Happy New Year!
Boy are we excited, here at Art House Reproductions, about 2012!
Why? I read my horoscope in the paper on New Years day – and you know how you can believe everything you ready in the newspaper, especially horoscopes, right?
Well mine told me I was going to have a brilliant year and that all my clients were going to have a fantastic time selling heaps of art and photography and make loads of money – that’s exactly what it said, honest!!!
I hope you all have big plans for the year? I know I have. I spent the two weeks of my ‘holiday’ renovating our work area here so we can accommodate more staff and get out more work and new products. Despite all the concern in the world and the nay-Sayers who are always talking negatively, we’ve been fortunate here to be in constant growth. That’s all thanks to you and your desire to do more with your art.
Our goal is, and always has been, to create better prints for artists and photographers so you, in turn, can provide your clients with the best possible product. With that in mind here’s a short list of what we offer you, just to remind you that our goal is to be a one-stop-shop for you.
- Canvas Prints – 5 canvases to choose from, offering you the right canvas for your image.
- Rag Paper Art Prints - Photographers and artists alike want great quality, archival art prints – we have a huge range from super smooth to highly textured, matte papers, gloss papers and even papers that look just like the old fibre-based B&W style.
- Photo Style Papers – for photographers who want prints that last longer and look better than traditional photos – Matte, Lustre or Gloss available.
- Metallic Paper – Want your images to really scream “LOOK AT ME!!!!” Try our Metallic paper, especially when mounted behind acrylic.
- Framing – Full framing service from stretching your canvases to custom cut mattes and traditional framing.
- Presentation – Just want mattes for your prints without the frames? Sure! Want them shrink-wrapped, ready for sale? Sure!
- Alternative Wall Displays – NEW - Floating Acrylic and Stud-mounted Facemount Acrylic – looks AWESOME and is all the rage in Europe. These are just a couple of the Wall Mount options that suit the modern home or commercial office perfectly.
- Online Sales – Are your images up on our web site – www.artreproductions.com.au? Sales are increasing here so if yours aren’t online, you could miss out.
- Free Advice – We’ve had lots of practice selling images over the last 30 years and we freely pass on whatever relevant ideas we have that can help you sell more of your work.
- Online Pricing - You can work out prices any time for almost any product we offer on our web site – www.inkjetlab.com.au. That’s what I use to calculate your prices.
So, if you haven’t got the idea already, we are here to help you build a more successful and profitable art or photography business. We will quite happily answer your questions any time you have them but if you stay tuned to my blog, our web sites (all listed below) and follow us on Facebook, there’s not much you will miss out on.
Speaking of my blog – www.marklutz.com.au – it will soon become part of www.arthousehq.com when I’ve finished the rebuild, but I will let you know when that happens.
One final thing for this newsletter. Because I spent the two weeks of my Christmas break working here, and because I’ve never had 4 weeks off in one hit in the last 30 years, I’m going to be taking a break in Mid March to Mid April and heading off to the other side of the world. While I’m gone, Anne will be manning the phones and Stuart, Barry and Toby will be working hard (at least they’d better be) to get your orders out. If you plan on having anything really tricky – it might need to come in before I go (not the day before please) or wait until I return. I just wanted to give you all a heads-up so you can plan your work if need be.
Well that’s it for now – May 2012 be as exciting for you as I intend it to be for me and may all your resolutions, goals and dreams come true!
As an artist you spend most of your waking hours, and many of your dreaming ones, either painting, looking for ideas to paint or looking at paintings you’ve done and trying to sell them.
When you are a self-employed artist, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the idea that making more art will create a better art business for you. I’m afraid there’s a little more to it than that. Having magnificent artworks adorning your walls, or stacked in a store room won’t make you any money unless you find the right market to sell them.
If you are in the business of selling art, you need to take time out every year to look at your marketing plan and with New Year just a few weeks away, why not make it your resolution to sit down in the first week of January and look at you ‘art business’.
Here’s 6 magic things you can do right now to help your business grow…
1. Get your brand together.
Review everything about your business in terms of your brand, how you are perceived by the public when they see something with your name on it – web site, business cards, invoices, DL flyers, thank you cards etc. Is there a solid theme that makes it easy to for them to recognise who they are dealing with? If you were to work as much on your marketing as you do on your painting, you would be amazed at how much more successful you would be.
2. Update and improve your web site.
When was the last time you looked at your own web site? Does it show current images? Do all the links still work? Ask two or three people who you trust to look over your site and give their opinions, find spelling or grammatical errors, and even test the sales process if you have online shopping to make sure that everything works. If you are using Facebook, there are ways to link your blog, if you have one, with Facebook so when you post on your blog, it automatically gets posted to FB, saving you time. Can’t figure these things out? We know people who can help if you need it.
3. Update your portfolio.
Does your portfolio show your current and most exciting work or are there images in there from 20 years ago? How are you showing your work – photographic prints you’v made yourself that show off-colour, uncropped blurry artworks or do you use the proof prints we provide when we photograph your art, showing a true representation of the work? What about your web images, are they the best they can be?
4. Update your CV and Artist Statement.
When you read your CV and artist’s statement – be honest, are you really impressed? Does it clearly define you as an artist . Does it show an artists who is actively involved in the art world or are you still flogging shows that you entered in the 90′s? If you don’t like what you read, change it. People want to deal with people who are proactive in their chosen profession. If you are half-hearted about your business, why should they get excited about your business?
5. Book an Exhibition.
Nothing gets people working harder than when a deadline is involved. If you set a date for an exhibition, book the venue, lock it in… then start painting! Paint like your life depends on it. Paint with passion but create new work and start now so you aren’t carrying wet art to the opening night!
6. Create your Yearly Goals.
Decide what you want to achieve with your art business and your life in 2012. Think about setting a sales target figure – how many $$$ worth of art do you want to sell this year? Then break that down to monthly goals, then figure out what you need to do each week to reach those goals. Set all those other important goals as well, lifestyle, family, holiday, personal. What about planning to attend one marketing seminar for every art class you attend?
I hope this helps you have an amazing 2012 and I look forward to hearing about your successes.
Christmas is coming up fast so plan your christmas orders now.
MONDAY – 12th December – 4.30pm – last day for Original Art Capture – please note other cut-off dates for prints below if you want prints from these originals.
WEDNESDAY 14th December – 4.30pm – last day for PRINT & FRAME orders
FRIDAY 16th December – 4.00pm – last day for PRINT ONLY orders.
TUESDAY 20th December – 4.00 LAST COURIER FOR DELIVERIES.
LAST COLLECTION – DOORS CLOSE – Thursday 22nd December – 12.00 Midday – if you haven’t picked it up by now, your clients might be upset with Santa!
RE-OPEN – MONDAY 9th JANUARY 2012 – 8.30am
Please note that orders that are paid for in full when the order is placed will be given priority over unpaid orders.
There is a lot of confusion out there about the way canvas prints are finished, in particular the term “Gallery Wrap” so here’s my take on it.
There are basically two ways a canvas print can be put onto a stretcher frame and the method used depends on whether the stretched canvas will be framed or not and important appearances are for the finished product.
- A “Stretched Canvas” is usually stretched onto a narrow stretcher frame and stapled on the exposed SIDES of the stretcher bars. Once stretched, a frame is added to complete the look – see the first pic below.
- A “Gallery Wrap” requires that the print be made larger than the stretcher frame so that a printed area is wrapped around and visible on the sides of the stretcher frame. The staples are applied and hidden on the BACK of the frame.
STRETCHED CANVAS – this method is only used when a stretched canvas will have a frame around it. In fact that’s the way it’s usually done by framers but we tend to put the staples on the back anyway as our normal practice because it looks nicer!
There are a number of ways to create the Gallery Wrap look and you will need to decide which method works best for your image.
If we are preparing your image, we will advise you if the method chosen by you is not the most suitable and explain why. If you re preparing the image yourself, you can do whatever suits you so use these images as a guide.
GALLERY WRAP OPTIONS…
In this example (image kindly supplied by Meloo Photography), the image will finish up as a 51 x 76cm canvas. In all the examples shown here I have assumed that this image will be put onto 32mm deep stretcher bars so we need an extra 50mm of canvas on EACH SIDE of the image. in this first example, the canvas is all white but in all the others there is a 4cm printed section on each side plus 1cm of white for stapling on the back of the bars. A couple of points about each of the images below…
- The grey line on the image indicates the final print size of 51 x 76cm – it is placed here as an indicator only and will not be on any finished prints.
- The short thick black lines in each corner are the markers for use when stretching the canvas. They are placed in the 1cm white border in line with the finished image edge.
An important thing to note about the Enlarged Image Wrap – notice the lightened area outside the white 1cm border on the right hand side of the image, this will be cropped from the image. If you start with a 20 x 30cm file for example and enlarge it to allow for a wrap, you need to make the short side 59cm (4cm each side plus the finished 51cm). This in turn makes the image 86.7cm on the long edge to maintain proportions. The image must then be cropped if the finals size of 51 x 76cm is to be achieved.
This last image shows a combination of both the Mirror Image(bottom and left side) and Enlarged Image (top and right side) giving us a better balance to the cropping without losing important elements of the image. You will notice that Dad’s arm and leg have been retouched from the mirrored section on the left.
So next time you need to prepare or order a Gallery Wrapped canvas, you will understand the need for us to know the style of wrap required.
An artist just posed the following question… “How do I tell potential clients about my reproductions when I’m part of a group exhibition showing only original works?”
Imagine sitting in the doctor’s surgery and the guy next to you offers to ease your pain with some ‘special’ medicinal herbs he grew in his back shed and it won’t cost anywhere near as much as the Doctor’s fee. Apart from being illegal it’s pretty poor timing right? He should have waited until you were outside… no, sorry that’s wrong forget I said that… No Officer, I’ve never seen this man before in my life!
Selling anything is all about timing. How often have you said to yourself “I’d really like that ‘thing’ but it’s not the right time, I’ll get it later. Good salesmanship is all about matching the right product to the right client at the right time for the right price. Things rarely sell themselves – at some point someone with product knowledge has to share that information with a prospective client and help them find reasons to buy.
If you are part of an exhibition to sell original works, and that’s what every other participant is doing then don’t rock the boat because you won’t get invited back. Be committed to selling their work as much as you are to selling your work, that’s why you are there.
That doesn’t mean you can’t take every opportunity to listen to the people who attend, ask questions, get their card (and give them yours), make notes and follow up with them after the show. Make absolutely certain that someone is getting the names and contact information of every person that walks through the door (even if you have to do it) and that that information is available to all participants as soon as possible after the show. This database is potentially more important as hanging the work on the wall in the first place because of it’s ability to generate future business!
THIS NEXT STEP IS CRITICAL!
You must follow up within 7 days by getting in touch with everyone on the list to SELL/INFORM/ADVISE/TELL/ASK all them the following…
- you want to thank them for attending (when was the last time you got a thankyou card from someone for visiting an exhibition?).
- let them know if any of the originals are still available and where they can see them.
- let them know that reproductions are available of all your works, both sold and unsold originals.
- ask them if you can keep in touch via email to let them know about future works and editions.
Like it or not, if you want to make a living from your artwork, someone has to sell it. There is nobody on the planet who is more passionate about what you do, so share that with others, get them excited and when the time is right, they will offer you something a little more exciting than “special herbs” – it’s called CASH!
One of the issues I see artists having with reproductions is keeping track of the reproductions that they sell.
It’s not hard folks, it can be as simple as having a lined schoolbook with a list down one side of the editions numbers, 1-whatever, and the word “SOLD” beside each number print that is sold. Or, we can get a little more advanced and create something that is a proper business tool.
What about an Excel spreadsheet that includes the following…
- Edition number
- Date sold
- Print Size
- Print media
- Purchaser’s name
- Purchaser’s address
- Purchaser’s contact details – email, phone etc
- Other notes about the sale – this could be anything that you hear the client talk about as they view your work. This can help you promote to them in the future.
- Make columns for anything else you think is appropriate to your business.
MOST IMPORTANT – Guard this file with your life!
Keep it backed up. I’ve mentioned www.dropbox.com before, there are other similar services also, but use the cloud to store this sort of information to save it from loss in the event of computer failure or worse.
This information is critical to improving your art business. Keeping records gives you the truth about how your business works – which images are selling best and where they sell best. Maybe you sell though several outlets, you will be able to see at a glance which outlet is working best for you and which ones may need to be dropped.
This sort of information is critical for your limited edition work for the obvious reason of knowing when an edition runs out but I would also suggest you keep similar records of your originals and open edition prints. This is your database for future exhibitions and future edition releases.
The perfect client to market new work to is one who has already purchased your work! Without the information above you are crippling your ability to make more sales – don’t do that!
So, times are tough are they? Galleries don’t want to display your work? Don’t know how to get your work seen by more people?
Why not contact your local doctor, dentist, hairdresser or small/medium business with lots of passing traffic or regular flow of customers and see if they will do a mini expo of your work for a week or two. If you regularly spending money with them, then they may feel obliged, or simply be happy to say yes. It may be the perfect opportunity for them to have a social gathering for their clients and your art is the backdrop.
You will need to make it very easy for them because they are busy running their own business and you must not take away from that. Do your homework first, case the joint and determine where you could display your work without disrupting their normal workflow. When you present the idea to the boss you need to have all the answers. Be sure to make an appointment to present your proposal.
Think about the display from their perspective – what are the advantages to them of having a display of your work in their space, what are the challenges it might cause them and what can you do about it to ease the pain and get them to say yes? Prepare your proposal well and chances of success are high.
Don’t overstay your welcome or you won’t be asked back. Keep the show short, probably a week is enough, maybe two if they are OK with that.
Remember that this is your idea so you need to do all the work – setting up the display , pulling it down, returning their workspace back to the way it was. You probably need to drop in every other day to see if everything is ok and nothing has been damaged.
Photograph the display when it first goes up for several reasons – promotion on your website, blog and Facebook but also as a security measure to prove what work was on display in the event something goes missing.
You need to prepare an email and brochure that they can send to their clients – present it as from the business, not you. This will allow the business to notify their clients, without giving you their list BUT, anyone that contacts you as a a result becomes a new name in your database!
Be sure to have a price list with a description of each piece of art so every staff member can answer questions easily and know what to charge.
Offer them a commission on sales as an incentive to talk about you and your art. Offer a percentage to the owner (20%)and an extra small percentage(5-10%) to the staff member who makes the sale. You’ll pay more than that in a gallery so be generous to those who have given you the opportunity. Have a short training session with the staff to explain ways for them to sell the work and what’s in it for them. Get them excited about your art by making sure they understand it and what’s in it for them.
You could display both originals and reproductions – originals for those more affluent clients and the reproductions for those who “just love the colours in that one” but don’t have a lot of money!
Have fun with it!
Are your business cards building your business or costing you money?
Here’s a few ideas on how to use your card to not only get the word out about what you do but build your contact list and business at the same time.
1. Ask for their card first. When you meet someone at a networking function, business meeting, social gathering, art gallery or on the street; after you say hello and engage in little conversation, always ask them for their business card. They will be delighted that you asked and proud to give it to you. After this, it will be very natural for them to ask you for yours. Ask permission to contact them, even though that’s the point of a card, it’s a simply courtesy. If they don’t ask for your card in return, don’t worry, you can always contact them later with a thank-you note including your card. If they don’t have a card, ask them to write their details on the back of yours and give them a fresh one. Getting their details means you have another name to add to your contact database for promoting your work.
2. Don’t leave home without them! Always have some in your car in case you forget to put them in your pocket or purse. Store your cards in a container that keeps them fresh and clean, they are the second impression people get about your business – you are the first. Handing out dirty, scratched cards is not a good look. Be sure to treat with respect the cards you receive. Spend a few moments reading it to make sure all the contact information you need is on there so you can get in touch with them later. If there’s space on the back, make some notes about your conversation after you leave.
3. When the timing’s right, deliver the line. Previously I wrote a post called “Describe what you do in 10 words or less“. Have this line ready to deliver when you hand over your card and someone asks what you do or if the mood feels right deliver the line as you hand over the card – another reason for keeping the description short.
4. Include your business card whenever you pay a bill by mail. You never know who is at the other end receiving your letter. When you got the bill, you probably got some promotional material with it. Think of your business card as a mini billboard for your company; you need it to be seen to make an impact.
5. No Scribbles! Nothing looks worse than an old business card with a new phone number scratched on it to replace an old one. Business cards are cheap these days and you don’t need to get thousands printed at once. Get a few hundred, get rid of them as quick as you can and order more. If details change, you aren’t stuck with thousands of outdated cards.
6. You’re an artist – show your art! Another reason for updating cards regularly is that you can include a couple of your latest artworks on the card, keeping your clients up to date and showing potential clients your latest images. Don’t try and fit too many images on there. One or three are the ideal number of images in most cases.
I wanted to bring to your attention a couple of services that I think are vital these days to help protect your data and make life easier. These three services each have free or paid options so the choice will depend on your needs but I highly recommend them.
DROPBOX – https://www.dropbox.com/
Dropbox offers up to 2gigabytes of free storage of files and up to 100gig paid service. I reckon, that the basic service would be more than enough for most people to store all their important documents and data files. It’s not enough for a lot of images (see Flickr) but for everything else, it works perfectly, storing your data up in the cloud where you can access it from any computer with internet access. In the event that your computer hard drive fails, and it will, all your important documents are still safe.
EVERNOTE – http://evernote.com/
Evernote has been a revolution in my business. I save all sorts of information about all sorts if things in it and I can access it on any computer, my iPhone and my iPad any time I need to. I use this program every day, it is a part of my life (sad, I know) but without it I would have reams of paper with notes that are all too hard to find. You can store photos or record audio, write details, capture info from web sites – so many ways to use it to store information – I love it!
Here’s a tip and a good reason to get Evernote – Websites are being hacked more and more (I’ve heard of 3 in the last week) so you need to do several things. Be sure to have your site setup backed up and as a precaution, save the text from each page as a note in Evernote. You can never have too many backups.
FLICKR – http://www.flickr.com/
I’ve looked at a few online storage facilities for my personal photos, and I like Flickr, it’s easy to use and for a measly $25/year I can upload as many files as I like as often as I want and those files can be up to 20megabytes each. Now, to be clear – I don’t use this for your artwork. The main reason is that the files of your images are hundreds of times too large and any company offering online storage of big files like these charges a fortune! Flickr also allows you to share your photos with others via Facebook and all those other social media things! I personally believe this is a really important service to use. If you are like most people, you have a bunch of photo albums, or a big box full of loose photos that you occasionally dig through. These are treasured memories (sorry for the cliche but it’s true) that you would hate to lose. Imagine a fire guts your house tomorrow – they would all be gone. We saw so many photos destroyed in the flood it was very upsetting for us, let alone those who owned the photos! Save your photos online as soon as you can to avoid disappointment.
Friday 22nd of July was opening night for Pam’s exhibition to celebrate Brisbane and it’s magnificent river. In Pam’s words…
“This new body of work celebrates Brisbane … community … spirit … home! My Town, where Queenslanders are nurtured and challenged by their beloved river, a silken powerful thread binding together the fabric of a rich tapestry of families and communities …cultures and traditions … homes and lives. This year, she overflowed, but a Spirit flooded My Town with compassion and love.”
