Larry Lemons emailed us this very imaginative art marketing idea. This is a great example of how to use your creativity to enjoy success with selling art. Thanks Larry!

We welcome great art marketing ideas from artists – send us your best art marketing ideas and we’ll publish them on Art Marketing Secrets with a link back to your website. But now – read on and enjoy Postcards From Texas!

In addition to the larger paintings that I create for galleries, shows/festivals, and commissions that often take a few weeks to complete, each week I paint a small 6″ x 8″ original on a canvas panel and e-mail it out to several hundred folks all around the country who have expressed a desire to follow my career. I call this series of small paintings “Postcards from Texas.” One of the key features is that the painting is inserted in the e-mail, not attached as a download. I believe this increases the “wow” factor with an immediate reaction to the artwork when the e-mail is opened. I use a special bold type with the words Postcards from Texas (A Painting A Week) written above the image. I try to achieve a consistent professional look so that the recipient will get used to a format that is pleasant and predictable.

This program allows me to not only offer the painting for sale, but I also use the opportunity to share a little of my “homespun” philosophy and include career updates and upcoming show schedule. It has been very well received with the majority of the paintings selling within a few days after they are introduced. In addition, several commissions have resulted from this weekly contact. When I go to shows now, in order to expand my subscriber list, I make a special effort to tell anyone who expresses any interest in my art about my weekly paintings. My “Postcards from Texas” have become a substantial part of my art income and a creative and enjoyable way of letting many folks know that I’m getting out there with my work. To date, I have about 600 subscribers and many tell me that they forward them to their family and friends. I take the unsold paintings to art show/festivals which gives me an added opportunity to talk about them and make a sale.

One note of caution is to know the bulk e-mail policy of your internet service provider to avoid being labeled as a spammer. For me the answer was to group my e-mail addresses in groups of no more than 50 at a time. I send the e-mail to myself and blind copy it to each group of 50 to protect their e-mail privacy. I got the idea from an artist friend that I met a couple years ago who was doing a daily painting and offering it on ebay. If you have more interest in knowing my procedure, I’d be happy to share the mechanics with you. You may also wish to look up the Daily Painters website, as well.

Larry G. Lemons

www.ATexasStateOfMind.com

Thanks Larry!

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