Is Any Artwork Worth $450 Million? (Curious Monday)
Last week, someone paid $450million for Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi.
Yeah, it’s Leonardo.
Yeah, there are fewer than 25 known works by Leonardo.
Yeah, it’d be pretty cool to have one of Leo’s works hanging in your home.
But … 4 hundred and 50 million dollars?
Is any artwork worth that amount?
Tell us what you think in a comment.
The Art Biz ep. 12: The Bumpy Road to Success: Stories from Our Clients
I believe in the power of being part of a dynamic group of ambitious people.
You can’t possibly get everything you need from a single person, and I can’t possibly know everything there is to know about artists’ businesses and careers. That’s why I created the Art Biz Inner Circle and why it has grown over the years.
Our members represent a wide range of media, personal goals, and geographical regions – including quite a few who are overseas. Yet they rely on one another for inspiration, motivation, strategies, and accountability.
Throughout the year, we have watched many of our members create and attain their stretch goals – several of them doubling (and more) their income from last year.
We supported members as they struggled and reorganized their plans. Yes, even the ones who attained their big goals encountered bumps along the road to success.
Our team of coaches is top-notch (I don’t trust just anyone with my clients).
In this podcast, I talk with Debby Williams and Cynthia Morris, who serve as coaches for our members in the Art Biz Inner Circle. We discuss the celebrations we witnessed as well as the many struggles our artists faced and we provide numerous tips to help with your artist journey.
7 Ways You Might Be Scaring Off Potential Buyers
Art buyers often have as many insecurities about the process of buying art as you do, which means they are sensitive to the signals you’re sending.
It’s your job to reassure them that they are making the right decisions – and you can do so in very subtle ways without resorting to sales speak.
And it has just as much to do with what you don’t do and say.
Here are seven practices that will scare off your audience and potential fans.
1. Being indecisive about prices.
Indecision makes you appear less confident.
Set your prices after you’ve done your homework and be ready to share them in person and online.
If you’re ever pushed for a price that you aren’t certain about, say, “Let me check my list and get back to you. I wouldn’t want to give you the wrong price.”
2. Apologizing for your art.
The apologetic artist who brushes aside compliments about her art is not market-attractive.
I am not in any way condoning arrogance. I’m saying that you need to hold your head up and say “Thank You” when you are given a compliment.
As Julia Child said in Julie & Julia, “Never apologize. No excuses. No explanations.” Along the same lines . . .
3. Playing down the fact that you’re an artist.
Heart surgeons don’t look at the ground and say, “I’m kind of a heart surgeon.” When someone asks what you do, you shouldn’t respond meekly with, “Well, I’m kind of an artist.”
The Art Biz ep. 11: Portrait Project and Museum Exhibition with Lisa Kovvuri
Lisa and I discuss her project, The Portrait Experience, and how it was conceived and executed at Whistler House Museum of Art.
In particular, she reveals how she found people to sit for her and what she learned during the project. We also learn that most of the paintings had since sold.
You’re Probably Going to Fail
My definition of failure is not taking a chance. Not risking it. Playing it safe.
Everything else that other people might call failures, I prefer to think of as lessons.
Failure would be giving up without absorbing the lessons that might contribute to my personal and professional growth.
You’re probably familiar with this well-known quote:
What would you attempt if you knew you couldn’t fail?
– Robert Schuller
It’s a good one, huh? What would you try if you were assured a successful outcome?
There’s zero risk, so why not?
I’ll tell you why not. Because it doesn’t sound like fun. It’s a gimme. There’s no adrenaline rush or sense of accomplishment if you already know the outcome.
I like this updated version:
If something is important enough you should try, even if the probable outcome is failure.
– Elon Musk
In other words, what do you believe in so passionately that you are ready to take a chance on it even if your success isn’t guaranteed?
7 Ways to Expedite Your Breakthrough
I hope you’ll agree that breakthroughs come in handy. Yes?
It’s pretty awesome when the perfect answer appears or that nagging problem is solved. Suddenly, the barrier is removed and you can make progress.
You can’t identify the moment that a breakthrough will happen, but you can prepare yourself for it to come.
Breakthroughs happen as a result of doing the work and being present. Here are 7 ways to accelerate the process.
1. Solve a problem.
Any problem! Art is about solving problems.
How can I balance the composition?
How can I make this with less expensive materials?
How can I convey this or that emotion?
Faith Ringgold was researching shipping options for her paintings when she realized that if she just painted on fabric, without the support, she could roll it up and easily ship it in a tube.
2. Challenge yourself.
There’s very little motivation in the daily grind: update Facebook, schedule a few tweets, send a newsletter, write a blog post, work in the studio. If you’re not careful, you can get stuck checking off menial tasks without doing something extraordinary for your art and for yourself.
Pick a color or
