Sharing my experiences to Help You Make More Sales!

How to resize your images for submission to shows

11/4/2016

If you don't know how to use PhotoShop it can be a problem when you need to have your images a specific size. And it's even worse when you have to resize your images 10 minutes before a show deadline.

I am going to show you a really easy way to resize without have to buy any software, or learn how to use PhotoShop. It's a website called PicMonkey.com and they make it really easy to resize your images. Click on the link below and watch the video.

Resize your images!

How not to treat your best customers

10/24/2016

In today’s mail was a card from Brooks Brothers clothing store announcing a private sale to their best customers. There were two things wrong with it.

First, it was addressed in the following manner:
Lalvaradogmailcom Alvarado
123 Country Club Dr.
Mission Viejo, CA 92692

Um, not my first name. Not even close to my first name. Somehow they took my email address, mushed it all together, and turned it into my first name.

Ah, baseball season.

10/19/2016

I was so happy that I got to watch a Dodger game and even listen to Vin Scully calling the game.

Afterwards I was talking to a friend. He made the comment that baseball is a very simple game: you throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball.

Then he added the most important part: it may be simple, but it isn't easy.

Hmmmm...How does this apply to your art career?

Well, it's very simple: you create art, you find customers, you sell your art to them.

Simple, right? But not easy. Let's look at each of these a little.

Featured artist for October

8/17/2016

My friend Amanda Fish is a fan of my cooking. She is also an amazing oil painter So, for her appreciation of my various desserts I am naming Amanda my featured artist for the month. You can see more of her art here:
http://www.theshyartist.com/amanda-fish.html

I Love to Cook

8/16/2016

I love to cook. No, wait, let me qualify that, I love to cook for an appreciative audience. There’s something very gratifying about seeing the look on someone’s face as the take that first bite of something you’ve made.

It has gotten to the point that people don’t even ask what it is any more. If I hand someone something to eat, they just take it because they know it will be yummy.

Part of that success is knowing my audience. I pay attention to what they like and what they don’t like. I tailor my recipes to the tastes of those I am cooking for.

Featured Shy Artist for July

7/12/2016

A photographer friend of mine by the name of Nancy Roux is quite adept at keeping in touch with clients. So, for her skill with a pen I am naming Nancy my featured artist for the month. You can see more of her art here:
http://www.theshyartist.com/nancy-roux.html

Why you should NOT have a mailing list

7/11/2016

Yes, you read that right. Here’s why I say that: You shouldn’t bother having a mailing list if you’re not going to use it.

For years I kept a mailing list. I dutifully got people to write their names into my guest book. Once a year I updated my spreadsheet and filed it away and never even looked at it.

My point is that I never did anything with the list!

If that is what you are doing, then why are you keeping a list?

Be Prepared for Anything

5/9/2016

I did a show a couple of weeks ago. It was an outdoor show near the beach. Most years that I have done that show, the weather has cooperated. This year it did not.

It was windy. My outdoor booth setup includes attaching several of the heavy metal grids to the tent frame and 30 pound weight bags on each of the tent legs. While is still can move in a heavy wind, it is fairly stable.

My booth neighbor was not so lucky.

Your Email List is Money in the Bank

4/18/2016

Do you have a mailing list? If you do, do you use it? And, do you use it more than once every 2 or 3 years?

Most artists I know make an effort to collect names and addresses of customers for a mailing list. Many of us (including me sometimes!) merely go through the motions. You know how it is. You talk to someone long enough to ask if they wish to be on your mailing list. They give you their information…and it disappears into a black hole.

Art shows are expensive!

5/22/2015

When you're just starting out doing shows, it can get expensive very quickly. Aside from the actual booth fee charged by the show, there are many other costs that you just don't think about until you actually have to set up your booth. These can really start to add up. Things like a tent, display walls, print bins, pedestals, tables, chairs, lights, and a myriad of other things that you'll discover that you need once you actually start doing shows.

Here are a few tips to help you keep these costs down.