The Thing Artists Don't Talk About
I’ve been writing this newsletter for almost a year now, and it’s been going well! My subscriber base has grown steadily, some of my posts have been shared on other platforms, and I’ve received lots of great feedback from readers. Alas, the one area where it’s not working particularly well is helping me sell art.
Around 750 people usually read my newsletter; about five of them click through to my online shop.
That sentence was very hard to write, because I know that while honesty about the joys and sorrows of art-making is celebrated, transparency about the realities of art-selling is emphatically not. I don’t know a single artist who truly feels comfortable with this topic. We all think about it constantly, but most of us would rather chew off an arm than talk about it with our audiences, because we suspect people will feel pressured and turned off. So if you’re still reading, thank you.
Selling original paintings for small amounts of money is how I’ve made my living for over a decade now. It’s always precarious: a rained-out festival can wipe out my earnings for the month. Selling online is a bit more stable, but changes in policies or algorithms can cause sudden drops in visibility or increases in costs, for example when Etsy decided to stop showing people items that didn’t ship for free. It’s never easy.
And yet! I feel strongly that what I’m doing is worthwhile. I’ve never wanted to make art that only rich people can buy; there’s plenty of that in the world already. My work is not only totally unique, it’s a great value. I create one-of-a-kind pieces and sell most of them for less than the price of dinner for two. I mount my paintings with acid-free mats and backing boards in standard sizes so they’re easy to frame and hang, and I am almost comically obsessed with prompt shipping.
Do you think it can’t be real art if you bought it online? My work is in the collections of many fine hospitals and universities and the National Academies of Science. I was a featured artist at a Harvard symposium this summer. I even have a Wikipedia page. I’m actually pretty good at this art thing!
So I am asking you to consider buying a painting. Maybe this brain with a quote from Oliver Sacks. These neurons are also very nice. Do you like bacteria? How about blood cells? Coronavirus is so hot right now. So are Algorithms. If you prefer, I have some of my work available on silk scarves or ties, stylishly geeky accessories that also make great gifts.
If buying is not an option for you (and believe me, I understand), please share this newsletter with a friend or colleague who likes art or science or both. We will all feel good and I can go back to painting and writing about more fun things. Here’s that shop link again, just in case.
As always, thank you for reading, following, and subscribing.
PS: I know that many of you have already bought art from me, and I appreciate your support more than I can say.
I love Michele's work, and I have several of her paintings in my home. She did a custom painting for me of food pathogens. Her art is beautiful, but commands a deeper look and consideration about the science and substance portrayed in the painting.
I feel this so hard. Writers also never talk about popularity, even though we all WANT everyone to read us. We're supposed to "keep our head down and do good work" Sadly good work alone doesn't do it.