitter Success Story...a follow-up to the Etsy Blog Article
I had the great pleasure of contributing an article to the very popular Etsy Blog about my experiences on Twitter. The article focused on how my painting, "Guarded", ended up as the cover of Laura Mercurio Ebohon's Poetry Book, "If I look Inside".
First of all...let me say how humbled and moved I am by all of the incredibly kind comments that were left on the blog post. I am so thrilled that people are being inspired by our story. I love the comment from heidiburton
'I think Kristina's figure paintings are absolutely beautiful & full of expression - perfect for the cover of a poetry book.
"If you focus your efforts and always put your best work in the right light, you will see results." <--- so true.'
I was also so overwhelmed by all of the nice convos (e-mails) from fellow Etsy sellers, some who are old friends and some who are new, sharing their own stories, and also asking for some advice! So I will do my best to elaborate a bit on what I mentioned in the Etsy article, and hopefully some of these tips will work for you!
Focus
I create art in a variety of media and even a variety of subject matters, but my strongest pieces are my figurative works. So I focus my blog posts and the links I post on Twitter on my latest figure drawings and paintings, figurative art techniques, and figurative artists who inspire me. The biggest success stories I have from selling online all center around my figurative art.
I think this is very important, and a subject that is brought up in Etsy's forum often - "Should I mix my jewelry and photography? Should I sell my soaps and paintings in the same shop?" There is no problem exploring multiple medias, different techniques, and various ways of expressing yourself. I believe, though, that when you present a unified body of work, everything looks stronger, and your expertise in that area shines thru.
Connecting
Seek out others who share your interests. Grow your sphere of influence by paying attention to who other tweeple are following. Are you a visual artist? You should follow galleries, interior designers, and other artists. Do you make luscious soaps? Follow boutique owners, spas and resorts. Design incredible jewelry? Follow fashion blogs, wedding coordinators, and style divas.
(Don’t forget to seek out tweeple in your home state and city as well!)
For Twitter, this is KEY. When I first joined Twitter, I started out by following fellow Etsy sellers that posted their ID's in various forum threads. As I started to read posts and respond, I followed who other Etsy sellers were chatting with and so on. As I continued to think about "Who do I want to SEE my work?" I hunted for different phrases mentioned within tweets "art supplies", "gallery", "bought painting". etc. I was looking for Tweeters who were talking about what I was selling!
There are other great ways to find quality people to follow. For example, Decor8 has a very popular blog about Style and Design and a large following on Twitter - but she only follows about 10% of the people who follow her - she's following the ones SHE finds most interesting, and probably a lot of people I want to follow, too! SO I check out who she is following and add it to my list.
Start thinking about "who would want to see my work? who would be looking for the perfect custom necklace? who needs a perfect baby shower gift?" and start searching for those people.
LOCATION, LOCATION,LOCATION
On Twitter AND on Etsy, don't forget to tell people WHERE you are. I have met many fellow Artists in my area and had some great commission work come my way from people looking for Artists close by. Search for people talking about your home town or a big city nearby, the college you went to, etc.
I have more to add...but feel as though I am getting long-winded...so I will continue in the next post!
I do want to add a link to one of my favorite fellow Artists Robin Pedrero. On Etsy, Twitter, and Facebook she is one of the warmest, kindest, and most talented Artists I have met. It seems like she knows each of her followers personally. But she also remembers to do two very important things as an artist - she is continually making new work and SHOWING her work in Galleries and shows. I hope you follow her, too!
First of all...let me say how humbled and moved I am by all of the incredibly kind comments that were left on the blog post. I am so thrilled that people are being inspired by our story. I love the comment from heidiburton
'I think Kristina's figure paintings are absolutely beautiful & full of expression - perfect for the cover of a poetry book.
"If you focus your efforts and always put your best work in the right light, you will see results." <--- so true.'
I was also so overwhelmed by all of the nice convos (e-mails) from fellow Etsy sellers, some who are old friends and some who are new, sharing their own stories, and also asking for some advice! So I will do my best to elaborate a bit on what I mentioned in the Etsy article, and hopefully some of these tips will work for you!
Focus
I create art in a variety of media and even a variety of subject matters, but my strongest pieces are my figurative works. So I focus my blog posts and the links I post on Twitter on my latest figure drawings and paintings, figurative art techniques, and figurative artists who inspire me. The biggest success stories I have from selling online all center around my figurative art.
I think this is very important, and a subject that is brought up in Etsy's forum often - "Should I mix my jewelry and photography? Should I sell my soaps and paintings in the same shop?" There is no problem exploring multiple medias, different techniques, and various ways of expressing yourself. I believe, though, that when you present a unified body of work, everything looks stronger, and your expertise in that area shines thru.
Connecting
Seek out others who share your interests. Grow your sphere of influence by paying attention to who other tweeple are following. Are you a visual artist? You should follow galleries, interior designers, and other artists. Do you make luscious soaps? Follow boutique owners, spas and resorts. Design incredible jewelry? Follow fashion blogs, wedding coordinators, and style divas.
(Don’t forget to seek out tweeple in your home state and city as well!)
For Twitter, this is KEY. When I first joined Twitter, I started out by following fellow Etsy sellers that posted their ID's in various forum threads. As I started to read posts and respond, I followed who other Etsy sellers were chatting with and so on. As I continued to think about "Who do I want to SEE my work?" I hunted for different phrases mentioned within tweets "art supplies", "gallery", "bought painting". etc. I was looking for Tweeters who were talking about what I was selling!
There are other great ways to find quality people to follow. For example, Decor8 has a very popular blog about Style and Design and a large following on Twitter - but she only follows about 10% of the people who follow her - she's following the ones SHE finds most interesting, and probably a lot of people I want to follow, too! SO I check out who she is following and add it to my list.
Start thinking about "who would want to see my work? who would be looking for the perfect custom necklace? who needs a perfect baby shower gift?" and start searching for those people.
LOCATION, LOCATION,LOCATION
On Twitter AND on Etsy, don't forget to tell people WHERE you are. I have met many fellow Artists in my area and had some great commission work come my way from people looking for Artists close by. Search for people talking about your home town or a big city nearby, the college you went to, etc.
I have more to add...but feel as though I am getting long-winded...so I will continue in the next post!
I do want to add a link to one of my favorite fellow Artists Robin Pedrero. On Etsy, Twitter, and Facebook she is one of the warmest, kindest, and most talented Artists I have met. It seems like she knows each of her followers personally. But she also remembers to do two very important things as an artist - she is continually making new work and SHOWING her work in Galleries and shows. I hope you follow her, too!
I will keep posting more tips and more of my favorite artists that you should be following :)
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