IQBR 1.3

So back to the present, all the previous sales and products are in the past, it’s given me invaluable  experience even at this low level of the business spectrum. The new pictures are very simple linescapes which allow me to create them quickly and easily with less complicated software. They still take a few hours to create, as mentioned previously there are artistic and compositional choices to be made, the colour palette to consider and tweak. The colour palette I save and import into each image, something most software will do these days, this is important as although the palette doesn’t suite every image, I add new colours frequently, it does help to keep a consistent theme across the images. This is something I also strive to create, a theme across several images, or to make them with a paired or sister image. This then may appeal to the buyer who may want more than 1 image, they may want a pair or more depending on how much they like them or the space they wish to fill

So I always try to make at least a pair of complimentary images, this isn’t just to tempt the buyer into multiple purchases, this is a happy coincidence, but it does allow you to try variations, to look at your art from another perspective. Maybe a different  angle or a different season or time of the day. Most great artists do this too, Monet did dozens of lily ponds, hay stacks and Rouen Cathedral variants as he was obsessed with changes in light and colour. Now obviously I’m not comparing myself to Monet and his peers in any way but there is no reason why I can’t learn lessons from them and strive to emulate at least someone of their ideologies, learn from the masters

So I’ll reboot this with a local aspect, try and find a local shop that can sell for me again, I normally manage to convince a local shop to try them as I offer them 30% of the sale value as profit. Running a shop with his overheads requires a decent margin and 30% seems to work for both them and myself. I also offer them as no sale no fee, basically give them the prints, fully made up and framed, they can hang on the wall and if they sell they get the profit. If they don’t they hand them back and its no loss on their part. As the prints were popular and shops like something different and with a local aspect to offer it often works well for promotions and a way of getting customers through the door, who of course may buy something else while they’re in the shop. As such its a mutually beneficial arrangement and once explained most shop owners will go for it, as long as they have the space of course

I’ll also reboot with an online or digital aspect to get the most coverage. So part will be a Facebook page that I’ll promote in local Facebook groups. I’m not keen on Facebook but we’ll call it a necessary evil as you can’t ignore free advertising. I’ll also promote on other social media, more of that later, and sell online too. As an online ecommerce shop is above my technical skills, I also wouldn’t want to be responsible for the security of it and online payments, I think I’d better leave that to the professionals so I’ll investigate ETSY and other established sites. I’ll also look into digital downloads where you don’t even sell a physical product, you just make your image digitally available to those that purchase it. This is mostly passive once setup so that’s another avenue I’m keen to explore