When to Buy Art Directly from an Artist vs. through a Venue

My corner at Dos Manos Gallery in Anchorage, AK

Have you ever bought something on eBay using the “Buy it Now” feature? You might feel like you are paying more, but you don’t have to wait, and you don’t have to risk someone else buying the item.  Maybe the bids will price the item higher than the “Buy It Now” feature, and you’ll end up getting a bad deal. Buying artwork is very much the same way. I am often pulled aside at one of my art shows, and asked in a quiet way if it would be better to wait until the show comes down to purchase the art directly from me, that way I get a higher percentage of the overall price. My answer is always, “If you love it, and you want it, buy it now through the venue.”

When I hang artwork at a gallery, brewery or coffee shop, I am working with that venue as a partner. I want to be invited to have art shows there again, and I also want that business to succeed. Rent, employees, and other overhead costs are part of the reason I pay a commission to the “house”. They sell my art for me, so I don’t have to be there in person to sell it myself. Galleries would not be able to exist without their cut of the sale. Breweries and coffee shops have a pretty fine margin, and selling artwork helps supplement the high costs of paying employees and buying ingredients. Galleries curate artists, which may seem as easy as approaching one and asking to be represented, but there are actually a lot of artists competing for a limited amount of wall space. The galleries will represent the artists who sell more work, and reject the ones whose artwork stagnates. Please buy directly from the venue, it helps me get more space on the walls, and leads to more solo shows. As Dos Manos always says, “higher tides float all boats.”

The times to approach me to buy directly from me is if you see the piece on the Internet and want a more personal experience than buying it online. In that case, you can schedule a studio visit. Also, if you want a special piece made just for you, or if you saw a piece that has already sold at a venue and want a similar one, or if I am not currently showing anywhere and you want to buy artwork you previously saw at a venue. Don’t wait to ensure that I get a larger cut of the profits. While I do appreciate the sentiment, I prefer that you have instant gratification of owning that piece that caught your eye. I wouldn’t show my artwork at a venue that I didn’t think was a fair deal. If you wait, there is a chance the piece might sell to someone else.

The moment you are inspired to buy artwork is a special thing, if you wait until later you may not have that same feeling. Your wall will possibly stay unadorned, and it can become a constant thing on the back burner of your mind. Meanwhile, the piece of art sits in a cabinet unseen and waiting to find its final home. My goal as an artist is to see all my pieces find good homes, where they will be properly taken care of, and valued by the patron. When pieces leave the studio to good homes, that inspires me to make more art. When I bring home a lot of pieces at the end of an art show, I also consider not showing at that place again. So don’t delay, “Buy it Now,” you won’t regret it, and I will applaud your decisive decision to be a patron of my artwork! 

So, where can you currently buy my art in person? This blog post was written on March 23, 2023.

• Dos Manos Gallery
• Turnagain Brewing Co. until April 6th
• Alaska Cycle Chic starting April 7th, until May 4th
• My studio by appointment
• Arctic Comic Con May 6 & 7 at Dena’ina Convention Center
• Girdwood Forest Fair July 7, 8, 9

Cheers to original art, and to partnerships between artists, galleries and patrons! 

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Sales Channels for Selling Art: Pop-Ups, Art Shows, Galleries, and Online

December is here, and it is now officially crunch time to get your holiday shopping completed.  As an artist, I have mixed feelings about the holiday season.  On one side I make more money at this time of year than any other time. On the other side, I have to work almost every weekend at in-person vending events, such as pop-ups.  We sell art primarily through these channels: in person at pop-ups/craft fairs, at galleries, art shows at venues around town, and online.

Vending in person at pop-ups and craft fairs is an interesting opportunity for both the buyer and artist. I get to meet my clients, and can help them find the art they are looking for, or let them know about art pieces I may not have brought with me, but are available on my Etsy shop. In which case, they can pick up the artwork when it is ready a few days later at the studio (if you are lucky, you might get invited in for a home-brew ;). It is a lot of work setting up and taking down the booth, and has to be calculated in to our work day. Most of the time, there is no fee for us to sell at pop-up events, except credit card processing fees, and the cost of a couple beers, if the event is at a brewery. Sometimes breweries waive my tab, which always makes me very happy! Craft fairs charge a few hundred dollars for a booth. By the way, I’ll be selling my art at a pop-up at Anchorage Brewing Co. along with several other local makers on Saturday, December 3, starting at 2pm.

Selling my art at a pop-up at Anchorage Brewing Co.

Galleries are a way to work with sales people and meet a larger audience.  However, galleries take 40% – 50% commission, which makes sense, since they have brick-and-mortar overhead.  After dropping off art to a gallery, the artist doesn’t have to do any work except keep track of what the gallery has and what they will need when something sells.  Unfortunately, the gallery only has a certain amount of space, so artists are limited to sell only what the gallery is willing to put on its walls. Galleries have sales people that work to sell the art. This is a major benefit, especially since artists are not always good at selling their own art. I’m very happy to have my art at Dos Manos Gallery!

My art at Dos Manos Gallery

Art shows at venues like breweries, restaurants, and coffee shops are another way for an artist to reach an audience. This is a bit more than a pop-up, but less than complete gallery representation. It is super fun as an artist to have a reception at your art show. Everyone is there to see the artwork, and that is really rewarding. The artist often has to handle all the sales, if the venue doesn’t want to process art sales, which is a hurdle for the buyer, and leads to fewer sales.  Art shows last about a month, so you are committed to that venue for a longer bit of time than a pop-up.  Most art show venues don’t care if they sell anything, or not, so you often don’t get a sales person, like yourself at a pop-up, or an employee of a gallery. Sometimes nothing sells at all at an art show venue. Most of the time people go to the venue for the real reason it exists: food at a restaurant, or a haircut at a stylist, or beer at a brewery.  Or they go to see your artwork. Most likely, if they are already on an artist’s mailing list, they already have artwork from the artist and may be there to support the artist personally and not to purchase art.  My next art show will be at Midnight Sun Brewing Co. in January.

At my art show at Midnight Sun Brewing Co.

Online selling is a good way to sell art.  It is also very challenging, but if done correctly, can be quite profitable. You can sell direct from your website, this requires expensive web hosting, and secure checkout. SEO is a problem with that.  There are a few other online venues: Etsy is one of the best, but there is also Fine Art America, iCanvas, Redbubble, and Deviantart. The listings are time consuming and require a keen eye for detail.  Art purchasers don’t like to see typos in a listing — it makes them feel that the artist is careless. There is often a lot of communication before a sale is made, and if it isn’t handled correctly, the sale is lost. It is tedious to manage an online site for art sales.  Some of these websites require the artist to make and mail all the art, like Etsy.  Other sites, like RedBubble, or Fine Art America print all the merchandise, and mail it. But these sites take a much bigger cut for those services.  Buying art online is really easy, you can do it from your phone, however, it is hard to tell what you will receive. This is fine when ordering a t-shirt from Redbubble, but a bit disconcerting to the purchaser when buying expensive originals, or fragile pieces. We just sold an original painting to a client in France, and I was really proud of the Real Art Is Better team, that my artwork was being shipped all the way to the cultural center of Europe.  We’re offering a 20% discount, and free domestic shipping right now at our Etsy shop for a limited time.

We use all of these methods to sell art. And I find pop-ups to be the most work, but also the most profitable, especially when I am at a brewery. Not so much when I am vending at a craft fair, because there’s more competition from other vendors, and beer art is not everyone’s cup of tea. Galleries are good because they get the word out to art collectors, and help with establishing your brand, and the gallery does all the work.  Art shows are fun, especially at the reception when the artist is honored, but most often you only sell a small percentage of what has been hung, and it is a lot of work moving artwork around and taking it back down. Online is a lot of setup and a ton of work when it comes to packing and mailing, or requires faith in the offsite production of reproduced items.  We find that all these methods are working to keep our business running. All have their pros and cons. It’s a matter of getting it all out there, whatever the method.              

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #49, December 3, 2015

Happy 49^th Thirsty Thursday from the 49^th State! I painted this week’s beer painting live at Anchorage Brewing Company last night. If I said I am a fan of Anchorage Brewing Company, it would be the understatement of the Millennium; I am absolutely gaga over its delicious libations. This was the 12^th brewery I have painted live at since I started doing it last year, when I was invited to paint at HooDoo Brewing in Fairbanks. I have also painted at Dogfish Head (Delaware), Hill Farmstead (Vermont), Allagash (Maine), Bell’s (Michigan), Ommegang (New York), Yards (Pennsylvania), Tired Hands (PA), Spring House (PA), Midnight Sun (Anchorage), and Resolution (Anchorage). Click on each brewery’s name to see the painting from it. I like this painting of Anchorage Brewing, because it shows so much of the brewery, and, of course, both the beer and bottle in the same frame. Gabe Fletcher, the owner/operator of ABC, should be known as the Brettanomyces King, since so many of his lovely ales and beers are fermented and aged in Oak barrels. ABC starts with a lovely product and then makes it extra special with the aging process! The Mosaic Saison is a beer that has improved with age in the last few months since it’s release, and buying a bottle to be consumed at the brewery was fortuitous indeed, as this beer looks pretty too! When I saw the design for the label I knew it was only a matter of time until I painted this one!

Cheers to Anchorage, my hometown and home to Gabe Fletcher’s Anchorage Brewing Company! A place that can only be described as World Class!

The original painting sold. You can purchase limited-edition prints, or order a custom beer painting at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #49 by Scott Clendaniel. December 3, 2015. Mosaic Saison by Anchorage Brewing Co. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #48, November 26, 2015

When I started the Thirsty Thursday beer paintings project, I forgot that Thanksgiving would be one of the days I would get to release a painting. Unlike last year, when I released a new beer painting every day, this year I hardly had to post on a holiday, and I kind of miss it! This week’s painting is of Peak 3 Pale Ale from Resolution Brewing. I have an art show hanging on the walls of the taproom, so I painted live there last Saturday during a decent snowstorm. This pale ale is named for a local recreational spot, which I believe is about the closest place I know where to make turns in the freshest snow close to Anchorage. Resolution Brewing is Anchorage’s smallest operating brewery. The brewers have to keep a robust brewing schedule, working with a 3 BBL system. Hard work pays off, and this small oasis is proving to be a new hot meeting spot in the up and coming neighborhood of Mountain View. The brewery is Belgian-style, but as batches are so “micro,” I think they are willing to take a stab at whatever they decide to be the flavor of the week. The brewers at this tiny facility are artfully brewing unique beers. Some of the other lovely beers I have tasted at Resolution are Tent City dry-hopped Belgian ale, Black Cup Coffee Porter, Madam sour beer blended with cherries, Lost Anchor IPA, and First Chair Amber Saison. Step up to the bar at Resolution, sometime in the near future, where you are sure to see someone you know, or make a new friend before you leave.

This original oil painting, and limited-edition prints are for sale at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #48 by Scott Clendaniel. November 26, 2015. Peak 3 Pale Ale by Resolution Brewing Co. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #37, September 10, 2015

Paul Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) is most famous for his legendary drip paintings. Born in Wyoming, Pollock created his masterpieces in his studio in upstate New York. Jackson Pollock worked differently than traditional Western artists, stretching the boundaries of what people considered to be art. He used non-traditional mediums – paint that was more fluid-based, and engineered for building application. He would dance around an un-stretched canvas on the floor of his studio, applying paint with sticks, stiff brushes, and even used a turkey baster from time to time.

“I continue to get further away from the usual painter’s tools such as easel, palette, brushes, etc.” – Jackson Pollock.

Notorious for his alcoholism, and known to drink a quart of whiskey a day, the artist died in November of 1956 in a drunken driving accident. A true shame, as he was only 44 years old. At least he really got to live for the short time he was productive on this planet. For this reason, I admit that a beer painting in his style could be considered inappropriate, but I couldn’t resist making a painting using Pollock’s technique.

I had fun channeling this artist, and really made a mess. Normally I work in oil paint, but had to buy acrylic and latex paint for this painting. I set the painting support on a larger piece of plywood outside in a large open area on my lot in McCarthy, and just started throwing paint with a big brush. No, I did not consume a quart of whiskey while working on this piece. I waited until evening before drinking a beer, although I feel it would not have hindered my ability to paint in this way. I just had to climb on ladders while working on my cabin during the afternoon. I should have done this painting in the evening so I could drink beer while applying the drips of paint. Well, hindsight is 20-20.

“It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well.” – Jackson Pollock.

The original painting, and limited-edition prints are for sale at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #37 by Scott Clendaniel. September 10, 2015. Inspired by Jackson Pollock. 18″x26″, mixed media on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #35, August 27, 2015

Let’s revisit René Magritte. I already sampled his famous Ceci n’est pas une pipe (this is not a pipe) piece by painting a pint glass instead of a pipe, and changing the name to “Ceci n’est pas une pint.” This week’s Thirsty Thursday beer painting is a parody of his self-portrait The Son of Man. This painting leaves a lot up to the interpreter as the apple, or beer pint in this case, completely obscures the face of Magritte.  I call this one The Pint of Man.

Magritte says this about the painting, “At least it hides the face partly well, so you have the apparent face, the apple hiding the visible, but hidden, the face of the person. It’s something that happens constantly. Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see. There is an interest in that which is hidden and which the visible does not show us. This interest can take the form of a quite intense feeling, a sort of conflict, one might say, between the visible that is hidden and the visible that is present. (In a radio interview with Jean Neyens (1965), cited in Torczyner, Magritte: Ideas and Images, trans. Richard Millen (New York: Harry N. Abrams), p.172.)

Were you thinking about beer goggles while reading the last paragraph? Because that’s what came to my mind. I think the beer pint is a nice addition to Magritte’s concept, because alcohol hides a bit from any social interaction, yet it seems to be readily available at most social times. Entrenched drug cultures often eliminate the stigma of a drug so much that the drug becomes a normal day-to-day habit, and is no longer acknowledged for what it is. I think that the beer pint set in the stage of The Son of Man is accurate to the original concept by Magritte, because the beer interchanges so well with the apple, a symbol for the fruit of good and evil. Those of us who indulge in beer know that it is good, but too much can be evil, and sometimes can lead to harmful aftereffects. Whether beer is good, or evil is debatable, however it can definitely add, or subtract from a conversation. Alcohol can add when there is nothing to talk about, but subtract when too much clouds the mind.

Cheers, and remember, “Moderation in all things… including moderation.” – Oscar Wilde

The original oil painting sold. You can purchase limited-edition prints, or order a custom painting at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #35 by Scott Clendaniel. August 27, 2015. The Pint of Man. 11″x14″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #32, August 6, 2015

Holy Grail of beer?  Dom Perignon?  Tom Dalldorf is a bit on the dramatic side when describing this unique Belgian Double IPA by Anchorage Brewing Company.  He wrote the verbiage on the bottle.  Don’t get me wrong, I dig the beer.  It’s great, and I don’t doubt the 96 rating on Beer Advocate.  Actually, I think it deserves a higher score, but calling it the Holy Grail may be a bit of a hyperbole.  This beer is unique, and not what you would expect from a regular 9% IPA.  First off, it has Brettanomyces added, and second, it was aged in Chardonnay barrels, imparting a unique flavor that very few breweries come close to.  There is a reason it is 10 bucks, or more for a bottle of this caliber.  It takes extra effort, and triple fermentation to brew something this special.  I can totally see an aging monk thinking about this beer continually, going to the cold storage room to check on the barrel, just making sure it is safe.  Why is this monk so bitter?  100 IBUs from Citra and Apollo hops would cause many people to make the bitter beer face, but not as bitter as if you were chaste as well.  Imagine a lifetime of chastity, at least certain monks can enjoy the fermented juice of the barley.  Think of the cold storage room and the entry by the special abbey key leading to a very special place where warmth is only provided by consuming the brew within.  Don’t be bitter, give this brew a try.  Its unique, delicious flavor will have you wishing you bought a case!

The original oil painting, and limited-edition prints are for sale at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #32 by Scott Clendaniel. August 6, 2015. Bitter Monk IPA by Anchorage Brewing Co. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

 

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #29, July 16, 2015

The Skilak Lake is a popular destination on the Kenai Peninsula. If you go, don’t forget to bring the Skilak Scottish Ale from Kenai River Brewing Co. Skilak is one of the biggest lakes on the Kenai and is easily accessible from Soldotna and Anchorage. The fact that it’s a popular destination makes sense, because there are two campgrounds and square miles of beautiful crystal blue water to enjoy. The views are nice too.

Skilak Scottish Ale pours with a robust creamy head that is more than ample. The aroma is of licorice and smoke. This is a very malt-forward beer that finishes with a hint of piney hops. The taste is robust of licorice candy and caramel dark grain. It is sweet and satisfying. A nice dark amber beer with a hint of peat. The mouth feel is a bit boozy even at only 5.3% ABV, and this beer is creamy and smooth. Overall, highly recommended for drinking during out of town adventures, preferably by a lake.

Cheers to Kenai River Brewing, a great Alaska brewery producing unique brews! Keep up the good work!

The original oil painting sold.  You can purchase limited-edition prints, or order a custom painting at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #29 by Scott Clendaniel. July 16, 2015. Skilak Scottish Ale by Kenai River Brewing Co. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #28, July 9, 2015

Henri Emile Benoît Matisse (1869-1954) was quite the prolific artist. He painted all types of things, but was mostly noted for his use of bright colors and his stylistic representation of different forms. He was a leader of the Fauve movement, of which the literal translation is, wild beasts, and which became famous for usage of color and loose painting techniques. This painting I emulated is in Matisse’s mature style, and was originally painted in 1937. The woman is Matisse’s assistant Lydia Delectorskaya dressed in Moroccan garb, sitting next to a vase of flowers and some citrus fruits. I swapped the three fruits for a beer pint (thinking of a citrusy IPA). I have always respected the work of Matisse and I chose to paint this one because a beer-loving friend in PA passed on the idea to me from one of his buddies. Reproducing Matisse’s work made me respect the artist more. It has so much more eye-popping quality in paint than a reproduction on a screen or on a printed page. When I was painting this copy, my eyes were strained from the reverberations caused by the contrasting bright color. As one steps back from the painting, the reverberations calm and the cohesive work stands out amongst other paintings. Thanks Henri for giving me something so wonderful to study and to incorporate into my Thirsty Thursday paintings series.

The original oil painting sold.  You can purchase limited-edition prints, or order a custom painting at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #28 by Scott Clendaniel. July 9, 2015. Woman in a Purple Coat with a Pint of Beer. 11″x14″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #26, June 25, 2015

Starry, starry night. I know I already used this image a few months ago, but I felt I wanted to do it again. Last time I painted it into the foam on top of the glass, and that painting found a good home (hi Christine and Peter), but I was wondering to myself how it would have turned out if I had done it this way. So, rather than try to figure out what obscure artist I was going to emulate today, I figured, let’s just see what would happen if I painted the Starry Night with pints instead of stars. I could call it the Starry Pint, but that’s what I called the first one. This one must be Beer Night, before I was seeing art in the beer. This painting shows what happens when beer is truly on your mind; you will see it in the stars at night. I have always loved this piece by Van Gogh, and now, after emulating the colors and brush strokes, I want to go back and look at the original to study it a bit more. Looks like I’ll have to make a trip back to MoMA in New York City some time soon.

The original painting sold. You can purchase limited-edition prints, or order a custom beer painting at my Etsy shop.

Click on the pictures in this gallery to see a larger version of each image.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #26 by Scott Clendaniel. June 25, 2015. “Beer Night”. 20″x16″, oil on panel.