The business of art
   Recently I have been put in the position where I must decide what to do for a career. I could continue with what I was doing before, or I could look at recent events as an opportunity and go in a new direction and try to earn a living from what I love to do. That is not nearly as easy as it may seem. Paint some pictures, put them in a gallery for all to see and wait for the money to roll in. The truth is I could be waiting for a long time unless I do something to move things along. There are quite a number of steps that need to be done to make more sales, and allow me to go in the direction I would like. The first step is to lower some of the expenses, for the truth is the level of income will not be as high as when I worked full time, but some things are more important than large numbers of shiney things. Next is to create more work. The more paintings one has, the more likely it is that there will be something that appeals to someone else. But the work has to be of a quality; no churning out work just to churn out work. Then there is marketing. This is more difficult for me, being of the shy retiring type, but it is important. A website, blog, facebook account, they all help, but so does going from gallery to gallery until you find one that fits the style of work. I will probably be found at numerous festivals and art shows in coming months. This is the start of a scary, but potentially rewarding journey