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Sunday, August 24, 2008

24th August 2008 - Who's made a mark this week?

What's the main way you sell your art - poll results as at 23rd August 2008

There's just six days left to vote in my poll What's the MAIN way you sell your art? The most popular ways of selling your art are set out in the above chart and the poll in the right hand column.

In terms of 'what works' this is how it currently breaks out in percentage terms for all those categories achieving 10% or more
  • 26% sell online - through their own blog (13%) or personal website (13%)
  • 24% sell in conventional places where you find art sold - bricks and mortar art galleries (11%) and art fairs (13%)
  • 17% of artists achieve sales due to word of mouth and friends and family
What seems to work rather less well in terms of getting sales? The following have attracted less than 10% of responses to date. They're either less effective or less popular or maybe just just lack evidence of how they generate sales.
  • art society exhibitions (9%)
  • online auctions (7%)
  • online art gallery sites (4%)
  • online group blogs or online group websites (0%)
  • B&M 'rent a wall' art galleries (7%)
It rather looks to me like those hosting group blogs and websites need to work harder at their stats. as this isn't looking very persuasive in terms of achieving sales.

Of course it could be that artists aren't checking how people got their blogs or websites..........

I'll be doing a detailed review of the poll results - with a commentary - very soon after the deadline for this poll which is 31st August. You're very welcome to leave a comment to indicate whether you find any of the results to date surprising or not and whether you agree or disagree - with reasons please!

Also please vote if you're selling art and haven't voted as yet. The poll closes next Sunday.

Art Blogs It's a bit of an 'animal art' start to this week's links to blogs.
Elsewhere
The medal ceremony in Trafalgar Square
11.5" x 17", pencil and coloured pencils in sketchbook
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

Artists
  • I found a new source for information about British Artists - and that's The Art Collection website of the British Council. I'm guessing that the range of artists represented on the website actually relates to all those artists whose art is in the collection of the British Council and/or artists who have participated in exhibitions sponsored by the British Council.
    • The artists section lists artists alphabetically and provides links to both the artist's website and the main art organisation they belong to.
    • The site also lists art by portfolios (which can also be listed by artist).
  • Going to the main website which relates to the activities of the British Council, this is the British Council's Art, Architecture and Design page and this page relates to the Visual Arts. It links to an amazing amount of resources about different forms of visual art and artists, works, activities and exhibitions (which in turn links back to the collection website). Do not start looking without suitable sustenance and refreshment close to hand!
  • The Times Online yesterday reported that Portraits by the artist as a very young man: early Lucian Freuds discovered.
Art Business and Marketing
The gallery business is not in the best of health at the moment. Lots of artists are reviewing their strategies for selling art and lots of artists still want to try and get into galleries if they can.
Real art, like real jeans, never goes out of fashion. You’ll never hear anyone say: “That Mona Lisa. She’s so last week.”
Jeremy Clarkson
  • Jeremy Clarkson (Jezza to his pals) commented We have the galleries, but where’s the art? It's certainly the case that there is more art sat in vaults than there is on the walls of art galleries and museums. What a difference it would make if art was loaned out to commercial galleries to display alongside that of artists trying to sell their art. Would it raise the game - and would it bring in more collectors? (I wonder when Jeremy Clarkson is going to make the ING panel - there were rumours it was going to be this year)
Art Competitions

Anthony Green RA with
The Heaven and Earth Machine
his shortlisted entry
for the Threadneedle Figurative Prize.
He's also a judge for this year's Lynn Painter Stainer Prize for representational art
Art Equipment and Supplies
  • Charley Parker (Lines and Colors) has a hugely informative post about pochade boxes - where he takes a look at the different makes and their various pros and cons.
Art Exhibitions Tips and techniques Websites and blogging
  • blogs.com is supposed to be a big new cutting edge blog directory - and yet again it's a Directory that's not got an art and illustration category.
and finally.............. Just to show that creativity is not dead in government, this is the 10 Downing Street response to the 'Clarkson for PM' petition (that's Clarkson as in the aforesaid 'Jezza').

[Apologies to those who looked at this twice and felt confused - I decided to rearrange items after publication!]

2 comments:

  1. Heehee, my favourite 'who's made a mark' in a long time. Thanks! :D

    I *love* Jeremy Clarkson. There, I've said it. He's fab, and funny. That Times article has just reinforced my opinion that the man has both a great sense of humour and intelligence.

    Didn't know about the Clarkson for PM, not sure I'd agree with that but how about for Mayor? I'll be sure to get naturalised so I can vote if he runs next time. :D

    Um and art? Thanks for the Discerning Eye reminder!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow! Thanks for the little insert of Sargents sketches- they are ENCHANTING!

    As usual this round up is rich with info!

    ReplyDelete

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