“ I wish I had learned about this when I was trying to sell my paintings.

Your weakest skill, sets the height of your success.

If you don't know your best skill, you had better find out your weakest skill, because its the weakest skill that holds you back.

As Artists we so often coast along depending on our strongest skills to get us through, never realising that it is the weakest skills that hurt us the most.

Now I have learned what not to do, because as an Artist I never did this but after years in Galleries I wish I had, it was a weak skill that determined the height of my success.

Question, “From your last exhibition or showing, what was the worst part?”

Now you cannot criticise anyone or anything, this is all about you.

I don't want to hear about the terrible Gallery, terrible economy or the terrible public who just didn't appreciate your work.

No, no blame on anything, just talking about you.

What could you have done better?

As a gallery person I now sit on the other side of the table that I sat on for many, many years and it is very clear to me now what I didn't do and what I really should have done, which may have had a different outcome to my art career.

Here is a small example.

Many Artists have one person or group shows with us.

They spend a lot of money on materials, frames and they put in so much time doing the work, their most precious commodity. They pay for food and wine at the opening, this a big investment in their career.

Then many at the opening are to shy to greet all the visitor who have gone out of their way to come and look at their paintings, or they sit in a corner and only talk to their friends.

After the opening night we usually only see the Artist a couple of times before the end of the show and that is to see if there are any sales, then they go again.

At the end of the show, they find out that they have no sales and then they criticise and complain about how terrible the Gallery is and the Art Market is dead and people do not appreciate their Art.

It is always a blame game and I was also guilty of that.

So what do I think a successful Artist should do now, knowing what I know now?

Lets start from the pain part, no sales and a lot of money and time invested into a failed show.

That's not good, that hurts, believe me I have been there, ouch!

Now if you knew that doing all that work would produce a failed exhibition, surely you would do it differently from the beginning.

So we are back at the opening night.

Now I am presuming that the Gallery or group has promoted you well and have competent staff and now people are coming into your opening.

First, Artist please appreciate that the people are coming to your show have given up their precious time to come and look at your paintings.

Show your appreciation by going up and speaking to every guest, yes every guest, who complements you by coming to your opening.

Ignore your friends unless they are buying.

Talk to people about your work and try to say more than “yes” and “no”.

Appreciate that people are coming to see your work and you are the center of attention, no place for the brooding Artist.

If the Gallery introduces you to someone, that is an invitation to tell your story, because this opening night is your night and you cannot have two opening nights.

Now after the opening night, be at the Gallery every day you possibly can, even paint in the Gallery, people love to watch the Artist work.

Most important that you be there every weekend from opening to close.

Now why do this?

You have invested a serious amount of money into this show, so why not give it your best for the full length of the show, this is your money.

So often as Artists we forget how much it all costs in time, money, effort and we trust others with our future and allow them to control the situation and then when nothing sells we are terribly hurt and complain.

If you are going to put this much investment into your exhibition then get in and put all the effort and work you can into being there so that when customers do come in you can interact with them. You be the reason for your success.

This is your career.

This is your money.

This your future.

So strengthen up on the skills you need for success.

Learn to sell.

Learn to market.

Learn the people skills you need to reach others.

Learn all the skills you need to sell your work, you will always be your best salesman, as you know your paintings intimately.

I can hear Artists saying that it is not there place to sell their work, that's for the Gallery and my painting sell themselves, well sorry not true.

You need to sell yourself and your work

As I always say, if the collector likes you they usually like your work and buy it.

Yes, you are not a sales person you are an Artist, well you better become a sales person for your art, or you might not be an Artist very long.

Your weakest skill, sets the height of your success.

I do hope that this has been a help to some, building an Art career takes more than painting a painting. I look forward to your comments, take care.

Keep smiling.

Mark Shellshear.

Art consultant.

mark@shellshearmedia.com