The business side of art...marketing & sales

I always check email at end of day because it's a time burner-upper! Email sessions can last more than a couple of hours. A nice surprise arrived in my email tonight! I've been contacted by a new gallery in Pennsylvania (an active internet presence really works!) and I'll be shipping "Cottonwood Valley" within the week!

"Cottonwood Valley" 11x14 Watercolor

Many times I've wished for a little "genie" to pop out of my bottle of beer and take care of "business"; updating my website, blog, 3 online portfolio galleries, facebook and twitter... checking and answering emails...taking inventory and ordering paint, paper and frames....balancing the checkbook.... the task list seems to get longer than shorter. Today was one of those "business" days at the computer and in the studio that paid off! Making contact with a new "brick & mortar" gallery is a result of "taking care of business". It's not nearly as much fun as painting...but making a sale?...it ranks right up there!

New Gallery in town!

Last weekend myself and 3 other painters (Linda Schindler, Carol Cull, Mary Rabien) opened a little gallery! It's in an antique mall just off the Courthouse Square.....we named it "Downtown Gallery"....with the tag line: "Art by Local Artists". The focus is to offer original work in a small format (no larger than 16 x 20) that is affordable.  The inventory will include plein air paintings- depicting familiar local landmarks.  All 4 of us are participating in "Paint Historic Waxahachie" so our time to hang and arrange the art work was limited to about 3 hours on Sunday afternoon. Even tho' we were rushed, the gallery space really looks nice and is getting some traffic.  After this hectic week of plein air, we're going to finish out the "decor" a little better.  I'll post photos later.