Let’s say you are having a one woman show and a collector comes up to you and says:
I love your art! tell me about it.
You smile and start talking without knowing what to say. Sure, you can talk about your art all day long – but when someone is interested in purchasing your work, the words seems to run together.
What are you supposed to say, and what is the best way to talk about your art?
There are many approaches but here is an example:
First of all – breathe.
Then thank the person for their interest. Remember they said they loved your work. This is when you can ask them a question because people love to talk about themselves and what they like.
Ask them what they liked about your work. This will give you an important clue as to what to respond to. They may like your colors or your design… you can then expand on this topic.
Always ask them questions so you don’t have to do all the talking. They will leave thinking you are an extremely articulate person as they learned so much.
Giving them a long dissertation about how you apply the paint and how many layers are on the painting probably isn’t the way to go.
People are interested but start with tidbits and if they are still interested after the tidbits then go for the gusto.
What you do NOT want to say about your painting is this:
Oh, I did this painting in 10 minutes!
This was an old painting I decided to paint over to see if I could save it.
You are the first person to like this painting…others think it is strange.
This old thing…you really like it? Wow.
Artists have a mystique about them which intrigues people. They want to get to know you and your art. Don’t shy away from this advantage so work on a short 2 minute informative bit about your art. Draw them into your world by saying what you do but with a twist of mystery.
Here is an example:
As a professional artist, I create abstracted landscapes that inspire and empower the viewer to feel the simplistic mystery of nature.
This says a lot with few words.
After you have your wording down pat then practice saying this in front of the mirror until you feel comfortable.
Knowing how to talk about your art in a professional manner shows confidence and confidence sells art.
