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[ Home: Art Business: Becoming a Pro - The Very First Steps ]
"Becoming a Pro - The Very First Steps"
Page 4 of 4

Author: Gradiva_Couzin, Contributing Editor

  • I registered as a business with the city, state, and county, and paid all applicable taxes. The cost totalled about $100 and I had to spend a couple of days bouncing around offices at City Hall. I also started charging California state sales taxes on my artwork as required by law. Having registered with the state, I was able to open a business bank account. I even kept my city business license hanging on the wall of my painting room for a while!

    It has been important for me to take myself seriously as a business. I have forced myself to always use signed contracts and never work for free, not even for friends (low prices, yes, but not free!). Of all my commission customers, about 70 percent have been acquainted with me in some way (friends of friends, coworkers, neighbors etc). The remainder have found me from my website.
  • After a year of all of this, I had the courage to put my artwork up in a "show" at a cafe. Similar to the experience at the Route 101 Mural unveiling party, I felt quite shy about it. Luckily, cafes are a very low-pressure situation in which to show one's art. I had two people approach me about purchasing artwork in the cafe show.

  • Always, always, always follow up. If somebody says to you, "Oh... I want something to brighten up my living room... " or "I would love a portrait of my two nieces...." You have to follow up with them in a businesslike manner, saying "That sounds great. I would love to work on that project with you... etc." Give away your business card like it's going out of style.

  • Here are some more ideas I have thought about but haven't done yet: Joining artist societies; Entering artwork in contests and competitions; Applying for grants; Writing an artist statement; Signing up for Open Studios if this exists in your location.
    • I hope these ideas have given you a few ideas you can build on as you take those first steps to becoming a professional artist! Remember that it is a terrible shame to give up on a dream without even trying. If you can try even one of the above actions, you will be that much closer to making your dream a reality! The very best of luck to you all.
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    B i o g r a p h y
    Portraits and Copies of Old Masters, paintings in oil.
    Born: July 22, 1970, Chicago, Illinois

    Education: No formal arts education. I was originally educated as a Civil Engineer and switched to painting in 1998.

    I have been painting regularly for about 10 years, professionally since 1998. I have been training myself in an ongoing way by copying old masters, drawing and painting models, and by the continual trial and error process of a working artist. My goal as an artist is to create works that depict the incredible beauty that I see in the world around me every day.

    I chose to focus on portraiture primarily because the face is what I love most, what I respond to in other artwork, what I find most beautiful, and also what seems to speak to others. I also love the fact that portraits become heirlooms, that they hang with pride in living rooms, that families look at them and talk about them and remember them, and that a portrait painting may become a real part of somebody’s daily emotional life. I’m honored that my work can be interwoven with people’s lives in this way, and it is the greatest satisfaction to me as an artisan when I know that my work is loved and enjoyed. gra1@gradiva.com
    E-Mail: gra1@gradiva.com Web Site: http://www.gradiva.com/

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