The Fortune Teller WIP

Yes, there is progress it is just slow at this point.  Still trying to get things blocked in and get underpainting ready to do some glazing.  Will try tomorrow to get the rest of the dress blocked in and then I can begin to get the upper layers coming together.  I still keep fussing with her eyes as I don't think I accurately got the exact likeness, but you know, I think it is good enough.

I want to thank Helen Eaton for lots of her precious time and help as she was guiding me through setting up an Etsy shop.   Each year for the last couple I have tried an online platform for selling, first Daily Paintworks, then FASO and now, this year, Etsy.  I did pretty well at first on Daily Paintworks, but then it fell off when I tried to increase pricing a bit.  On FASO I never really got traction as it is a pro site and, well, let's face it, I am not a pro.  Etsy is a pretty economical place to sell and I am hoping to unload some of my smaller paintings.   I would rather do that then have them sit in the closet or throw them out for the garbage man.   The only thing that concerns me is that most of the art out on that platform is prints and they sell super cheap.  I am not sure I want to invest in the printer to do those, and you almost have to do your own prints in order to have control of colors and offer quick service.

I really think the driver behind that is just wanting to get some exposure and validation.  I think that is what we all would like, just for someone to appreciate what we are putting into our work.

So I am also going to look into Artfinder, Saatchi and Ugallery to see if I could sell higher end or larger paintings out there for more like the pricing they recommend.  Saw a great video about how to price from Stefan Baumann who said bare minimum pricing for emerging artists should be $2/sq inch and then increase .25/sq inch each year.  Well Etsy is well below that if you want to sell anything but am going to check out the folks who are selling for more bucks and see how their pricing compares to that.

One thing though that I am trying to figure out is SEO, keywords, descriptions etc.  So still have much studying from people who are successful to figure out how to extend reach.

Oh man, the things you see.  Was just sitting here and looking at the fat arm this gypsy has - thankfully Acrylic covers many sins!!

Thanks much for stopping by and taking a look.

Comments

hmuxo said…
Already it looks amazing Nelvia...having the dark background really makes it even more beautiful! (LOVE the way you painted her arm!)
March 27, 2018 at 8:50 AM
Helen said…
Awww... you are so welcome, my friend!
March 27, 2018 at 2:46 PM
Sheila said…
HAHAHA, glad you saw that. ;) I think her eyes and expression are terrific. Thanks for sharing your opinions and observations. Yeah, pricing, SEO, hashtags... all that. SO much to learn. Wish you well Nelvia :)
March 28, 2018 at 2:51 AM
Jane said…
The eyes look perfect to me, and yes ok the arm....but she is going to be a stunner , love the head band and the way you painted it. So detailed and beautiful !
March 28, 2018 at 4:08 AM
Mellowood Gallery said…
I am so glad you caught the arm Nelvia - my first thought was that she was a body builder too - lol. Good luck with your Etsy shop. It is so hard to sell art even with all the on-line opportunities. Your fortune teller is looking good!
March 28, 2018 at 11:50 AM
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