As a painter, cows are one of my favorite subjects. I love rural settings, particularly farm scenes. So, I’m not letting today pass with expressing my gratitude. Welcome to Cow Appreciation Day!

I suppose my obsession with cows has its roots in my Midwestern upbringing. Cows are everywhere in the Midwest. Wisconsin, the Dairy State, is one of my favorite holiday destinations.

To me, cows are very expressive. It is also a good opportunity to inject some humor. This painting is called, “The Long Wait". The name denotes the abandoned barn and presumably the long wait for it to be active again. The cow has an expression like “What do you want?”

In my artist’s world, cows lie with cats. Old barns have new lives. The peace of the country life lives on.

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Today’s marketing meeting is about closing sales. You probably have made some efforts to increase your Internet presence. Perhaps you have a website or a blog. The most important maintenance task you need to do is to keep your contact information current.

If your email has changed, update it. If you use a form, make sure that your PHP script has the correct address. Likewise, don’t miss phone calls because you don’t have current info on your site.

One way you can keep your phone number current is to use a Google Voice number. That way, if you change your cell number or you move, you will still have a number that travels with you.

The advantage of using a Google Voice number is that you needn’t give out your own number. You can create a personalized message for potential clients. You can screen calls and create groups for regular clients. Your clients will appreciate the personalized touch.

The last thing you want as a self-representing artist is a lost sale. They can be hard to come by. As I often like to preach, make it as easy as possible for people to give you money. Having current contact information is one way you can ensure you will not lose  a sale.

Photo by kgreggain

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As an artist, you have probably noticed the change. It’s natural. You see color like no person can. You see and appreciate the nuances of hue and shade. You have the eyes of an artist.

I love this time of year. It’s almost as if a switch has been flipped. No longer is the sky the cool color of cerulean blue. It is cobalt mixed with ultramarine blue. with a dash of windsor blue for good measure.

It is warm and wonderful, a color that makes you pause and marvel at its beauty. Welcome to spring! This is the time of year that you should be studying Nature for inspiration. The sky holds the first key to your exploration.

Get outside and bathe yourself in the color blue. Bring the feeling back to the studio and create.

Photo by AlexaSky

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Normally, I am not a floral painter. I prefer painting landscapes and capturing the entire scene. However, it’s hard not to be inspired by the show that Nature puts on with her spring inspiration, the woodland wildflowers.

As a painter, you can learn a lot from spring wildflowers. Oftentimes, they are showy. They have to be. They have this small window of time to flower and get pollinated. How could any pollinator resist the warm, rich color of columbine blooming in the spring?

Or how about the striking white color of bloodroot or the trout lily? I dare you not to pause and admire the beautiful purple color of violets or the warm yellow of marsh marigolds.

Spring is a time to enjoy the colors of spring and to learn from Nature. Where can you find better examples of using contrast to the height of its power? If you need a little inspiration this spring, take to the woods. Nature has a few things to show you.

Photo by bbrouw83

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Today’s watercolor tip is about making the most use out of all of your watercolor supplies, beginning with your brushes.

Brushes are the primary tools of watercolor artists. You probably have your individual favorites, including the specific brushes you reach for certain tasks. I have a squirrel hair brush that I use on most every painting in order to dampen the paper surface. I use my Terry Harrison watercolor brushes infrequently, however, I adore the effects I can get from their fan brushes.

I have a couple of Raphael brushes laying around, which barely cling onto the few remaining hairs. Yet, I’ll never part with these brushes until they become unusable. Why? Because of the wonderful textures that I can create using them, they are invaluable to me.

For me, painting is all about texture. My favorite paintings create texture whether it is an earthen pot or weathered wood. I believe texture creates a good painting.

Over time, my paint brushes become old familiar friends. They mold to the shape of my hand. I rely on my old brushes to create specific elements of texture. My tip to you then is to save your watercolor brushes even if use has created wear. It’s not that your brushes are unusable, but rather they have evolved for different uses.

Photo by allforks

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Today’s Monday marketing meeting continues our discussion of repeat sales. The number one rule of marketing is that if you have a product to sell, don’t keep it to yourself. Market! Market! Market!

Don’t fool yourself in thinking that if you post the auction or your website, that if you place the items in your store, that your products will immediately sell. If it were only that easy.

This particular task is often the most difficult one that we as artists have to do—brag about ourselves. As artists, we tend to be introverted. We are sensitive to the criticism the world at large is ready to deliver. We abhor the thought of our masterpieces being thought of as trash. Therefore, we back off of marketing.

I challenge you to say your piece. If you feel uncomfortable outright marketing, talk about the motivation behind your work as a way to connect with potential clients. Clients will appreciate the opportunity to view the world from an artist’s eyes. Give them that, and you will be well on your way to marketing your work.

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nnToday’s marketing meeting follows up on the one thing that we as self-representing artists desire—repeat sales.

Repeat sales are one way you can build a client base through referrals. A happy client will share her positive experience. Your job is to make it pleasant.

Today’s focus is on buying. The number one rule of online sales is this: make it as easy as possible for someone to give you money.

Accept several forms of payment.

Don’t just limit yourself to PayPal. Accept other credit cards. You may want to consider other payment platforms such as Google Checkout and Amazon Payments. Both of these sites have solid online reputations that can win a sale for you.

Do away with mandatory registering.

Let guests buy from you too. These days, people  may be hesitate to register with a site, sharing personal information. Besides, it is an added step that you want to avoid. Which leads me to….

Make the path to the checkout short as possible.

Do not make your clients jump through hoops to pay you. Make it easy for them Minimize the number of steps it takes to go from browsing to buying. Each step along the way is a chance to lose them.

Maybe the phone rang or the kids came home. Your buyer has become distracted and may not return to finish the sale. Ride that tide of impulse sales.

As a self-representing artist, you  have to take advantage of every opportunity you can to sell. Anything you can do to make sales easier for your clients will win you income.

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