Come In All Readers: I Need Your Help!
Today I need some opinions and advice from you guys, my super duper readers.
I've recently been toying with the idea of starting an Etsy shop to sell some of my artwork. For most of my life, I have been drawing and painting with no outlet to showcase or sell my paintings, but it's always been a desire of mine to find some way to do that.
Of course, probably the main reason I have avoided doing it is a fear of rejection. I'm afraid of putting in hours of work, pouring my heart into my art and then having no one even give it a second glance or fail sell a single painting!
But I know that God has given me talents and joy in painting for a reason and even if I completely fail to sell a single painting, that doesn't mean that I'm an unskilled artist.
My insecurities are holding me back, but I'm also still working on logistics. So, I have some questions for you. A poll, if you will. I'd love to hear your feedback, even if this is the first time you've stumbled upon Aisle to Aloha or if you've never left a comment here before.
I have been doing some sketching and thinking about what I enjoy painting the most. Two of my favorite paintings (by me) in our home are these:
I've recently been toying with the idea of starting an Etsy shop to sell some of my artwork. For most of my life, I have been drawing and painting with no outlet to showcase or sell my paintings, but it's always been a desire of mine to find some way to do that.
Of course, probably the main reason I have avoided doing it is a fear of rejection. I'm afraid of putting in hours of work, pouring my heart into my art and then having no one even give it a second glance or fail sell a single painting!
But I know that God has given me talents and joy in painting for a reason and even if I completely fail to sell a single painting, that doesn't mean that I'm an unskilled artist.
My insecurities are holding me back, but I'm also still working on logistics. So, I have some questions for you. A poll, if you will. I'd love to hear your feedback, even if this is the first time you've stumbled upon Aisle to Aloha or if you've never left a comment here before.
I have been doing some sketching and thinking about what I enjoy painting the most. Two of my favorite paintings (by me) in our home are these:
Chris calls them my wrapping paper designs. :)
So, I'd probably plan on doing several different designs in these styles on canvases that are about 16 x20. That's the size of one of the palm paintings above. I could go smaller, but that doesn't make as much of an impact.
Here are my questions:
First of all, would you personally buy a painting in one of these styles for your home or if they're not your style, would you purchase one as a gift for someone else?
If you were to buy one, how much would you be willing to shell out for large canvas painting with a protective varnish coating and no need for a frame?
If you have an Etsy shop, I'd love to hear your experience with selling on the site. I've researched how it's done but I'm interested to hear some opinions from Etsy sellers themselves.
Also, I'm a bit concerned with the hassle of shipping large canvases. Does anyone have experience with this and have any advice? I'd love to be able to use the Flat Rate boxes from USPS, but they wouldn't be large enough for my needs.
Any other constructive feedback is welcome. Thanks guys!
I haven't personally sold on etsy before but I have toyed with the idea as well. It's comforting to know that I'm not the only one intimidated by the idea!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love your paintings so I don't think it would be so much of a problem having people wanting to buy them.. I think you just need to get your name/brand out there. Promoting yourself is the tough part (but that's where your friends come in ;) )
Another thing you could look into is selling locally. There's a store here that specifically sells local artists goods... Just another option to play with that doesn't require shipping.
As far as pricing, maybe research some local artists or look around on etsy for similar things and see what they're going for. This can help with shipping prices as well. Or possible talking to your local post office for shipping options/pricing (insurance options too!)
Here's a link I had found back when I was looking into selling on etsy...
http://www.etsywiki.com/index.php?title=Ms._Dynomite's_Formula_for_Selling_on_Etsy
I think you have the talent and energy to do it :) hopefully some of that helped
Anna
First of all, I love your paintings and the two that you showed on this post are my favorites as well. I love the one in the oranges and reds, so pretty!! I have often thought, I need to ask her to paint me something!! I have the same problem with my photography. I am just beginning but I know without having that confidence and putting myself out there it's not going to get any easier. I also know that if I love it, I should do it and not worry about the rest. I wouldn't be of much help with the pricing, I really have not clue. I have a few friends with Etsy shops and they have said it is super easy, they don't sell as much as they thought they would, but still say it's fun! You also might try getting your paintings in a local show or local coffee shop!! I say do it, you have nothing to loose!!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh. I absolutely WOULD love to buy a painting from you! You know what is funny is that I was thinking the other day if you could ship one my way!
ReplyDeleteI'm not the best one to ask because I am playing with the idea myself (not painting, but doing blog makeovers) and it IS so scary. But, you have to put yourself out there, or no one will ever know about you.
About pricing- Girl, I paid 200 bucks for a painting in Bed,Bath,andBeyond that was a COPY! It was medium sized...maybe 20x16inches. All the artists over here sell their stuff on the street and they charge about what I paid at BBandB. Also-note- they do NOT bargain with you if they are the artist. They stand behind their work and their price. I buy paintings in lots of the cities and either carry the on the plane or they take them off the wooden frame and roll them up to put in my bag. I have no advice on shipping.
Just remember to have patience and even one order is success. Just keep painting and stand behind your work. You should- because it's great!
Hi Lindsay,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog yesterday and your nice comments! Ditto for your blog! And you live in Hawaii! Wow! I definitely think you should start an Etsy shop. I am a wannabe artist, so my dream would be to sell on Etsy!! As for your designs, I would buy your second design in a heartbeat. I am from Canada, so I don't know how much the shipping would be, but I think it would be a great addition to my home. You're going to do great! I am now Following you so I can live vicariously through your art adventures! Good luck figuring it all out!