Affordable On-line Art Gallery

It is often difficult for an artist to find a gallery prepared to take their work. Even if they do find an art gallery, the art gallery may restrict the number of art works hung and space or time permitted for an exhibition. But the main problem for most newer artists is the question of being unknown. Unless an artist is already known it is almost impossible to find a gallery willing to handle their work. But how to become known and how to earn some income in the meantime?

Even when an art gallery is located and terms agreed there is the question of commission and sales tax which can mean that the gallery and the picture framer earn more than the artist.

The commercial aspect of a working life in art is a difficult one to manage. It is rare that an artist makes a reasonable living from art without having to supplement with other work such as teaching. An artist can also attempt to raise their profile by entering competitions and with luck and talent gain prize money also.

Artists are turning to the internet to increase their audience exposure and assist in making sales of their work.
Many on-line art galleries however have no selection criteria for work submitted and further they do not permit dedicated space for each artist. The end result is that an artist’s work does not show in any cohesive manner, unless the user already knows the name of the artist and searches for their name.

On-line art galleries can assist developing and established artists achieve increased exposure for their art work and can generate another income source for the artist by providing an alternative exhibition space that could reach a wider audience. Usually there will be several categories such as watercolours / watercolors, oils, sculpture, pottery, jewellery, even millinery, acrylics, pastels, mixed media etc.

However if a good on-line gallery is chosen which organizes art work with integrity then some increased exposure and increased sales can result. Of course, it depends what each individual artists expects On-line art galleries can assist developing and established artists achieve increased exposure for their art work and can generate another income source for the artist by providing an alternative exhibition space that could reach a wider audience. The artist needs to consider how they will arrange payment for their work, shipping methods, returns policies, and even whether a work is sold framed or unframed. For international shipping it is probably not cost effective to ship framed works unless the work is of very high value and a reputable courier is being used. With shipping in mind, special attention may need to be made about size and a system of packaging developed.

Some users viewing on-line galleries have no art education so to speak. Their expectations can be solely based on price. They often do not know the difference between original and copies (prints). An artist, listing on-line, can expect to receive a few of the usual sort of scam propositions but these are rare in the art field and fairly easy to spot.

However despite the disadvantages of occasional nuisance, the necessity to photograph all art works and upload them to on-line gallery space, an on-line gallery is well worth considering for all practising artists.