Name some ways for my mother to market her art. she is a portrait artist and is trying to get some commisions.

Question

art, advertising, dogs, people

Answer 1

She needs to go where there are people who are interested in that type of service. Bridal and baby shows can be great for things like this. You rent your table, set up some examples, put out some flyers and business cards and above all, run a "Win a Free Portrait" drawing. You can call people later who didn't win and offer them a special price on a portrait to get your work out there. I'd also put up color flyers in any pet store or veterinarian that will allow you, showing what your mom's work looks like and info about her.

Answer 2

I don't know where you live, but if you are in the United States use the yellow pages feature online to gather names and addresses of art galleries in your area. When you have a mailing list created, take some good photographs of two or three of her best works and have a local printer make up some postcards with a copy of the artwork on oneside and a very brief biography or notes about your mother on the other. Write up a nice letter, make copies, enclose postcards and mail to the galleries on your mailing list. A week later, your mother should start calling the galleries. She can introduce herself on the telephone and ask if the gallery owner has seen the correspondence she sent. This will open a discussion that may lead to an invitation to your mother to visit the gallery to show her portfolio. If the gallery owner likes the work, he or she will display your mother's paintings. If any are sold, the gallery owner will retain a commission and forward the balance of the proceeds to your mother. If the gallery is able to arrange for a commisioned work, a percentage should also go to them.

Your mother might also contact portrait photographers who have customers who may want their photographic portrait rendered as an oil or acrilic painting. She can work out and agreement with the photographer that will allow her to display some of her work in the photographer's window or display.

It is a very good idea, before she begins making sales, to go to the library and take out a book that explains the business of selling art and indicates what type of records she should keep for tax records. There is an excellent magazine, "American Artist" that publishes good articles about the business side of art.

Also, it would be a very good idea to create a very nice website for your mother's work. It should look professional and provide a link for viewers to contact her via e-mail. When that has been done, she should include her URL for the website on every piece of correspondence.

Exhibiting at art shows is also a very good idea, but the mail program will reach more of the right people in less time and should produce the desired results with a reasonable amount of effort and expense.

One last suggestion - If she is doing portrait work, it would be a good idea to include one or two portraits of famous people in her portfolio. A gallery owner can look at a well executed portrait of a nice looking person and admire it, but it will not indicate if the painting is an accurate representation of the model. If there is an example of a painting of a famous person, it will help the potential buyer evaluate the quality.

Answer 3

Local arts and crafts shows or community festivals in her area.

She should do some portraits and make an agreement with the subject (or the subject's owner, if it's a dog) that she can keep and display the portrait for 6 months for portfolio purposes. After that she should photograph it and give it to the subject. There should be no cost to the subject because they are allowing her to display the painting for free without modelling fees or royalties.

She should offer to do portaits of local business owners or prominent residents with an agreement that the owners or residents display the portraits in a prominent area of their business or home.

Also for the pet pictures, she should ask local pet shops if she can display some picture there. And, rent a booth at cat or dog shows in the area. They often feature booths of pet-related products.

She should start a website or a blog promoting her work. Call the Features or Lifestyle section of the local paper and see if a human interest writer will come out and do a short article about her.

Answer 4

Advertise in local newsagents, noticeboards, local papers.

Go round all the local galleries with your stuff. Buy the Writers and Artists year Book, or find it in the library. Write/email any company that looks likely. Join the local art group and exhibit with them. Get Artists & Illustrators Monthly. They have competitions, exhibitions and general opportunities you can try for. Also join the Society of Portait Painters.

Word soon gets around if you're any good, and words of mouth will get things moving.

Answer 5

Have her try selling some of her work on Etsy.com

Answer 6

flea markets or ebay

Answer 7

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Answer 8

eBay