The Art of Conversation

Learning how to talk about your work in a way that engages your customers may help you sell more art.
By Phoebe Storey Years ago, a small gallery was hosting a show of my work. Before the opening reception, the owner took me aside and said: Ive listened to you talk with people in the gallery about your paintings. What you choose to say is interesting, but youre missing a great opportunity. The public is much more interested in the things that you fail to mention, such as why youre an artist or how you choose your painting subjects. If you talk about those two things, youll find theyll be far more invested in your work. Trying not to take offense, I had to admit that I did talk about painting methods and materials more than anything else. Other artists liked to share anecdotes about successes and failures in the creative process, and nonartists I met through the gallery had always asked specific questions about how, when and where I paint. Still, I decided to follow the owners advice and lead, rather than follow, what the clients and I talked about. Not only did I start enjoying the conversations more than before, but the subject matter was, in fact, more stimulating for all involved. Others began to tell me about their reactions to my paintings as well as the various ways they related to my subjects. Not coincidentally, I began selling more paintings. Refining small talk</B One thing Ive learned over the years is that when people approach me, they arent sure how to talk to me about my art, so they often lead with anything just to break the ice. The most common questions are How long did it take you to paint that? and Do you just do watercolors? Understanding the reasons behind these questions has helped me refine my conversational skills to better engage my customers. Try these three tips and see the difference they make. 1. Be prepared to redirect opening questions. When approached with the How long? question, instead of my pat answer regarding time (It takes hours of practice to learn shortcuts), I now say, Whats really interesting is why I picked that subject. I then launch into why I chose to paint what I did and how exciting it was to execute the idea on paper. Customers seem to like the shift, and I think the reason is that they learn about inspiration rather than process. Theyre curious about how I decide upon a project. They become invested in what Im trying to convey, and I can tell sometimes that my remarks have an influence on the way they view the work. 2. Know why you paint. Art is one of those pursuits that many of us would do regardless of fame and fortune, and folks are naturally interested in why we would do that. I dont believe that what drives us must be something terribly profound. Some of us paint for the joy of manipulating the materials or for the pleasure of creating something out of nothing. Some seek to portray the beauty in their lives. Others paint to draw attention to something, whether its positive or negative, social or physical, real or imagined. Some want to express a feeling or mood. Whatever the motivation, we provide a stimulus, and the public responds. I believe that most of us create, at least in part, to communicate, so talking about art is just shifting to a different form of communication. While there are no right or wrong ways to do that, my former habit of talking about the technique or problems I faced while making art clearly wasnt the best topic. I think the reason I was inclined to talk about technique was that I believed the reasons I chose a subject would be as evident to others as they were to me. So I started consciously thinking about what made each subject compelling to me and what I wanted others to

notice. As a result the customer would often look at the painting with renewed care, ask more questions and sometimes actually decide to buy it. 3. Practice. It isnt easy to express some things without rephrasing or searching for the right word. It just wasnt the sort of thing that I usually thought about. At first I bungled things a bit, so I began to rehearse what I might say about my paintings. Id practice by myself or with a friend, or while doing such activities as standing in line or taking a walk. I highly recommend this process. Start by asking yourself: What defines my taste? Why do I like what I do? A couple of years ago, while a painting titled Mothers Clothesline was on display at a museum, I overheard several people viewing it wonder aloud, Who would hang that painting in their house? They were puzzled by the fact that Id paint laundry hanging on the line, a sight thats now considered an eyesore. The first time I spoke of this painting, I stumbled over my words. It was hard to explainwhy would I paint this picture? The more I thought about it, however, the better I was able to articulate it. So now I talk about the connection to our mothers, the wonderful smell of sheets drying in the sun, conserving energy, and happy memories of old times. Say (almost) anything I can tell by the looks on peoples faces that they like what I say now far better than what I used to talk about. I also enjoy these topics myself. Its not that my struggles with technique or my discoveries about composition no longer matter&#!51;Ive just realized that talking about more central ideas reminds me of why Im an artist. Discussing these perceptions has helped me connect with others, and thats what its all about. And, of course, it doesnt hurt that I also sell more paintings.

Picking an Angle
Increase your chances at press coverage by learning how to approach editors and writers.
By Anna Poplawska As a reason to run a story, most publications are a lot less interested in fame than you may think; what theyre really looking for is an angle. Timeliness is one way to create an angle. Shortly after the war in Iraq began, The Forest Park Review ran a profile story about a local artist who was exhibiting her warinspired art in a storefront. In a different sort of example, The Art House of Oak Park had an exhibit last year entitled Death & Taxes, which ended on April 15. Now theres an irresistible story.

Plan a Paint Out

Want to plan a "paint out" but don't know where to start? Here's a tip to set you on your way.
By Annie Pais and Stewart J. Thomas We like to give ourselves at least six months to plan and advertise our paint-outs. The more time we have, the better. First we decide on the specific reason were hosting the paint-out. Is it to bring awareness to our groups members? Is there a natural resource or neighborhood the community wants to preserve? Perhaps your paint-out will honor a person or act as a benefit to raise money for a specific cause. The purpose of your event will lead you to your theme, site and exhibition venue. As you think of locations, consider the available space for artists and spectators, plus parking, food and restrooms. Try to

pick dates when the location will be at its best and at a good time of year for attracting spectators. Spring has worked well for us, for example. Next, we create the timeline, set a budget and make a list of potential sponsors. We recruit an event coordinator and people to be in charge of volunteers, publicity, catalog ad sales and sponsorships, catalog production, artists, the wet room (where the paintings dry and are sold), and the exhibition and gala. There are many details, so we like to involve a lot of people.

Getting Exposure
Here's one good way to give your art the exposure it deserves.
Leah Tribolo Its been said that word-of-mouth advertising is the most valuable tool any businessperson can use. Its the least expensive, but also the hardest to generate. Start with your family. Ask each member to mention you to friends and work associates. Host an art party and invite those people so you can meet them and show off your work. But dont count on these new acquaintances to do all the work for you. Host more parties for their friends. Join clubs. Volunteer at local events that will put you in touch with potential new customers. Give a slide presentation at the local library on art history. In other words: Get out there.

Make a statement
Get your art career off the ground with these important business documents.
Kathy Gulrich Taking a break from painting to write your Bio and Artists Statement probably isnt your idea of a good time. In my experience, however, its time well spent. In fact you may be surprised at how important such paperwork is to many jurors, gallery owners and collectors. Most of my artist clients find it helpful to make the following distinctions when theyre putting together these documents: Rsum: Just the facts, in a chronological list, about you and your art career (exhibitions, awards, education). Artist Bio: In a nutshell, your Bio is a narrative summary of you and your art. You might think of it as your rsum warmed up, with some highlights pointed out. An artists Bio is generally written in the third person (Ms. Gulrich graduated ). Grab the readers attention by starting your Bio with something unique. Artists Statement: Written in the first person (When I choose my colors ), your Artists Statement talks about the relationship between you and your art, your process, your soul. This is a great place to include something interesting that doesnt seem to fit anywhere else.

Sizing Up Success
Analize the state of your art business by asking yourself these important questions
Kathy Gulrich

Step backway backand look at your business as a whole. Whats really going on? Think of this as gathering data rather than finding what needs to be changed, and youll be off to a great start. Here are some questions to help with your exploration: Where is your business strongest? Weakest? Where is your business most vulnerable? What did you accomplish this year (or this month) that makes you really proud? What have you put off? Whats working well for you? How do you know? (For example, you have increased sales, more recognition or more free time.)

Take whatever time you need to think about and write down your answers. Then organize your discoveries into two groups: Helpful vs. Holding Me Back.