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| CHESS-NUT SWAMP 2015 by Roopa Dudley (Sold!) |
This painting would have never existed had it not been for Lynette Nickle of OR. When I posted my other two paintings in this series earlier in Nibblefest Art Contest, she bid on both but right towards the end another art enthusiast snagged those literally out of her hands. This happened three time in a row by three different persons! It was unbelievable. But I firmly believe that God had a very different plan for us both as you are about to learn what happened next.
So keeping all that in mind (the paintings she liked so much) I created this beautiful painting and contacted her. I took a leap of faith because it just felt right. I told her that I was aware of the situation and that if she liked this painting (since it was similar to what she has liked before) then I was willing to make a direct sale to her. She happily agreed. I shipped the painting. She loved it and now I not only gained an art collector but a friend. I say a friend because we are in regular contact with each other.
So keeping all that in mind (the paintings she liked so much) I created this beautiful painting and contacted her. I took a leap of faith because it just felt right. I told her that I was aware of the situation and that if she liked this painting (since it was similar to what she has liked before) then I was willing to make a direct sale to her. She happily agreed. I shipped the painting. She loved it and now I not only gained an art collector but a friend. I say a friend because we are in regular contact with each other.
The moral of this story is that we as artists are suppose to be the 'visionaries'. But instead we are extremely short sighted if not outright blind when it comes to conducting business and forging relationships. Artists should try to make every effort to get themselves out of their comfort zone and take a proactive approach. I am neither advocating aggressive marketing nor pressure sales here. I am however strongly suggesting what Seth Godin coined the term 'Permission Marketing'.
I did not contact Lynette so that I can make a profit from her vulnerability -- I genuinely felt bad at what I saw happened and decided to do something about it. I am certain that she was as surprised by my radical behavior as I was but I am after all an artist so thinking out of the box has never been a problem for me before either. Ask yourself what you would have done in this situation? For most artists, this obvious option may not have even existed. Taking that initiative and making that contact is all it took and now I have a collector who loves my art and a friend for life.
In conclusion, next time if someone who you know loves your art but is hesitant to make a purchase, try to find out how you as an artist can help out. Don't just sit there hoping for a miracle to happen. Communicate. Find a common ground. Reach out and touch someone. Delight them. Build relationships. Keep in mind always that YOU CANNOT TAKE YOUR PAINTINGS TO YOUR GRAVE. Let someone who appreciates it have it and enjoy it. Believe in the magic and the goodness of life.
As for me, I am still not done with this series. I am working on two more at the moment and perhaps a few more in the future. So what do you think?
On May 5th, this painting won * 'Special Recognition Award' on Light Space Time's Landscape Art Competition! Click on the *link provided and you can see it among many beautiful landscapes that also won awards.
I did not contact Lynette so that I can make a profit from her vulnerability -- I genuinely felt bad at what I saw happened and decided to do something about it. I am certain that she was as surprised by my radical behavior as I was but I am after all an artist so thinking out of the box has never been a problem for me before either. Ask yourself what you would have done in this situation? For most artists, this obvious option may not have even existed. Taking that initiative and making that contact is all it took and now I have a collector who loves my art and a friend for life.
In conclusion, next time if someone who you know loves your art but is hesitant to make a purchase, try to find out how you as an artist can help out. Don't just sit there hoping for a miracle to happen. Communicate. Find a common ground. Reach out and touch someone. Delight them. Build relationships. Keep in mind always that YOU CANNOT TAKE YOUR PAINTINGS TO YOUR GRAVE. Let someone who appreciates it have it and enjoy it. Believe in the magic and the goodness of life.
As for me, I am still not done with this series. I am working on two more at the moment and perhaps a few more in the future. So what do you think?
On May 5th, this painting won * 'Special Recognition Award' on Light Space Time's Landscape Art Competition! Click on the *link provided and you can see it among many beautiful landscapes that also won awards.
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