Post 604: PWAS Members That Take Commissions

PWAS Members That Take Commissions

Occasionally people will ask the Prince William Art Society members to create custom artworks that they would like an artist to paint for them. The question sometimes comes with who specializes in various mediums desired or subjects like pet portraits, children's portraits, or family groups. Wedding portraits or the family home, or even the koi pond in the backyard might be the subject. The PWAS art group has a lot of artists that paint commissioned paintings so let's look at a few of these artists and their art.

About Commissions

In the art world, there are a couple of meanings to the word "commission", the first being the percentage fee charged by an art gallery or show when artworks sells and is deducted from the selling price with the remainder going to the artist. The second is when a potential buyer contacts an artist and an agreement is made to have the artist create a customized original artwork for that buyer.

There are some different schools of thought on commissions. Some artists take commissions while others do not. Some artists charge more for a commissioned work and there are several reasons for these thoughts and points.

Artist Schedule: The artist may have a schedule of paintings or a series of artworks that they want or must accomplish for their specific upcoming shows. A commission, while potentially being very welcome, may alter the artist's schedule so that the additional artwork can be finished on time along with their regular artworks.

Time is Money: A commissioned artwork is a process that takes time. Back and forth communication with the client, commission contract agreements, sample or progress reporting as the art piece takes shape, setting up pickup, delivery, shipping, or installation must be arranged as well...also being a part of the cost toward the artwork. 

Artistic Freedom:  Artists are creative people and their artistic freedom of expression is a cherished part of what they live with and expect when they create their art. A balance may need to be struck between the client's vision (request) and the artist's interpretation of the subject of the artwork. It is so very important for both parties to be absolutely clear of the scope, expectations, the artist's style, when the client selects the artist AND the artist agrees to the request.

Important: Commissions will often require a non-refundable deposit upfront of up to half the price of the work. Artists cannot be left hanging if the client is dissatisfied or cancels the work when it is completed. It is up to the artist's discretion if the deposit may be applied to another work. The commission agreement should address any and all points.

See these Artistry Spin posts for more into: 

Request for Commission of Your Artwork 

Elena Jochum Discusses Art Commissions with PWAS Members 

The Commissions page on this blog for more info on how both the client and the artist work their way through a commission.

Holidays: For those potential clients considering approaching an artist to have them create an artwork for you, holidays (gift-giving-times) are often very busy times of year for artists so contact them early so you can get on their calendars. Some art mediums take a lot of time to "cure" (dry), and time needs to be allotted for their creative process, as well as research itself to configure the art as well. There are artists that know approximately how many pieces they can take on before that holiday's date/deadline.

PWAS Member Mark Murphy

Painting commissions can sometimes seem like a detour from our artistic journey because they focus on a subject that has special meaning to someone else, often a stranger.  That being said, I've had a couple fulfilling experiences lately.

A woman approached me online asking for a rendering of her daughter's soon to occur wedding.  To honor her recently deceased father, she will wed in Hawaii where he was working as a helicopter pilot.  The painting portrays her and her deceased father holding hands on the beach where the wedding will be held (Tunnels Beach, Kauai) and clearly shows her chosen wedding dress.  The really gratifying part was watching her mother break down in tears when she saw the result.

 

A man approached me at an exhibit and asked me to paint his boat.  His wife's reaction was, "Oh no, not the boat".  I was anticipating a modern fishing boat, but it turned out to be a half-submerged wooden rowboat in the marsh surrounded by lush grasses and trees.  It turned out to be a compelling image.  Finding this wreckage and documenting it over years with his son was a special memory for this family and their emotional response to the painting was so gratifying.

I also painted the Blue Ridge Country Store in Hume, VA.  I found a photo of the long-time owner online and added him in with his arms outstretched welcoming people in.  When his wife saw the painting, the tears flowed for quite some time.

 

You never know where your artistic journey will lead but letting others, even strangers, join in on that journey can be very satisfying.

PWAS Member Zee Berrios

Commissions: A Story

Many moons ago, a lady commissioned a watercolor. She wanted a painting of a Baltimore street vendor with his horse before they disappeared. The internet was nonexistent and very few photos were available.  

I accepted the commission. I went to downtown Baltimore to find these vendors. After asking around I encountered one who allowed me to take many photos of him. I made a couple of sketches and showed them to the lady. She decided for one but was not happy about the angle, so I made a couple more sketches with different angles.  She decided on one. We agreed on the size and the price. She also decided on the frame she wanted, which I purchased.

I started to work on it. The size was 18" X 24" on 140Lb. paper. It took about 29 hours to finish. I also sprayed a matte varnish on it.

I showed her the final piece and she said it was too light, she wanted me to make it darker because her decor was darker. I told her I could not make it darker at which point she said she did not want it. I had not collected a down payment of half the agreed price, (BIG MISTAKE).

I told her I would not make a new one.

The story doesn't end there. I decided to find the street vendor. It took a couple of tries until one Saturday morning I found him. I went up to him and showed him the watercolor. He loved it and asked how much would I sell it to him. I told him: "It's yours, have it as a token for letting me photograph you". The smile on his face was worth so much more than all the money that lady could had given me.

If I had not varnished it I might have made it darker.

Unfortunately that is one of the pieces I never photographed.

 

A preliminary sketch of the commission  

 

PWAS Member Zee Berrios 

PWAS Member Donna Liguria

Commissions are artworks that I love creating for people when time allows and the subject is something I feel I can do justice to. I say that as I do not paint specific people knowing that it has to look like that person's loved one and not look like an alien. I prefer and welcome commissions on subjects like pet portraits, the places-landscapes, mountains, or gardens, the koi ponds, etc. 

 

A series of 4 commissions painted by Donna Liguria called the Washington DC Four Seasons Series that were from a client in Washington DC. Above are the prints (sold individually or as a package) available on my Donna Liguria Art Etsy Shop. The seasons are: 

"Cherry Blossoms, an Annual DC Event" (Spring) 

"A Capital Summer" 

"Lincoln Memorial in the Fall"

"White House Having a White Christmas" (Winter)

 

This was a commission the client wanted from a photograph he took. It was in his travels in the Canadian Rockies, Mount Assiniboine in British Columbia. It is 11,870 ft. mountain that is reflected in the water...called of course, "Mountain Reflection"

This commissioned painting was for the Jeanette Pier at Nags Head, North Carolina called "Sunrise at Nags Head"

 

And this fellow was for a client to her son this past Christmas of their newest boxer named Budryk 

Commissions are a GREAT way for art buyers to get personalized artwork for their homes or to give as gifts. The art decor in your home should reflect items you love, the places, the people, the scenery, and in the colors that bring you joy and coordinate with your interiors. Contact an artist near you today!

Drop a comment below and let the artists know what you think about their works! 

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Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and Donna's Cave Paintings Blog, and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, Virginia. And she takes on the PWAS social media duties as well (help me!) Donna specializes in acrylic painting of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art. 

Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm (typically, but check the website in case of any changes).

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment (below)! ...Remember, comments are monitored so they will not show up immediately.

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Post 479: Elena Jochum Discusses Art Commissions with PWAS Members

Elena Jochum Discusses Art Commissions with PWAS Members

The Prince William Art Society (PWAS) art group met on Monday, July 22 at 7:30pm at the Tall Oaks Community Center on Cotton Mill Road in Woodbridge, VA. Our guest speaker was PWAS member, Elena Jochum who gave an engaging talk about art commissions, and how she markets her art using social media to gain more art business.

Art Business Commissions

The meeting opened with Emily Hawes, the PWAS Program Manager (on the left), introducing Elena Jochum (below).

The PWAS members asked Elena many questions and enjoyed this very interesting and a must-have topic for artists wanting to grow their art business through commissions.

Elena Jochum sent me the below outline with Q&A for anyone that missed the meeting in this all important art topic.

Commissioning Art

Ways to solicit commissions:

1. You are always promoting! Any social media post whether it’s on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, email blasts etc. It is important to have consistency with posting on social media.

2. Events are great. Make sure to have a business card with your information. A QR code to a Linktree is a great idea.

3. When speaking to someone face to face, definitely mention that you offer commissions. List what you specialize in.

4. Word of mouth travels FAR.

5. Refer fellow artists if you don’t specialize in what they’re looking for! They WILL return the favor.

6. I like to post on local Facebook groups on days you’re allowed.

7. Email blasts through your website. If you don’t have a website, then just writing an email to all your business contacts once every couple of months with updates and reminder that you’re offering commissions.

One of our local artists once said that only very rarely does a commission inquiry eventually result in a commission. Do you think commission customers are different and if so, is it in some way that might guide the artist's choices?

It depends. I don’t count any interaction in person or online as a definitive, unless there’s a signed agreement. A lot of people are being nice when they say things like “I’d love to commission you for something”, but never do. I think following up once with a question about more information and an explanation of your services is sufficient.

How much should one show their prior commissions or is it better to refer clients to your non-commissioned work?

Having all works in one place is a good idea. I just have all my work up on my website. I refer people who are interested directly to it. They can see my entire portfolio of commissioned and non-commissioned fine art.

Are there privacy issues with showing prior commissions, or do you avoid that? Is there an option in the agreement to request permission to show it, or is it "your work is your work" even if the faces are private individuals' (in the case of portraits)? What about minors?

Most of my commissioned works are on my page. I do ask clients if they’re ok with that, and 99% are. I think this I a case by case basis. I would just have a straight line of communication with the customer in writing.

What are the differences in soliciting for commissions of portraiture and pet portraiture and landscapes or architectural (EG homes) depictions?

I personally promote clusters of images together: home, pet, family, landscape. Let the client decide what they wish to invest in and make part of their legacy.

What is a turn off, and are there things you've been told that prospective customers might consider red flags?

Lack of communication is #1.

Customers: Are there red flags on who is going to be troublesome, and how do you deal with those? Do you ever turn down customers, and how do you do it so you don’t create hard feelings or bad reviews?

Referring clients to another artist is the absolute best wait to avoid issues. You’re still giving them what they want – a product. Just with someone more suitable than you. Being an artist is being part of a very unique community, and it’s important to work together. Getting fine art on the radar in general – will create more sales! There’s a great soda machine experiment to represent this marketing strategy.

What precautions do you need to take before entering an agreement, and do you have sample commission agreements, or pointers for agreements? Are special requests such as colors or pose or mood or "props" best included in a written agreement?

1. Request a 50% nonrefundable deposit and 50% when finished.

2. Have a written commission agreement you and the client sign.

3. My only issue comes up when a customer wants changes with the work as it’s already in progress. That happened maybe twice in the past 2 years. I tell clients in advance – if they want any changes to the photo, it’s an additional $55 fee per change. Sometimes, if it’s a very small change, I give them a discount and do it for free. It’s a win win, because they just saved $55.

Do you recommend accepting a "turn down" when a customer does not wish to accept a finished work and should there be a clause releasing the work for other sale even if it's a personal subject (even if this has never happened to you, interacting with customers has likely given you insights into how it would play out and what are good parameters)? A non-refundable down payment to cover materials and a minimum or time, or a full payment either way or a full refund?

1. 50% nonrefundable deposit is a must.

2. Maybe see what could be done to the painting more to their liking. Depends on what the issue is. If it’s funds, then I suggest a monthly payment option.

3. You created the commission; I see zero issues selling if customer doesn’t want to pay.

4. It does get a little legal-y. Having contact information for a good attorney is not a bad idea in general, so you could ask them these questions.

Scams as opposed to just difficult customers, and what do you watch out for?

If they don’t want to sign the commission agreement – then 99% chance, it’s a scam.

How often and at what point in the process of a work do you check in with the customer? Does it vary, and how much reworking are you willing to do, is there a cut off point at which you feel the relationship is not working or no longer going to be financially acceptable? Is there a way to figure this objectively by usual time on a commission and price, or is it entirely subjective as in some commissions are emotionally more rewarding (and possibly artistically challenging) for the artist?

1. I check in every time I make noticeable progress. Clients love to watch the process.

2. Zero reworking unless they pay me. That also varies on your style of work etc. I specialize in realistic watercolor portraiture. With nature scenes it might be different.

3. Just being up front with the client is important. If you let them know at the beginning that you will rework something, but for a fee. Then there should be no surprises. This type of transparency weeds out any unwanted customers from the beginning! Don’t be afraid to set your rules. This is YOUR business and your art!

Other: Framing? Delivery? Insurance? One avoids paying gallery commissions – how does that interact with direct commission prices? Pure profit or not?

1. Framing is always included with mine. Standard mat board and frame. If they want custom, I either will do it at cost – if more than $750, or send them to Hobby Lobby.

2. Delivery is an additional $60 flat fee for 11”x17”. That includes bubble wrap, protective plastic wrap, box etc.

3. Insurance, sometimes. If going overseas, I will add up to $1000.

4. Definitely not pure profit. I see it as excellent service. Not fun. But excellent. I go above and beyond for my clients.

Is there anything else most people don't realize about offering and providing commissioned work? This could be anything from a hard lesson to surprising emotional or challenge and skill rewards.

Commissions are different for everyone, everywhere. My art was very popular on Okinawa. Only to come to NOVA on my high horse with people not being able to afford anything. I only recently was able to book a small commission with someone in Virginia this month. There are very few and far in between. I still don’t fully understand why there’s such a huge difference. One thing I learned is that it will take time. Post every day, every week. Consistency is key. Maybe if people are seeing more input from other local artists on the pages I use, they will be more used to the idea of investing in fine art. Just think about how often you see photographers promoting their businesses. And even going back to the soda vending machine example. You place two soda vending machines next to each other, one Coke and one Pepsi. They’re direct competitors. But the consumer will be way more likely to buy a soda from one or the other, than not at all.

Elena also showed us her template for an Art Commission Agreement Form for others to create their own, so check that out at

https://www.elenajochum.com/commissionagreement

 

We certainly enjoyed Elena's program and thank her profusely for covering this topic!

More About Commissions

For more about commissions found on Artistry Spin, please see https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/p/commissions.html

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Author: Elena Jochum

 

Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

Photography/Video Credits: Donna Liguria

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

Post 429: Artist Documents - What Do I Need?

Artist Documents - What Do I Need?

The day and the life of an artist consists of many things besides the joy of throwing paint around and washing their paint brushes, although that might be our favorite part. (The painting!) Some time must also be spent documenting what we do in some fashion, so some time is spent doing some office work, and promoting said art that is in the studio drying. Let's take a look at the documents that help organize, track and promote our art.

List of Artist's Documents

For some time now, the business side of creating art is both online and offline - for most artists. Having business documents that reflect your ART BUSINESS with a consistent message is an important part of your presentation. Some of the documents listed here are for the sharing, promotion and marketing of the art, some are for the record keeping and organizing (storage) of the art, and other documents are to simply track where and what happened to the art.

One of the most important aspects of your documentation is your consistency in branding for those documents viewed by the public. Your logo, colors, image(s), artist name, font, slogan - all of your marketing materials set your recognizable brand. Your presentation should always be consistent and professional - or "professionally artistic" and unique in your own way.

Typical Length of some of these documents is whatever the requestor specifies, so when submitting your documents for Calls for Art, Gallery requests, or applying for art jobs, be sure to note what they are asking for and in the format the guidelines that each opportunity specifies.

For Further Reading about Marketing and Documents:

Art Marketing

6 Essential Artist Documents 

 

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Artist Resume - Short and Long Versions

All of the About the Artist details. Have several different variations of your Artist Resume on hand, you will need them depending on what the requestor needs. I like having a compact version and a longer version. Character limitations can vary greatly so ensure the most pertinent info is in the first sentence or two or paragraph, is keyword friendly for searches, and is not too "wordy". As the KISS rule goes - Keep It Simple, Silly - on target and to the point. 

Typical Length: 1 to 3 pages

Header: Your brand identifiers includes your logo, colors, font, your artist name

 

Artist Name

Contact Info 

Professional Summary/Statement

Work Experience

Education - Year, What, Where

Grants/Awards

Exhibitions - selected list

Gallery Affiliations

Collaborative Projects

Commissions

Collections

Publications: Media - Print, Radio, Television, Periodicals

Website Publications, Blogs

Residencies 

For Further Reading about Resumes:

Artist Resume

 

Artist Statement/ Bio - Short and Long Versions

An artist statement is a short, very general "about you, what you make, and why you make it" in a "personal voice and message". Typically the statement is 3-4 paragraphs. A statement is something that many galleries request to include on a label, but is also what you can organically use when someone directly asks you what you do. Thus, this script could be memorized and recited as needed, as in an elevator pitch. Include:

Header: Your brand identifiers includes your logo, colors, font, your artist name (printed materials)

 

Say your artist name

What mediums you work with

Confidently explain why you are excited about what you do

How your unique creation process is important for what you make - if it is

Art Business Card

Typically 3.5x2 inches rectangle. A very important document for an artist is their business card, although it is usually the smallest document. I've been at galleries and someone wanted to contact an artist for something they admired and perhaps want to buy or commission a new piece. And sometimes there is a card and sometimes not for that artist. It not only allows you to hand them out for networking and followup, but represents you when you are not there physically.

Header: Your brand identifiers includes your logo, colors, font, your artist name

Your Name, Art Name

Mailing Address (optional)

Email

Phone 

Social Media Handles (optional)

Website Address

Options: Logo, Tagline, QR Code, Art Sample(s), Business Mission

Artist Postcard and Flyers

Larger than a business card, it is usually 4.25x6 inches and printed on the front and back and mail-able. Text should be short, sweet and to the point. The Postcard would work well for show announcements, notifications, reminders, handouts and of course, mailing.

Header: Your brand identifiers includes your logo, colors, font, your artist name

 

An exceptional image of your work

Artist Name, Painting Title, Medium

Website

Email Address

Phone Number

Photo of you, Artist Bio 

Postal Section (Mail To)

Stamp Area

 

Artist Curriculum Vitae

This document, also called a CV, is a formal, all inclusive professional record of the artist's experiences and artistic achievements. It is a key part of the artist's portfolio, especially if your destiny includes academia.

 

Typical Length: 3-4 pages

Header: Your brand identifiers includes your logo, colors, font, your artist name

 

Artist Name

Contact Details

    Address (optional)

    Phone

    Email

    Website

Education

Profession Experience

    Teaching Experience

Awards/Fellowships/Grants

Exhibition Record - solo, two-person and/or group

Commissions

Bibliography

Media - Print, Radio, Television, online, website, Blog

Author Publications

Workshops, Presentations, Lectures, Critiques

Collections

Other - Residencies, Services, Technical, Consulting, Organizations (memberships), Juried Exhibitions, Curated, Travel and Foreign Languages

Gallery Affiliations - client list

References

 

Artist Labels

The labeling of your art an important check list item that is often overlooked by artists when delivering art to the gallery. The information shown on a label at various galleries and art shows can differ in size and detail. The label helps to identify who the art belongs to, not only for the art visitors to read but when the gallery volunteers are hanging the art - to identify it. Sometimes art signatures on the face of the painting does not easily ID the owner, for instance when initials or a logo of some sort are used.

Labels can be business card size and up. Back labels can be customized by the artist, while Front labels are usually standardized for the art event.

Header: Your brand identifiers includes your logo, colors, font, your artist name

 

Artist Name

Nationality (Location)

Birth Date (optional)

Painting (Artwork) Title

Year Created - date of completion

Medium, Surface

Size (in inches, USA)

Price

Website

Contact

Label Notes: 

1. Depending on where the art piece will be hung, the details to include and the order of the information is subject to change. Read the directions.
   
2. "Mixed Media" is NOT a Medium! State what you created it with - type of paint and materials used.
   
3. Label on the Back of the artwork is typically a MUST (and may be customized by you). A Label on the Front of the artwork is usually created by the gallery from the information you submitted for consistency throughout the art space.
4. See Inventory Notes on Artwork Titles
   

 

Artist Certificate of Authenticity

A Certificate of Authenticity is a short statement of declaration by you that you ARE the creator of the art and is copyrighted by you. Many resources state to have a COA for every piece of artwork you have created.

Header: Your brand identifiers includes your logo, colors, font, your artist name

Artist Signature (hand signed)

Artwork Title

Date Created

Dimensions

Medium Details

Number of Prints, Edition Number

Contact Details (optional) 

Artist Press Release/ Press Kit

The Artist Press Release is how the artist shares (online and offline) newsworthy info about local art events or projects for themselves, their art group, or their art venue. The info is typically time sensitive with dates and times that are important announcements about exhibitions, art shows, new and exciting debuts, openings, art receptions, achievements and more.

Typical size: 300-500 words on one page

 

Header: Your brand identifiers includes your logo, colors, font, your artist name

 

Headline

Dateline - opening, duration, closing time

Artist/Art Show/Art Group Name

Title of Show

Location of Show

Any curator, supporters? - logos to include?

Price of Admittance? Free? 

Who to Contact for more information

 

The Press Release MUST include ALL of the who, what, when, where, why's and double and triple check EVERYTHING is correct before you submit the release.

 

For Further Reading on Press Releases:

How to Write an Art Exhibition Press Release (Example and Template) 

Art Invoice/ Bill of Sale

The Artist Invoice documents the transaction purchase and payment between the Art Buyer and the Artist that created it. Artwork in hand is considered personal property with value - important for filing taxes and insurance.

Header: Your brand identifiers includes your logo, colors, font, your artist name

 

Dates

Contact Details

Invoice Number, Invoice Date, Invoice Due Date

From: Name, Address, Phone, Email

To: Name, Address, Email

Artwork Item Details

Description of Art or Art Service

Price (for each), Sub Totals, and Totals

Shipping Costs

Installation?

Tax

Terms and Conditions

    Method of Payment

    Payment Terms

Thumbnail of Work 

Followup and Next Steps

Art Commission and Other Contracts and Agreements

A commission is taken by a gallery or art group when art sells (typically 25-50% of the sale price) OR an art commission is when a potential art client requests an artist to create a special customized work for themselves. Here we are referring to the buyer wanting to hire and purchase an art piece from an artist. Of all our documents, this is the more complicated as it is for your protection as well as the client, and is a contract for the work.

It is important to remember that although a rough idea might be laid out when first contacted by a potential buyer, no work, listen to me...NO WORK should begin until an agreement is in hand, agreed upon, signed AND more importantly, 1/3 to 1/2 of the non-refundable quote is PAID. Paypal has the money and its being transferred to you, you have the deposit in your POS system, or the check has cleared. Do not turn over the commissioned artwork until PAID IN FULL.

Other Contracts and Agreements

    Sales, Art Purchase Agreement

    Licensing

    Loan

    Consignment

Header: Your brand identifiers includes your logo, colors, font, your artist name

For Further Reading about Commissions:

Commissions

Selling Art Commissions

Your Artist Show, Competition and Exhibition Listing

Over time, an artist is not going to remember everything about every single art piece. Keep track of what shows you have entered, if you won something, feedback and notes. It is a chronological list of each show the artist has entered, whether it is juried or non-juried. The details should include the number of pieces and the art titles that were submitted, whether each was selected or not, and definitely the results of whether it sold or not.

Having artwork that has placed in an art show gives that piece bragging rights that should be noted. Celebrate every milestone! Being juried into prestigious art galleries and shows is something to celebrate as well. Press release, social posts, and some of your other documents on this blog post can all be updated with any of your accomplishments.

Some art shows do not want art resubmitted, so you will need to track this. Other art shows only want you to answer their Call for Art submissions with recently created work, from the last 2-3 years. So the artist needs to know what was shown where and when to avoid resubmitting a work or mistakenly entering older works.

Your Art Inventory

This is mostly for the artist, but really you do want to list out your complete works for many reasons. Think about all of the artwork you have created after a lifetime of being an artist - do you remember the details of every one of them? Where it is, what became of it, did I sell it, which one of this series is someone asking about? Things can start getting complicated rather quickly.

 

Header: Your brand identifiers includes your logo, colors, font, your artist name

 

Artwork Title

Inventory Number

Category - genre

Tags/Keywords - being seen starts with being found on the internet as an artist with art to show. What keywords will help that art be found?

Date Created

Medium - include any unique materials

Art Size - height, width and depth dimensions; art weight - with and without frame

Edition

Status - available, unavailable, gifted, destroyed, sold

Condition

Description

Expenses - cost of materials used

Price

Shipping Price

Location - sold, stored, or where its currently being shown, where it is currently stored.

Collection

Commission?

Framed - frame cost

Exhibition History

Notes

Inventory Notes:

1. Lines do not get deleted from the Art Inventory list. If you created it, its on the list whether sold or not, destroyed or not. It is an ongoing record of all your work.
2. Artwork Name - several gallery folks have noted that long artwork names are very difficult to add to the gallery labels for the artwork. Remember that business sized art label? You may want to consider to encapsulate the Artwork Name to a shorter version when submitting the piece to a show. 
3. Occasionally artwork is gifted, donated, or destroyed. Some artwork may be not for sale (NFS), perhaps because the artist cannot part with it. Make those notes too and be sure you ALWAYS have quality photographs of all artwork.
   

For Further Reading about Inventory:

Give Your Artwork a Name and Don't Call It Untitled

Keep Art Inventory and Tips

Artwork Inventory

Your Art Sales Register

In addition to the Art Inventory List, the Sales Register helps the artist know for tax purposes and tracks what happened to that art piece. Of course, the artist still has the copyrights to the image - prints can still be made and sold.

Header: Your brand identifiers includes your logo, colors, font, your artist name

 

Artwork Title

Inventory Number

Category - genre

Date Sold

Medium - include any unique materials

Art Size - height, width and depth dimensions, art weight

Status - sold

Condition

Description

Expenses - cost of materials used

Price - list price, sale price

Shipping Price

Location - where it was sold, how it was sold

Buyer

Buyer Address

Notes 

Other Documentation

Ensure that any of your printed or digital materials and online documents are consistently branded when they need to be.

Letterhead

Email Signature

Envelopes

Announcements

Notifications 

Budgets

Applications, Grant Applications, Awards

Bill of Sale/Appraisal - Artwork Valuation

Tax Records

Financial Records

Legal Documents

Business Planning

Press, Press Releases

Correspondence

Contact List - customers, agents, gallery owners, show producers, art festivals, art dealers

    Email Marketing List of Contacts

Art Suppliers, Vendors, Shippers Lists 

Personal Notes and Records of your creative processes and procedures

Scripts - often used talking points, email notifications

 

Image Files, Digital Images

Recordings, Slides, Tapes, DVDs, CDs 

Documentation of Your Studio (photo or video)

For Further Reading on Art Business:

Art Business Checklist and Cheat Sheet

And Some Final Thoughts on Documents

The best place to start? Usually at the beginning of your art career. Could you imagine trying to build an inventory list of your art after you have created hundreds or even thousands of art pieces?

For some of your art documents you will need keep a master copy with ALL relevant information and for all of you documents, compile a shorter version and save them clearly identifying Master and Shorter versions. It is also recommended to save a Word (quick updates) and a PDF Files.

Remember to back up your computers and save any online records keeping a separate storage option in case of computer failure. In other words, be aware of the need for multiple record keeping options and safe storage of your documents.

Depending on where you are in your artistic career - beginner to more advanced, you will be continually updating any of these documents to best reflect where you are and presumably, your growing artist inventory. So when you take a much needed break from throwing some paint at a canvas that day, head for your office and work on some updates for your art business documents as well.

What do you think, did I miss anything? Drop a comment below.

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Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

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