by Maria Brophy
MULTIPLE STREAMS OF INCOME
An effective way to make a good living with your art is to implement multiple streams of income through different sales channels.
What I mean by income streams is that you set up many different places and ways to sell your art, rather than relying on just one sales channel.
For example, artists that were selling solely through galleries ten years ago suffered a massive income loss when huge numbers of galleries went out of business after the economic crash of 2008. But the artist who sold through galleries as well as their own online store, art fairs, art lessons and various other sales channels were able to survive the great crash.
I read once that wealthy people have seven different income streams. I always think about that, and I’m constantly looking for new income streams to add to our art business.
Drew and I sell his work through a multitude of channels. This way if one dries up, we have the others to fall back on. This was helpful for us when the economy crashed in 2008. We watched as many other small businesses closed their doors around us.
Some of our sales channels include online sales on www.drewbrophy.com, newsletter mailings to collectors, galleries, licensing to manufacturers, Amazon.com, open houses in our studio, live painting events and commissioned illustration projects.
Think of different channels where you can sell your art and then begin implementing them one-by-one. Master one area first, and then once you have it automated and running easily, add another and another.
RESTAURANTS AND PUBLIC PLACES
Beware of wasting your time and money trying to sell art where art doesn’t sell. Art will not sell in any place where there isn’t someone dedicated to sell it. Take, for example, a restaurant. To sell art, someone has to be there, in the flesh, working to sell art. Most restaurants are not interested in selling your art, as they are focused on running their own business. And, most likely, your art will be damaged by food splatters, heat or customers. A restaurant is not a gallery. I would also steer clear of coffee shops, libraries and juice bars.
The exception to this is if you are having an art exhibit at a restaurant or public venue. If you are there at all times to sell the art, then it will sell. But don’t leave your art on loan at one of those places for an undefined period of time; you might get your artwork back damaged and unsellable.
Another exception is a restaurant that is known for selling art. A good friend of ours, artist Thomas Davis, owns the fine dining destination called Collector’s Cafe in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They are one of the few restaurants in the country that specializes in fine food and fine art, and they sell both very well.
Find venues where you can set up your work and where your target market, your buyers, will be. Be there and engage with your buyers. They want to meet the artist.
To effectively sell art you have to get it in front of large numbers of people, analyze what sells and what doesn’t, and over time, make adjustments accordingly. You have to experiment with different sales channels. What works for one artist might not work for another.
When you hit on something that is working, pump it up even more. Put more energy and time and money into it. When something isn’t working, discontinue it and move onto the next strategy.
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HOW TO MAKE MONEY WITH LIVE EVENTS
One income stream for artists is through creating at live events. You can get paid to paint at corporate parties, while promoting your work!
Large companies hold annual corporate meetings at luxury hotels all over the country. They pay event planning organizations big bucks to put on an exciting party for them. Often included in the entertainment is an artist, who arrives with their canvas and easel and paints the entire time, as an added entertainment for the guests. There are many different types of artists that are hired for these events. Airbrush, oil painters, glass blowers, sculptors, caricature artists and even sand sculpture artists.
One example of a live painting event we did was when Drew was hired to paint a surfboard during a private party at the St. Regis Hotel in Laguna Beach, California. The event planner had set a tropical theme for the party, and a surfboard artist was a perfect fit.
Drew arrived with his surfboard, paint pens and even his own lights, because he knew that most venues don’t provide the lighting he prefers. He brought another, finished painting on a surfboard to display, so the guests could see what a finished piece looked like. It was “eye candy” that drew people in, and made his area look professional.
For three hours he painted while talking to guests at the party. Though he wasn’t a football fan, even he was impressed by the attendees—in one room almost every single owner of the various National Football League teams was gathered! Alongside them were some of the most famous football players in the country.
The best part was this: Drew was paid well for doing what he loves to do; paint surfboards. And he gained a few new fans that night, too.
The benefits of creating at these events are plentiful:
You tighten up your skills and get better, faster and more precise as time goes on.
You gain practice talking to people as you work. This is an important skill to hone, because the more comfortable you become at interacting with others, the better your sales are overall in everything that you do.
You may meet future collectors of your work.
It can be a lot of fun.
You get paid well!
HOW MUCH MONEY CAN YOU MAKE?
You can charge anywhere from $600 to $5,000 and in some cases more, for a 3-4 hour event. Now we have standard pricing that we charge for events where Drew paints a surfboard; prices start at $4,500 for up to three hours, plus set up and tear down time. A three hour event can take a total of five hours. The $4,500 that we charge includes the surfboard and surfboard stand, which the client gets to keep. If the client wants more items such as art prints or giveaways, we charge extra for that as well.
For full day events we charge Drew’s day rate plus expenses. Last year we were hired for a 4-day event and were paid $12,000 plus travel fees. The company that hired us for that event was a luxury car company and they wanted Drew to provide the highest quality surfboards, which required longer hours. Each event and company has different requirements and we take those details into account when pricing it out.
The range of what you can charge may seem vast, but there are a few factors that determine the amount:
Geographic Location – some areas are more expensive than others (in big cities such as NY, CA, Miami, you can charge on the high end).
Famous/well-known artists – can charge more than those who are not well-known.
The event planning company that hires you – the General Contractors and Destination Management companies – are often able to pay you more than a small company that specializes in sending out talent to parties. This is because the smaller companies tend to work directly with the event planning companies, and so there’s a middleman that cuts into the profits.
In the beginning, you may need to charge on the lower end, but once you have two to three references and have shown yourself to be reliable, you can command payment on the higher end. When we started doing this we charged $1,500 plus expenses per event. But, now that we are pros at it, we charge much more.
WHO KEEPS THE ARTWORK
CREATED AT THE EVENT?
You get to keep your painting after the event, and sell later, enabling you to make money off of that piece again. Or, you may offer it for an additional fee to your event client, or include it in your overall fee, which is what we do.
You always retain the copyrights to your work, regardless of who buys the original, unless you sign your rights away in a separate agreement.
Typically you will be hired by the company planning the event. They are either a General Contractor of events or a Destination Management Company, hired by the company who is hosting the event.
For example, a Fortune 500 company will ho
ld various events throughout the year, in different locations, for their top salespeople or customers.
Rather than handle the event planning themselves, they would hire a General Contractor who specializes in event management. That General Contractor would then hire the caterer, the bartenders, and you.
You will directly charge the event planner and then they will bump your price up by about 15-20% when they “sell” you to their client; this is where event planners make their money. Once their client commits, they will let you know and ask for a confirmation of the date. Be sure to respond immediately.
Then, send them a written agreement. Ours is titled “Live Artist Demonstration–Confirmation Agreement.” Ask them to send your 50% installment payment to hold the date, and put it on your calendar.
The remaining balance is due to all of the vendors (and you) the evening of the event. They should have a check waiting for you in a nice little envelope. A few days before the event, send an email reminder to have your check waiting for you.
HOW TO GET HIRED FOR LIVE EVENTS
Contact event planners in your area, or the nearest big city, to show them what you offer. An emailable brochure in a pdf is the best way, or, a link to a website that describes what you offer.
Your PDF or web page should contain the following:
A description of what you’re offering: to do live paintings (or creating, or sculpting, etc.) at events.
A short description of your method of painting or your niche, and your medium.
Drew’s niche is surf art, so we offer to send him to paint a surfboard at beach-themed events. If you have a niche, that’s your selling proposition.
If you don’t have a specific niche, that’s okay. Most of the artists that paint at these corporate events are painting landscapes or other local scenes on canvas.
Describe what makes you unique and why it will be interesting to their guests.
Include photos of you painting, your art and if you have them, of you painting at events.
For an added bonus: Include optional ancillary items that the client can purchase for the guests attending. Pricing should be between $5 - $50 per item. (i.e. glass-blown starfish, 5" x 5" matted prints, hand-made rose sculptures, stickers, etc.)
Include your name, phone number and other contact information on every page of the brochure – make it easy for them to reach you.
Your pricing should be on a page that can be emailed separately from the photos so that the event planner can email your photos/brochure to their client.
HOW TO FIND EVENT PLANNERS
The best way to reach event planners is through direct solicitation via e-mail and phone calls. Send your information to the Account Managers, as they are the people who pull together all the details for the party host.
You can find event planners by doing an online search of the following key words:
DESTINATION MANAGEMENT COMPANY
GENERAL CONTRACTORS FOR EVENTS
EVENTS PRODUCTION
Then send an introduction e-mail that is short and to the point. It should mention that you are available for events and that you would like them to consider you for future clients. Include your PDF brochure and ask them to call should they have any questions.
When you get an Account Manager on the phone from an event company, ask them questions to help you understand what their needs are. Here are a few:
What do you look for when contracting with an artist?
Who are your main clients? What type of companies?
What seems to be the most popular theme of the events you do?
Who are some of your best artists that you’ve hired, and what made them the best?
What can I do to make your job easier?
HOW TO GET HIRED OVER SOMEONE ELSE
According to one event planner that I have done a lot of work with, event planners are looking for the following items when hiring an artist for an event:
Reliability is number one. The event planners have a tough job pulling together everything for a big night. They re-hire the artists that they can count on to be on time and do a great job.
A clearly understood brochure, pamphlet or email describing what the artist does. There should be prices and photos of the art, the artist making the art, and if possible, of the artist at events.
Ancillary Items that the artist offers for purchase that can be given to guests at the event.
A people-person; someone who can talk to the guests.
A self-starter: someone who can show up, set up, get it done, tear it down and ask for very little help from the planners.
Affordable Price: Never made it on this list. It’s apparently not the most important thing.
Always use a written agreement to ensure that your client/event coordinator is agreeable to your payment terms. It can be a simple, one-page form that outlines the details.
Event Details listed on the agreement should include:
Where and when the event will take place, phone number of the contact person you will meet at the event, what time the artist should arrive.
Pricing: The Agreement should include your price, how many hours you will create at that price, an additional fee for travel, and any optional items that you offer. (Be sure to add travel expenses for events outside of your area.)
Payment Guidelines: Your payment guidelines should be made clear. Indicate that you require a non-refundable installment payment up front to hold the date and when final payment is payable (the day of the event).
(Visit www.mariabrophy.com for a proposal template in my How to Make Money Painting at Live Events package.)
WHILE AT THE EVENT
Arrive early and set up your area with little disruption to the event planners. At this point, they will be running around like chickens with their heads cut off, stressed and wildly getting things ready before the guests arrive. Be as helpful as possible.
Generate excitement in the physical area in which you are placed during the event. Create a vibe around you that says “welcome, come see what I’m painting.” Make people feel compelled to watch you paint.
Be open, happy and friendly. Appear genuinely interested in the people who come up and talk with you. Bring an extra painting, finished and framed and placed on an easel. (Get permission from the host first and make sure there’s room for what you’re bringing.) We usually bring a painted surfboard in a stand, which creates a terrific atmosphere. Also bring a small, framed biography about yourself that can be placed on a table.
If you are planning to paint something just for this event, paint it in the theme of the party and if you can, incorporate something subtle about the company in the painting. We often do this, and when we do, it entices the company to want to buy the painting.
If it’s a “shy” crowd, get them interested. Some crowds are fun and lively, but others can be tough. If you find yourself in a group where you’re feeling invisible and no-one’s coming to see your work, then put yourself out there and draw them in. After all, that’s what you were hired to do—to entertain and be an addition to the event.
To engage the guests at an event, be very friendly and smile and ask:
“What do you think of the painting?”
“Are you enjoying the party?”
“Where are you from?”
Or Drew’s personal favorite, “Hey, you want to finish this painting for me?”
A little humor helps in every situation!
OTHER MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
WITH LIVE EVENTS
You can use these guidelines for other types of events, too, such as:
RETAILER EVENTS: Align yourself with a manufacturer that makes a product that can be customized during an in-store event.
An example is when Drew teamed up with Converse to paint Chuck Taylors at several Nordstrom locations.
The service you provide is making the retailers’ customers happy and it’s an event that creates press and energy for the manufacturer as well.
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br /> TRADE SHOW BOOTHS: If you are aligned in a specific industry (example: equestrian, snowboarding, scuba-diving, motor cross, agriculture, medical, etc.), seek to get paid to paint live in the tradeshow booth of a manufacturer.
Your live painting will create energy and excitement in the booth of your client, and that will bring them more business. It’s a win-win for all!
CHARITIES: Some charities will pay for your live painting at their gala events. Find charities that do black-tie events in your area and see if they have the funds to pay for your presence.
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PRESENTING YOUR WORK
“Most of the fine art industry is
ignoring independent artists.”
—Cory Huff,
author of How to Sell Your Art Online.
Before you present your work to the world, it’s best to have a series of works to display. A series would be a unified, cohesive body of work in one theme that is a representation of an idea, concept or experience.
Examples of a series of work:
Visionary artist Alex Grey did a series of twenty one paintings called the Sacred Mirrors Series. The series visually describes a process of transformation from body awareness through sociopolitical awareness to spiritual awareness.
Photographer Larry Beard shot a beautiful series of San Clemente sunsets each day for 365 days in a row.
Drew Brophy painted a series of twelve paintings titled Exploring Sacred Geometry.
Having a cohesive series prepares you to exhibit your work in a gallery, show or event. It also helps the viewer to understand a concept, idea or thought that inspired the series.
If you don’t have a unified series of work to show, then you need to go back to the studio and get it done. It doesn’t have to be complicated like Alex Grey’s. It could be as simple as “Life in Cape Cod” or “Elephants on Parade” or “Red and Blue Abstracts.”
You never want to exhibit a hodge-podge of artworks that have no synergy. If you have been dabbling in landscapes, dog portraits and punk rock art, you don’t want to show all of those mixed together. It will confuse the viewer and give mixed messages that will not result in sales.
