Selling your work online

[patmoore]

Do many of you have commercial websites? I hooked up with FineArtAmerica.com a few years ago. It caters more to artists but I have sold a few photos. pat-moore.artistwebsites.com There are so many sellers on there that it's tough to get much attention.

I'd love to see examples of what others have done and if you have any recommendations. I plan to retire in three weeks and hope to devote more time to photography and pencil drawing.

[Autumn]

[patmoore]

Re: Selling your work online

Audrey, that's terrific. I tried water colors and failed miserably. Clearly I need instruction. As soon as I retire we'll do some traveling. After that I may sign up for classes.

I haven't done particularly well at craft shows. I've come to the realization that customers like photos of the local area. They may really like a shot I took in Amsterdam or Lake Louise but they'd prefer a shot of New England Fall foliage hanging on their walls at home.

I usually work on a drawing while sitting in the display area. I've discovered that that draws in customer who then look at my other work.



Another tip I picked up was to sell greeting cards of my photos. They cost me 70 cents to produce and I sell them for $3.00.

Craft shows are also good places to pick up commissions. I finished this drawing of NY Yankees player Derek Jeter a couple of days ago. The customer bought the original but I retained the rights to sell prints digital copies online.

[Autumn]

Re: Selling your work online

That's interesting, because we have found it is the same here. We found that people who produced paintings of local scenes usually sold them.

With regard to photography, we had a big push this year and put on an exhibition in the Gallery of a local Stately Home - Thoresby Hall but now a Warners Holiday Venue. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Th...GOGq8wfwvYLYBA

We have World and Nation Wide top photographers in our club, but very few images were sold. It was quite a high profile event being organised by one of our members who used to work for Patrick Lichfield (the Queen's cousin) http://www.gettyimagesgallery.com/co...lichfield.aspx, who was a very famous photographer.

Every one's a photographer these days!

There is an annual Art Festival near us which looks very similar to yours. You look to have a nice little area in which to work there, showing your work off admirably.

Good luck with your retirement and travel and watercolour - you sound as though you have your hands full.