In this episode of The Art Biz, Kelly shares her income sources, which are dominated by sales of commissions, followed distantly by releases of small paintings.
The post She knows exactly how much her art income will be every month with Kelly Pelfrey (162) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Lately, I’ve been diving into money on The Art Biz.
As much as I do NOT want to talk about money, I know it’s necessary. I also know it’s more necessary for some artists to make money from their work than for others.
If you’re lucky enough to have outside support for your art business—even if it’s from a day job—count your blessings. Because the pressure on the work is real when you don’t have that extra source of income, which is why I will continue to bring up the topic of money.
Let’s continue the conversation in this episode.
Kelly Pelfrey’s goal in 2020 was to replace her $50,000 teaching salary, but she quadrupled that. Her income has allowed her husband to leave his job to focus on his doctorate, feel comfortable about taking maternity leave, and save for college for her children.
Kelly shares her income sources, which are dominated by sales of commissions, followed distantly by releases of small paintings. She also sells art for TV screens, has a monthly print release, and a coffee table book.
[ Procedures for Art Commissions with Sema Martin ]
Kelly obviously has the pulse of her best collectors. Her work is strong for sure, but I also believe that people are buying into Kelly’s joy and optimism. When you hear her and detect that in her voice, I think you’ll know what I mean.
Listen
Mentioned
- Kelly’s Guides for artists
- Kelly’s “TV art”
- Palmetto Publishing
- Teil Duncan’s book, The Color Teil
Kelly Pelfrey Quotes
“I had all this work and I just decided to think about and want it to be something that points people to beauty, that brings people joy—like a book. You open it, take a deep breath and you just can flip through a couple of pages, enjoy art.”
“I have no regrets, but I would encourage any artist that thought about [making a book] to look at making sure that it will be profitable. You don’t want 500 books sitting in your house reminding you of your poor decisions.”
“I typically advertise about seven spots [for commissions] per month…. I also will add in 1-3 spots for designers who reach out to me asking me to create a piece for their clients so that they don’t have to book out that far in advance. They are the ones I’ll make an exception for and slide them into my schedule where I have room.”
“Steady growth and learning what works, slowly increasing pricing, matching demand. So not doing big price increases that the demand wasn’t there for, but slowly increasing.”
“Everyone is their own boss of their inbox. They’re happy to unsubscribe but they need to.”
About My Guest
Kelly Pelfrey graduated with a BFA from the University of South Carolina in 2003. She was a lifelong resident of the Palmetto State until 2022, when she started a new adventure in Kalispell, Montana with her family.
Kelly continues to highlight the beauty of the southern landscape, its hospitality and deep sense of home in her still life and interior works, as well as create commissions for collectors throughout the United States and Canada.
Follow her on Instagram @kellypelfreyart
Watch
Prefer video to audio? Check out our conversation here.
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]]>Patricia and I discuss what she refers to as events—the sales of her ceramics she has 3- or 4-times a year that sell out within hours and have led to a dramatic increase in income.
The post Increasing art sales with online events with Patricia Griffin (97) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Sometimes you need to throw out the old models for doing business and try something totally new.
Maybe you’re bored with business as usual. Maybe the results aren’t as profitable as they were in the past. Or maybe you are no longer enjoying the same ole same ole.
It’s okay to go off script.
Yes, there are traditional practices for showing and selling your art, but it is a little ridiculous to think that those will continue to work in the same way they have in years past. As I said back in episode 96, you have to be willing and able to adapt if you are working toward a profitable art business.
On this episode of The Art Biz I talk with ceramic artist Patricia Griffin. If you visit her website during certain times of the year, you won’t see anything for sale because she has sold out. Zero inventory. What you will see are items she has sold and an opportunity to get on her list so you don’t miss a chance to purchase the next time her shop opens.
Patricia and I discuss what she refers to as events—the sales of her ceramics she has 3- or 4-times a year that sell out within hours and have led to a dramatic increase in income. She’ll describe the philosophy behind them, the promotional timeline, the collaborations to help raise money for nonprofits, and how the events are a valuable tool for her to cultivate relationships with buyers and potential buyers.
You’ll also hear Patricia mention her membership in a program I used to have called the Artist Conspiracy, and you’ll be treated to a short soundtrack of her adorable poodles in the background.
Music by Wildermiss
Highlights
- The book that changed the course of Patricia’s artistic life. (2:04)
- Patricia’s cautious first step into selling her art. (6:35)
- A visual description of Patricia’s functional stoneware. (8:52)
- An overview of Patricia’s sales philosophy and the online sales events that bring in more orders than she can quickly fill. (11:20)
- The learning curve that comes with selling art in a non-traditional way. (15:46)
- Cultivating a studio friends list allows Patricia to connect with interested buyers. (17:47)
- Timing sales events and refining the sales process. (21:50)
- How many pieces does Patricia have ready to go when her events go live? (26:25)
Patricia working on Cheryl’s Grace in her Cambria studio. - The benefit of connecting your Instagram feed to your sales website. (27:14)
- Marketing for sales events and what launch day looks like for Patricia. (28:53)
- Collaborating with a nonprofit does not have to mean donating your work for free. (33:05)
- Hosting online events, for Patricia, has resulted in a dramatic increase in sales and skills. (34:43)
- Stories of creating connections and increasing loyalty with buyers. (36:20)
- How to create the deadlines that will result in increased sales. (39:16)
- The success of Patricia’s most recent online event—by the numbers. (41:04)
- The surprising platform brings in the greatest number of customers for Patricia. (43:18)
- How Patricia balances the need to make art for her soul with the need to produce art for a profitable business. (46:07)
Mentioned
Patricia Griffin Quotes
“I like the association with the people who are buying my art through online sales. I don’t know that doing it another way would cultivate the same kind of relationships that I have now.”
“Some of these people had been on my email list for years and maybe just purchased something for the first time.”
“Hosting online events has been really beneficial, not only to my business but also to my skills.”
“I don’t think I would have had those commissions if it wasn’t for the online events.”
“I’ve really felt the pull to do something else and get back to some of the experimenting that I like to do.”
“I’m continually walking that tight line between the need to produce art in my soul and the need to produce art in my business hat.”
About Patricia Griffin
Patricia Griffin is a potter-artist in the seaside community of Cambria on California’s central coast. She makes functional ceramics that are hand-thrown and hand-built and etched with designs that look like woodcuts. Patricia’s work is sold primarily through shopping events held three to four times a year on her website.
Follow Patricia on Instagram: @patriciagriffinceramics
Music by Wildermiss
The post Increasing art sales with online events with Patricia Griffin (97) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Betty's art business has exploded over the last four years. By 440%!
You can't have and sustain this kind of business growth if you don't have solid systems in place.
The post Systems to Effectively Manage a Dizzying Increase in Your Art Business with Betty Franks (80) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Betty Franks loves her business and life as an artist. She just might have found the secret sauce—a healthy combination of passion for the work and a continuing curiosity about business and becoming a better CEO of your art business.
Betty’s art business has exploded over the last four years. By 440%!
You can’t have and sustain this kind of business growth if you don’t have solid systems in place.
As I said back in episode 78, you need reliable systems to help you run a profitable business so that you can spend more creative time in the studio.
At the time of this recording, Betty had over 120,000 Instagram followers and sells paintings almost as fast as she makes them. (2025 update: 153,000 followers)
In this episode, we discuss the digital and analog systems that she depends on to support her growth.
She generously shares her real numbers, the new postage system she just started using (update since the recording: she loves it!), and how she organizes all of the digital images of her paintings.
Music by Wildermiss
One of my four core beliefs for art business success is that systems will elevate your professionalism.
[ Read or listen to my core beliefs for art business success. ]
Highlights
- Betty Franks shares the moment she fell in love with mixed media and decided to start her art career. (2:20)
- How to find your own style and way of making art. (7:20)
- Staying organized through the process of handling a personal and business name change. (12:25)
- Betty shares her business goals that resulted in a 400% increase in sales. (18:20)
- A breakdown of Betty’s income streams and marketing tools. (21:03)
- Knowing when it’s time to hire help for your art business. (28:13)
- Developing routines that stabilize your workflow. (31:10)
- Simple systems to help manage your inventory. (35:25)
- Building an email list that works for your business. (42:55)
- How to know when it’s time to make process changes for the better. (47:37)
- A look at what is keeping Betty’s attention in the studio. (52:24)
Mentioned
JCO’s Art Haus in Los Gatos
PirateShip.com for small shippers
Betty Franks Quotes
“ I put a stake in the ground. And I said, okay, from this day forward, I want to be an abstract artist.”
“I love learning, and every day I am always learning something.”
“I’m always so fascinated by how I can improve my art business.”
“There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not doing something to help move my business and my art forward.”
Related Episodes
These episodes focus on business systems.
About My Guest
Betty Franks was born in Toronto, Canada and raised in San Jose, California. She is a self-taught abstract artist who started painting when she turned 50. Although it seems late in life to take up painting, the timing was just right for her. After a long career in customer service management, Franks was ready to unleash her creative side.
Today her work focuses on her love of fields of flowers and flowers in general. She aims to share the emotion she feels about her subject.
Follow Betty on Instagram: @betty.franks.art
The post Systems to Effectively Manage a Dizzying Increase in Your Art Business with Betty Franks (80) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
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