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Some time ago I was told that it was impossible for an artist to sell their own work.

Rubbish!

The only artist who cannot sell their own work is a bad one and does not have the right to be called an artist.

A true artist is so passionate about their work that if paintings were ice creams then they should be able to sell them to eskimos.

I think it is closer to the truth to say that an artist SHOULD NOT sell their own work. They should be spending all their time upon experimenting and painting.

However, equally true is the fact that practically all artists cannot afford to employ others to do the selling for them.

So what should they do?

There are many answers..

And they are not always complicated.

The best, and cheapest, way to sell your own work is by showing them to people. That can be done from where you live - make your house into a proper gallery with good lighting, all work titled and priced, and a catalogue ... or you can take the work to the people.

That is simple to do as well.

You just have to spot a convenient place, be cheeky and ask permission, if necessary pay (or exchange the costs for a small painting) ... and set up.

If you plan it right you might not even need any lighting - just use the daylight. A street vendors licence costs about *15 per year.

A very convenient place can be a vacant shop space. Find the Estate Agents and ask them whether you can use the premises for an temporary exhibition space. You might have to pay rates ... but then again you might be able to barter the costs with a painting.

Another cheap place is selling on a market stall - all you have to do to keep it "upmarket" is to make sure you charge the appropriate prices for your work.

The right price is perhaps one of the biggest headaches you will experience ... so I will dedicate the next article to getting the pricing right.