Three Ways To Feel Successful At An Art Show

I participated in my third show last weekend.  It was two days of being on an emotional roller coaster!  Looking back though, I think there were several things that made it a success.

A lot of people came into my booth.  I ran out of promotional cards about my house portraits!  I talked to so many folks about my art and that felt great.  Hopefully down the road, some of those people will remember my work and commission or buy a painting.

I met a lot of wonderful artists who gave me terrific tips on selling and booth display.  They were encouraging and helpful.  It felt wonderful to be part of that community.  Many of those artists belong to the same local art organization and were glad to see me participating.

I made some money.  Not a lot, but I made my booth fee and more.  I'll definitely try it again, for the exposure, the comaraderie and sales.

 

Best Free Art Exhibit Spaces You Haven't Thought Of

I just installed ten of my colored pencil art paintings at a local library, the St. Louis county library Daniel Boone Branch. for the month of April.  They were super nice and I love how my art looks among the book shelves!  The Greater St. Louis Artist Association has many opportunities for juried members to display their work in a variety of venues.

Call your local library to find out whether or not you can display your art - sometimes there is a waiting list, but they're very happy to have your work.

Last year I had an exhibit of my work at a local nursing home, Brooking Park.  This was also for one month.  The residents enjoyed seeing original art.  Many visitors came through the show as well as staff members - all potential buyers!  I was able to leave business cards and information about my custom house portraits.

I displayed my paintings in a local coffee shop for a month.  Unfortunately this one wasn't satisfactory for me - the owner took my paintings off the walls to put up another artist's work without telling me.  My paintings were sitting on a back shelf with the coffee for two weeks.  Ugh.  I still think this is a great idea, though.  I'm looking for a little restaurant or cafe next time.

I just heard an idea about showing art in a home - creating a private exhibit - on the Artists Helping Artists radio show with Leslie Saeta.  Sounds like fun, maybe wine and cheese?

So...think outside your art exhibit box...

Sold!

                                             ACEO  "Two Cherries"  Susie Tenzer on Etsy

House Portrait As A Holiday Gift

I finished my commissioned house portrait!  My client loved the painting and will be giving it to her parents for Christmas.  She gave me several photos of the house.  She asked me to paint snow (the photos had green grass) and her parent's Christmas decorations.  She has fond childhood memories of Christmas, so the decorations were important to her.   Just before I finished the piece, I sent her a photo via email.  After her final approval I sprayed the artwork with Prismacolor Gloss Fixative.  I put it in a ClearBag plastic sleeve with a backing board for protection.  I included my business card and a hand written thank you note.  I also had a greeting card made with her house portrait printed on the front.  I gave her this as a token of my appreciation, but I also wanted to show her what could be done with the house portrait image.  I now have a happy client who agreed to be on my monthly e-newsletter mailing list. You can sign up for my e-newsletter right on this blog!  You'll receive information about art, shows and my new colored pencil work.  Here's the finished house portrait: