Eyes tired? You can listen to this Tip here:

So you are smart, organized and make a well-designed, well-crafted piece of art. You researched which galleries to work with. Some took your work, some didn't. With those you do work with, sales are slow to non-existent. What went wrong? What should you do differently?

Gallery dealers do want fine art with a strong "look" that is original and fresh. But galleries are businesses. They want more than good work. They want artists who are willing to partner with them. So learn to be a business partner:

• Make lots of good art that has an audience. Tend to your relationships with viewers and buyers. Build your mailing list.
  
  
• Act like a professional artist. Treat your art career as a serious business. Handle financial and marketing tasks capably. Stop complaining about having to handle the business side.
  
  
• Work on your communication skills. You need to be able to talk about your art and your track record. You must be at ease with dealers, collectors and the media.

Katherine Swift turned down about 75 percent of the artists who asked her to show their work in her gallery. The reasons had nothing to do with the quality of their art.

Get straight talk from a gallery dealer who is also an artist in
"What I have learned as a Gallery Dealer that I wish I had known as an Artist"
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Pacific
Check the time in your zone: http://www.timeanddate.com

• Learn how a gallery owner thinks. You have about 15 seconds to persuade a gallery dealer to say "Yes."
  
  
• Find out why some gallery/artist relationships just don't work. Avoid the mistakes many artists make when approaching a gallery.
  
  
• Hear the seven questions that every artist needs to ask a gallery. (And no, what is your commission is NOT one of them.)
  
  
• Learn what not to do after agreeing to submit work to a gallery.

A.C.T. 101 graduate Katherine Swift is a large animal veterinarian, jewelry artist, and online art gallery owner. Her own line of jewelry and gallery cater to the agriculture industry. Katherine has exhibited at many art shows throughout Florida, including the Walt Disney World Festival of the Masters and has sold artworks worldwide.

Register now for $29.95
(Includes live TeleClass, PDF outline - and recording in case you can't make it.)

If you are not ready to approach a gallery, go back to making more art until you are. You only have one chance to make a good first impression.

We love to hear from you, so please e-mail your questions, comments and insights to Aletta@ArtistCareerTraining.com or call me at 650-917-1225 Pacific Time.

P.S. Welcome new subscribers and thanks to loyal readers. If you like these tips, please help us spread the word to all your friends and ask them to subscribe today! We want to help artists everywhere make a better living making art and YOU can help. To spread the word, just forward this tip or let artists you know read sample issues of ArtMatters!

Thank you and have an artful day!