002: Art Business Q&A: How to Sell Art at Fairs and Online with Blenda Tyvoll

with host artist Miriam Schulman

In this episode, I answer questions from The Inspiration Place Facebook group. Helping me out is my good friend and professional artist, Blenda Tyvoll. Her art has been included in the set designs of Amazons Just Add Magic and Girls Season 6. She is one of the top sellers on Etsy and illustrates stationary, children’s books and designs home décor products.

We discuss selling art at art fairs and festivals, how you close a sale and how to create mock-ups of your art in a room. The second part of the podcast is a wide-ranging conversation which includes my previous podcast with Ashley Longshore, Mr Rogers and what makes an introvert.

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• (02:11) Barbara asks ‘ I have been considering getting a booth at a local arts fair. How many paintings would one want to have on hand, not including prints or cards, to have for sale?
• (03:34) Advice on how to set up a booth at an art fair
• (04:42) Why greeting cards are worth having and how Blenda and I package them
• (10:14) How Blenda and I sell our prints
• (12:08) Anna asks ‘How do you close a sale in a way that they will come back?’
• (12:52) How Blenda recently used postcards to attract people to her open studio
• (15:38) Tips on closing the deal
• (18:36) Coren asks ‘What software or app can I use to make mock-ups of my wall art in a room, for web listings?’
• (19:29) Some suggestions for places you can upload your artwork to get a room view
• (20:24) The advantages of using Photoshop to put your art in a room
• (21:20) Where to source room views
• Blenda gives me some feedback on her first podcast episode with Ashley Longshore
• (25:32) We discuss Ashley’s’ book You Don’t Look Fat, You Look Crazy
• (28:11) Why artists should buy art
• (29:39) Discussing the Mr Roger’s documentary
• (30:59) Blenda and I discuss the pivotal world events we remember from our childhoods
• (35:14) What does it mean to be an introvert?
• (40:28) Some more discussion on my conversation with Ashley Longshore
• (43:56) How sometimes artists can be an acquired taste
• (46:22) How Blenda has been working on a Skillshare class
• (48:33) I talk about the calendar I have been working on

Links Mentioned

• Blendastudio instagram
• Fine Art America
• Imagekind
• Crash course on making prints and cards
• You Don’t Look Fat, You Look Crazy: An Unapologetic Guide to Being Ambitchous by Ashley Longshore
• Lizzie Tisch Launches LTD, An Experiential Style Venture
• Koko, famed gorilla that learned sign language, dies aged 46
• Mr Rogers Documentry Trailer
• Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
• Inside the Gallery-Studio of a Celeb-Favorite Pop Artist
• Blenda’s Lessons on Skillshare

Crash Course in DIY Art Prints

If you long to add your art to prints and cards, then check out my FREE masterclass a Crash Course in creating Prints, cards and calendars so you can profit from your passion.

In this FREE video training you’ll:

☑ Uncover the best resources for online printing to create large beautiful canvas prints, notes cards and calendars
☑ Access the free checklist and shopping guide to DIY prints at home
PLUS you’ll
☑ Discover my exact printer and scanner setup

So go to SchulmanArt.com/PRINTCLASS to get started today in printing. So grab your free spot in this limited time video masterclass to finally create professional looking prints of your art whether you want them for yourself, for gifts or to sell and make money from your passion.

About Blenda

Blenda Tyvoll is an artist and illustrator based outside of Portland, Oregon. Since 2006 she has maintained a website selling her artworks to collectors worldwide. Her art has been included in the set designs of Amazon’s “Just Add Magic” and Girls Season 6. She also illustrates stationary, children’s books and designs home decor products. Blenda has a bachelor of fine arts degree in art and interior design from Marylhurst University.

• Instagram: @blendastudio
• Facebook: Blenda Studio
• Twitter: @blendastudio

About the host, Miriam Schulman

In case we haven’t met yet, I’m an artist and founder of The Inspiration Place, where I help other artists learn how to profit from their passion. Through online classes, business coaching programs, and a top-ranked podcast, I’ve helped thousands of artists around the world develop their skill sets and create more time and freedom to do what they love. My signature coaching program, The Artist Incubator, helps artists go from so-so sales to sold-out collections.

After witnessing 9/11, I abandoned a lucrative hedge fund job to work on my art full time. Since then, my art and story have been featured in major publications including Forbes, What Women Create, The New York Times, Art of Man, Art Journaling magazine, Professional Artist Magazine, Igniting Creativity as well as featured on NBC’s “Parenthood” and the Amazon series “Hunters” with Al Pacino. Check out my best-selling book with HarperCollins Leadership, Artpreneur: The Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Sustainable Living From Your Creativity, wherever books are sold. When I’m not in the studio, I split my time between New York City and a farmhouse in the country. I’d love to invite you to check out one of my free resources for art lovers (of every passion level) at schulmanart.com/freebies

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Chelsea Artpreneur Studio · New York City

What’s the biggest bottleneck holding your art business back?

Maybe it feels like pricing. Maybe it’s finding the right collectors, choosing the right opportunities, or figuring out what deserves your attention next. Or maybe you can see 3 different directions your business could go, and you’re tired of guessing which one is right.

That’s what we’re working on at the Chelsea Artpreneur Studio, October 28–29 in New York City.

This isn’t a conference or another workshop where you leave with forty new ideas. I’m bringing together a small group of established artists for two days of hands-on strategy built around the actual problems you bring into the room. We’ll look at your business, figure out what’s really holding it back, make the decisions, and map out exactly what comes next.

You’ll also have a professional branding portrait session, plus plenty of time around the table with a small group of artists who take their businesses as seriously as you do.

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You’ll leave knowing what’s actually holding your business back, what needs to change, and most of all, what to do next.

Learn more + apply for Chelsea →

By application · Limited seats

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