Marketing Yourself - Artist Youtube Star Katie Jobling

Hello everyone!

We know it's hard to make it as an artist, especially if you're still young and haven't broken into the world of fine-art gallery networking. While the internet has opened up more opportunities for us, it has also flooded the ability for everyone to start posting and promoting. That's why we're sharing a few tidbits from some of our favorite self-starter artists who are excellent at using social media to promote themselves - from Facebook to Instagram to Youtube.

For today's session, we're featuring an artist who uses Youtube as their main channel (pun not intended) to develop a loyal following, community and feedback. Please meet Katie Jobling, a graphic designer-turned-artist from across the seas. Katie is one of those rare and lucky individuals who were able to make the complete leap into doing art full-time, leaving behind their creative 9-5 job for full artistic freedom. In addition to doing tutorials and sharing her knowledge, she also ships and handles her own prints from an Etsy shop and Instagram site.

One of Katie's hugest contributions to her followers (we believe) is her calming and easy-to-follow tutorials. She is able to express her wealth of knowledge in a manner that is approachable, kind, and self-forgiving. When watching her videos, the most complicated steps can seem so simple, and the simplicity and softness in her teaching approach is inspiring. Watch her Youtube videos here:

She also does great video sessions on her own experiences with selling, pricing, and building her business from her art:

From her videos, it's easy to see how quick one can fall in love with her artistic "brand" as it were. She is soft-spoken and sweet, encouraging and peaceful. She's also relatable, as shown through her supporting vlogs. Although one watches the videos for Katie Jobling's art, soon one stays for the inspirational artist they may become.

That ends our first session of Marketing Yourself series! What did you think of the videos? Any Youtube stars you are a fan of and would like us to feature? If so, leave a message in the comments below!

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KeenArt Media is an online fine art printing and framing company, specializing in canvas, archival and photographic prints and reproductions. We are proud to serve and support artists from all over Canada. 

KeenArt Media Ltd. Toll Free: 1-888-533-6278 (KeenART)
www.CanadaOnCanvas.com 
Working Hours: Pacific Standard Time
8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday to Thursday
8:30 AM to 4:00 PM Friday

Article Feature from ArtNews! - On Artist Block

We've all been there. We get an idea, struck with inspiration...then, as we ready ourselves in front of the easel, we freeze. The canvas is blank, and suddenly, our minds do the same.

The empty canvas dominating Tom Burckhardt’s cardboard installation FULL STOP, 2004–5, expresses the artist’s recurrent fear of “feeling stuck.” Original source: ArtNews

To help relieve your anxieties, we're sharing one of our favorite articles on the feared "artist block". Written by Ann Landi, Art New's Facing the Blank Canvas: Artists' Tips for Getting Started should spark some ideas in breaking out of the rut, or just energizing you to make that first stroke! Click on the image for the full article!

And what about you, readers? Any particular method you're a fan of? For me, I definitely need to cycle through various pieces all at once to help with my artblock. Share your suggestions in our comments section below!

KeenArt Media specializes in customized canvas and fine art printing and reproduction. We also offer services in scanning, plaque mounting, and custom-made artist canvases. We also do framing as well!  Check out our website or contact us for ways we can assist you with your latest piece.

KeenArt Media Ltd. 604-421-8000 (KeenART)

www.CanadaOnCanvas.com

8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday to Thursday

8:30 AM to 4:00 PM Friday

info@keenartmedia.com

Becoming a Professional Artist: Recommended Booklist

Hello art-gang!

As we all know, making it big as an artist isn't easy. Thankfully, there are so many options available now for artists to print and sell their work individually. Rather than working with an agency or a manufacturer for printing, artists can sign up with Shopify or Etsy or Redbubble, or build an online shop right into their portfolio website. Of course, now the issue is with navigating all these options, and finding which combination is most effective for selling artwork.

But let's not dive too deep into the selling part just yet. If you're new or just starting to think about becoming a professional artist, we wanted to recommend a few books that we have personally found inspirational on our own artistic journey. These books are great for exploring examples of the modern art field, allowing you a glimpse of what paths you could take on your professional art career.

Before we launch our new series Marketing & Selling Your Artwork, we recommend giving these following books at least a skim:

1. The Gift, by Lewis Hyde

The Gift is one of my favorite books. Although academic in parts, it provides a really awesome philosophical view of how much art is "worth". Often artists are torn when assigning a price that both justifies and honors their work, while being marketable and competitive enough to help them keep working. This conflict can often contort an artist's vision, influencing them to sell themselves short, compromise on their views, or produce art that they have no connection with in order to keep the income sustainable. I love Hyde's philosophy of art being a gift instead of a commodity, and the ramifications that term has on an artwork's creation and true value- after reading it, it certainly influenced my approach to my own art, and inspired me to to shift my business expectations accordingly to honor and respect my artistic vision first.

2. Making It! Case Studies of Successful Canadian Visual Artists, by Chris Tyrell

Photo of Making It, found from Carollyne Yardley's blog

"I was amazed by the stories of artists, but what truly amazed and moved me was the generosity of everyone with whom I spoke and their willingness to share insights into their experience. Marina Bychkova excels in niche marketing; Ross Penhall, by changing media, dramatically increased his creative efficiency and his income. Richard Tetrault’s career is a perfect exemplar of community involvement and the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards that social interaction can bring to an artist’s career." 

- Chris Tyrell, 

http://opusartsupplies.com/community/opinion/making-it 

If you ever want to see real examples of real artists making it and their stories, this is the book for you. While it doesn't go in-depth with the step-by-step process of being successful, Tyrell's interview with various Canadian artists illuminates the many unique possibilities of how to become a successful artist, often found off the beaten path. Each individual story is inspiring and thought-provoking, and almost establishes a connection between the reader and the artist - unlike reading other step-by-step books, the stories almost absorb you into the artist's experience, as if you were living it yourself.

3. The Handmade Marketplace, by Kari Chapin

http://karichapin.com/books/

Now this book is an absolute must-have. Even though it isn't specifically for fine art, Kari Chapin does an excellent job exploring all the steps and possibilities of selling your  handmade arts and crafts from your home, and at an introductory, easy-to-digest level. It gives you a broad sweep of everything, from pricing, to online marketplaces and their pros and cons, getting a business licence, etc. My favorite snippet from this book is how Kari even explains how to define success for yourself, and how to plan your business accordingly. My current copy is sitting by my computer every day, bursting with post-it notes and tabs.


And there you have it! Our top 3 recommended books to help you begin navigating your professional artistic journey. Have a recommended book of your own? Let us know in the comments below!


And if you've already read these and are rearing to go, we can sort out all your fine art and archival scanning and printing needs!  Just click on our website link to go, or  give us a call - we're always happy to help!

KeenArt Media Ltd. Toll Free: 1-888-533-6278 (KeenART)
www.CanadaOnCanvas.com 
Working Hours: Pacific Standard Time
8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday to Thursday
8:30 AM to 4:00 PM Friday

Let's Start Your Art Business!

It has become a widespread phenomenon for the individuals to manage their own production of arts and distribute them to public personally and commercially.

Today, we would like to introduce couple of websites that could ease the process and let you concentrate more on the creative work.

Etsy

Etsy is a well-known peer to peer e-commerce platform for handmade crafts and items - including artwork. This website can be a great place to start because there are many unique products - varying from vintage to modern - that attract specific customers. You will be able to set up your personal shop within a shared space of etsy.
There are some fees including listing fee and transaction fee (3.5%; which is relatively low compared to other websites).

Downside of etsy may be is that there are too many competitors at the moment and it is hard to climb up to be the first ones on the shelf to get noticed by the buyers. But there is still a good niche with unique products, so it is a good idea to at least give a try and open your own shop.

www.etsy.com



Amazon

Now here is the giant, the largest e-commerce community. It is known that amazon has 10 times more traffic that etsy which means there is more chance for you to attract more buyers to your shop. The system is very reliable since it's based on one of the largest companies in the globe and has a strong search engine optimization system, so with a right process you have more chance to lead the traffic to your door and introduce your amazing work. There are millions of products, not only just artwork and prints but covering almost every category of products.

Downside of Amazon is that the company takes a high commission fee when an item is sold. The fee varies depending on the item, but it's definitely something to consider.


www.amazon.com / www.amazon.ca



Big Cartel

We have come to a totally different platform. This site is perfect for those who are looking for a dedicated space for your work. In Big Cartel platform, each store works as an individual website which brings attention of buyers solely to your products as long as they stay in your website. And it is very easy to set up a store with a straightforward instruction and also, some room for those who want to take an adventure with coding on their shop.

There is no transaction fee, however, there are different monthly plans (including a free plan!)that allow you to expand your store depending on the number of your products.

Downside of Big Cartel is that the simplified features may lack support for marketing and SEO compared to other big websites out there. Another important note is there is a limit to list your items (300 items max), and if you are approaching with a large scale business, Big Cartel might not be your best option.


www.bigcartel.com



Threadless

This platform is called POD (print on demand), where you (artist) upload your work on their website, and the company does all the work from manufacturing to shipping according to the orders they receive from the buyers.

Threadless is one of the most popular POD platforms for prints on apparels and garments.
The pricing is straigtforward. You set your own price on the products and you earn anything left after the base price. For example, a base price for a tshirt is $15, and you set your price with your print on the tshirt as $30. When the tshirt is sold, what you earn is $15 which is the cut after the base price has been removed.

Downside is, if you want to make a real profit, either you have to set your price high, or sell many with cheaper price. And it is hard to find the balance between the two. However, if there is a good demand of your design, this platform could be a breakthrough into your entrepreneur.


www.threadless.com



Society6

Society6 is another popular pod website offering much more various products. They cover from prints, apparels, homewares, phone cases and laptop skins. Unlike Threadless, you get to only set your price on the art prints and other products have a set profit for the artist. Society6 can be a good starting line for those who are looking to sell prints on the main shelf and maybe explore couple of new products on the side.


www.society6.com 



Take a note that it's good to have several shops open to spread the word and maximize the traffic which will increase your profit eventually. 

Last thing, if you are just looking to print your work for personal collection or gift for your friends and families, come visit www.canadaoncanvas.com as they offer archival museum quality prints and other great services.