Sydney’s Showcase Gallery has picked up Evangeline

Ooh-la-la! Great news for those of you in Sydney.

Showcase Gallery in Darlinghurst has just started representing me in Sydney. What does that mean? If you’re in Sydney and you’re interested in one of my pieces, contact Kellie at Showcase Gallery. She has an awesome new space that represents work by commercial creatives who also practice fine art. That’s exactly why she has brought me on board. I’m just that kind of creative!

I happen to have my first Sydney solo show there in May. Here are the details. It’s never too early to mark your calendars!

EXHIBITION DETAILS:

Showcase Gallery | Suite 3, Level 2 | 85 William Street | Darlinghurst, NSW
Opening night: Wednesday, May 30, 2012 from 6-8pm
Gallery opening hours are Tues-Fri 11-6pm, Sat 11-3pm (or by appointment)
The exhibition will run fromMay 28 – June 9

Incube8r in the Valley: Get your Xmas gifts from local artists

If you’re in Brisbane, go along to the funkiest little boutique art store in town!

Incube8r Gallery is located in Fortitude Valley on Bruswick Street. It’s a space for local artists to sell smaller artworks, perfect for gifts! Go along and have a look at some of my prints on tile, aluminium & wood  plus a couple of artworks. I’ll be bringing some prints on paper soon too.

All prints on acrylic: $100

All prints on aluminium: $100

All prints on tile: $60

WEEKLY RENT SPECIAL: $360 (week of Dec 18)

WEEKLY RENT SPECIAL $360
Around Again
2011
30.5 x 30.5 cm
Mixed Media on Canvas

POSITION VACANT: Personal Assistant to Artist

Looking for Personal Assistant to up and coming artist.

After doing the math and finding that she needs to complete around 55 canvases by May in order to have TWO exhibitions in Melbourne and Sydney in the same week, Evangeline Cachinero is looking to hire a PA to help with the day to day running of this pursuit. As this is a small business, there will be varied tasks involved and all applicants are expected to be flexible in both tasks and scheduling. The ideal applicant would be a doppelganger mind-reader with a can-do attitude and an ability to pick up new skills quickly and efficiently.

Applicants are expected to start work at 5:30am on most mornings and work as late as 12am, seven days a week. There will be an occasional weekend off, depending of how busy things are.

All applicants must have the following skillz and qualifications:

• make art in Evangeline’s style
• build painting frames with awesome power tools
• write grants and exhibition proposals
• Copywriting
• Act as marketing & PR manager/assistant
• Come up with creative concepts
• Proficient in web design using WordPress, Business Catalyst, html, CSS & PHP
• Bookkeeping and accounts in MYOB
• Brainstorm and complete graphic design (for a list of all required programs please visit Linkedin)
• Art directing
• Photography
• Film (limited skills)
• Illustration & digital art
• Print management & coordination
• Business development and research
• Postgrad studies in fine art or equivalent (creative writing a plus)
• Proficient in Spanish
• Act as primary sales representative
• Receptionist
• Administration
• Project management
• Must be good with high needs children, as it’s highly likely Evangeline’s son will be home during work hours and talking the entire time
• Must be able to do all of these things while chatting to friends on Skype and updating your Facebook status
• Must be willing to work these insanely long hours for free

Please only email if you have all of the above skills and live on the Sunshine Coast. All qualified applicants please email your resume to van@evangeline.com.au.

How to find art buyers

“How can I find art buyers for my work?”. This is the million dollar question, and I may just have a million dollar answer for you.

Selling artwork can be a tricky business. Most artists would rather be tucked away in their studio making masterpieces instead of out there selling our work. But it’s a necessary evil. Unless you have a great agent or gallery representing your work, you’re going to have to tell people about your work in order to attract buyers. Learning what works best for your particular art can be a daunting task. I’m sure I’m not the only person out there who gets advice left, right and centre from well-meaning family members on the best avenues for selling art. There are a lot of ways to get your name out there, and I’m sorry to say that most of them are a complete waste of time.

A while back I posted this very question on several social networks, and received dozens of responses from willing contributors. Some themes began to arise, as people discussed exactly what has worked for them. Admittedly this was a self-serving tactic to get ideas on how to find buyers for myself. But never one to have mastered the skill of secret-keeping, I want to share this goldmine of good ideas with other artists.

How to find buyers:

GALLERIES
As a self-represented artist it’s hard to admit this… Get into a gallery! This is the sole most important thing that you can do in order to get noticed as an artist. After all, they are the only really convenient way for buyers to shop and they already come with a list of collectors and clientele. Do your research and find a gallery that your work fits into. There’s no point in approaching a street art gallery if you’re painting floral still-lifes. Build a relationship with the gallery owners in your local area by attending openings, shows, commenting on visitors books and visiting regularly.

But this article is about how to find buyers through other means….

BUYERS ARE PEOPLE TOO
Of course they are. Which means you can find them anywhere, anytime. So be nice to people, communicate, be friendly, smile and talk openly about your art. You never know when you’re talking to a potential buyer.

TEACHING
Teaching is a great way to meet a large number of people who love art. If the students like your work enough to want to learn from you, chances are they will like it enough to purchase a piece from you.

ART SHOWS & MARKETS       
Local markets and art events are a great way to get a lot of people seeing your work. If you have local markets, consider renting a stall on a regular basis to get people familiar with your work. This is great if you’re starting out and don’t yet have gallery representation.

GROUP SHOWS
Enter a lot of group shows, especially with artists that have similar work to yours. Align yourself with artists that have the same philosophy or style and collaborate. This is a great way to share your work with a wider audience that likes similar work.

COMPETITIONS
Enter every local competition. This is a great way to raise your profile and get the respect from buyers. Buyers generally want to know that you’re planning on working for a long time to come, as art buying can oftentimes be an investment purchase. It’s also a good opportunity for your work to get looked at by art reviewers, curators or gallery owners, even if you don’t win.

LICENSING
Your art can have more than one application for use. It can sell in the form of prints, mugs, T-shirts, iPhone covers, towels, etc… Licence your work to make some extra money and spread the word about your art. It will get people checking out your work, which in turn could result in finding more buyers for the original work as well.

OPEN STUDIO
Participate in local art studio tours, and either be a part of or organize to have your open studio as part of a bigger event, to get more people in the door. People who are interested in your art usually want to get to know you better and have a chat. This is a great way for them to get some special treatment by coming to your home. I have found this the most practical solution to finding buyers, as well as the thing that works best. Open your doors!

KEEP IT LOCAL
Your local community wants to get behind your art! Having a successful artist in your community is something to be proud of. We all want to be proud of the place we live. I have found that no matter how small a community, if there is something exciting happening people love to get behind it. Involve them, make art for them and expand your reputation from there. There is a big misconception that you have to go to the big city in order to ‘make it’. Regional art is quickly becoming more and more respected and sought after as the world globalizes. It’s that sense of community which makes art distinctive of where you come from, and original.

LOCAL ART GROUPS
Art groups are full or artists, and artists are usually art lovers (unless they’re sadists). Join an art group and meet people who love art.

CONSISTANCY
Showing your work regularly is important, as it helps to make people familiar with your work and reminds them that you’re around. Exhibit regularly. There is no magic bullet to success, but constant promotion of your work to your peers and the whole universe of potential buyers will pay off.

RESTAURANTS, CAFES & OTHER PUBLIC SPACES
When you’re first starting out, you can be flexible about where you hang. This will give you practice in hanging a show and allow you to develop a good eye for hanging. You may also find that if reasonably priced, you’ll find buyers.

RESIDENCIES
This is a great way to expand your audience. Most residencies end in a show where you will meet buyers in that community. They also come with a lot of publicity from the residency program, which will help to raise your profile.

GO TO POSH ART GATHERINGS
If there’s an annual cultural tea party at the governor’s place, go. If there’s an embassy exhibition abroad, take it. If the local gallery is hosting a champagne and chocolate soirée, put a good frock on and go. Go to special members only events, curators’ tours, preview parties, cocktail matinees, masked balls… But remember to take your business card and a smile along!

HANG OUT WHERE BUYERS HANG OUT
Here’s what one person wrote:

“People who collect art, usually collect other luxury items. For example I did a study in 2005 and found people who collect wine also tend to collect art and value fine furnishings. Try looking for articles on all kinds of collectors and couples in auction house publications and other periodicals dedicated to single item collecting. Go to those art openings!”

If people love art, they’ll most likely be doing arty things. Arts Organizations, like a local symphony, a renaissance Festival, and community arts groups are just a few ideas. Participate in professional groups, as fellow artists are the best buyers. Think cultured thoughts. Where do cultured people hang out?

ADVERTISING
Advertising works, so do what you can afford. Postcards, posters, business cards, print ads, email newsletters… If you have an event, don’t forget to let people know about it. If you can’t afford to put an ad in the paper, look into putting out a media release.

ONLINE PRESENSE
This is a complicated one, so I’ll keep it brief and do a separate post. Here are the basic things you should get: website, facebook page, twitter account, Linkedin Prodile, email-newsltter and Instagram. And link them all.

THE BOYSCOUT METHOD – BE PREPARED
Have a good biography, business card and images CD with you everywhere you go. Be ready to share your work and take every single opportunity that comes your way. If you don’t have your business card on you chances are you’ve just missed a sale.

DONATE
Give a painting to a worthy cause which you care about and ask the organization to promote you as a donator/artist. You probably wont receive anything for your contribution other than a ticket to the opening (some have made me purchase a ticket), and you certainly will not be able to use the donation as a tax write off (as the buyer will), but hey, you can feel good about yourself and get your mug on the paper.

CONSIGN TO SHOPS
If you’re not in a gallery, consider hitting up local home décor shops or framing shops and consign your work to them. They will usually let you hang it on there for a percentage fee (30-50%). It’s a big chunk, but it’s the standard.

GET SOME RICH FRIENDS
And tell them to call Evangeline Cachinero. Seriously, friends are going to be your best supporters, so if you have rich friends you’ll do well. If I had a penny for every time a friend said, “I’m going to buy your art… when I’m rich”. It’s much easier just to get yourself some rich friends.

BE TRUE TO YOURSELF
In finding buyers for your work, it’s good to remind yourself of why you’re doing it in the first place. Here is a great post that I received from an artist in China:

“I have learned that the question ‘How do you find art collectors and buyers?’ was blocking me from finding the answer. There are 3 major questions that needs to be answered previously and I could not skip the steps:

1. What does my art convey?
2. Who is the most subject to need that message and
3. What are these people doing/or are ready to do to get that message?

This way, I have created some self-awareness about my artwork and creative process, I have realised that there is a typical profile for people who love my artwork and I relate to that profile. Therefore, the networking I did to reach these people was easy (and still is) because we share some same values and interests. So it is easy for me to convey my message verbally about my paintings and when they see them, it’s a sale at 90% of the time. This was a long process to find out about all these things and the right question to ask.”

Now doesn’t that just warm the cockles of your soul and remind you that it’s not a sales game? Now go off and make friends with people who love art!

WEEKLY RENT SPECIAL: $360 (week of Dec 11)

WEEKLY RENT SPECIAL $360
Off to the Races
2011
30.5 x 30.5 cm
Mixed Media on Canvas

WEEKLY RENT SPECIAL: $360 (week of Dec 04)

WEEKLY RENT SPECIAL $360
Off to the Races
2011
30.5 x 30.5 cm
Mixed Media on Canvas

Art For My Rent: Part II (it’s the 6th month anniversary!)

Six months ago I started the Art For My Rent project on a whim. It instinctively brought together various concepts that I had been toying with into one idea. But what exactly was that idea? Why do I keep calling this website an ‘art project’? What am I trying to achieve with this? These are all questions that I’m hoping to answer on a much deeper level.

In my journey to find my place in the art world (or create my place), I have struggled with some basic concepts. One of my strongest and most confusing struggles is my  resistance to branding and marketing. “But… isn’t this site based around a good branding concept?” some of you might think. On the surface, yes. But it underpins many concepts that I’ve yet to process. Concepts that I’ve written about briefly but haven’t thoroughly dissected, so that  they don’t make sense to me yet.

I need to make art. I need it like I need to breathe, and I can’t function properly if I don’t make art. This is my contribution to the world, as anything else feels like I’m not living up to my full potential. When I seek to make a living from my art and find that it’s nearly impossible, I have to question whether my contribution is of any value to the world. Just what is it that makes art of value to people, and to the world?

I like to think of myself as a spiritual and deeply connected person, even when locked away in my studio for long periods of time. When I talk about my contribution I see all the various parts that make the world go ’round working together, and this is my bit. If my bit isn’t working, than the whole thing is broken. I’m not talking about myself personally. I’m talking about the arts. I’m talking about the difficulty of artists trying to carve out their piece and be able to contribute to this world as they were born to do.

We all know that if you want to be an artist you have to create your own career, you have to “build it so they will come”. Call me juvenile, call me a dreamer, but I think that there’s a better way.

I’m perfectly aware that I’m ranting here. As I said, these struggles that I have are raw and unformed. This concept from the beginning has been raw and unformed. I’m the sort of person that does something instinctively and then things about it for ages until every little angle has been explored, and the whole memory is this tidy little package I can organize and file away as ‘having learned that’. I want to have learned this, and I’m open about not even being close to having it sorted.

Which brings me to the point of this post… It’s time to roll out Art For My Rent Part II.

I want to use the next six months as a time of reflection in which I discuss the project. Since I’ve picked up a few good tips, I hope to pass a lot of these on to other artists so that you can avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made and will let you in on what really worked!

To all of my buyers thus far, I’d like to give you my sincere thanks. Creating and exploring is something that I need to do, and it often results in having paintings in many different styles. I’m happy that these explorations have gone to happy homes. Not only have you scored an inexpensive art piece, but you are part of an ongoing art project that I believe is important in asking some pertinent questions about contemporary art culture. I hope that as the project begins to unravel, that you will see what an important part of the project you have been simply by purchasing a work of art.

Now, I still have to figure out just how I’m going to do this! Will keep you updated and keep writing. But most importantly… will keep MAKING ART!

x
evangeline