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Rachel Christopoulos

Different Ways I Optimize My Art Booth For Sales

Updated: Oct 9

Before we even begin to dive into this post, let me just say: sales are personal. Art is personal. Being an artist is about finding your groove and evolving in a way that makes sense for you and the art that speaks to your soul.


This space is full of things that work for me and my booth. Today I’m going to share the thoughts behind why I do them and what I’ve noticed during customer interactions (or lack thereof). We all want a successful art fair.


Listen to your customers and find the middle ground that will help you achieve your goals.😌 So without further ado, let’s go poke into my booth strategy.



I PUT LANDSCAPES ON MY WALLS BUT EVERYTHING ELSE IN MY PRINT BINS.


If you have followed me for any amount of time, you know I paint a little bit of everything.



I’m eclectic by nature, but I also don’t want to box myself in as an artist. (Raise your hand if you feel that in your soul.) Last year, each wall was dedicated to a different subject matter: local spots, florals, and portraits. Was I trying to be a modern day Picasso dabbling in a little of everything? Maybe.


Realistically I think it was my way of sorting through internet interests and figuring out what stuck in my local selling arena. What would Wisconsinites connect with? Cows? 🐄


(The answer to that one is a resounding yes.)


Now while my florals and portraits were eye-catchers, the paintings that passed quickly from my hands to my collectors were the landscapes and very niche, local things. That is when I realized it is so much easier to catch a customer with a wide net vs. one so focused it actually takes a unicorn with hyper-focused tastes.


This seems aggressively obvious in hindsight, but when you’re making art, most of the time it’s about well, making the art. 🙄


But at this point in my career, my goals have shifted from enjoyment to sustainability (i.e. I have to sell some more of my art to keep up with stagnant wages and inflation... someone tell my boss I need a raise 😂).


My focus is almost only on the overlap between what customers are buying and what I can stand to make more of.


I don’t know about you, but the epiphany that a hundred individuals might be interested in a 30x30 inch forest and only one individual would want a 30x30 inch hotdog really humbled me. I can still paint a hotdog, I just probably won't paint it as big. 😟


I realized that making art full-time is really not all about me and what I want to paint.

My compromise as a working artist is to make large, loveable forest scenes of local places (in my trademark every-color-I-can-because-I-can) and smaller studies of drinks and food and you-name-it to make into prints because I want to and there’s always someone who loves a Mickey waffle as much as me.


So I put landscapes on my booth walls to create cohesion as an artist and everything else into my print bins because if I can pull you in with my dazzling colors, I guarantee there’s something you’ll end up touching you just can’t leave without.


(P.S. you can make this fabulous print rack by following my loose tutorial here)



OMG WOULDN’T THESE BE SO PERFECT TOGETHER?

Yes, they totally would and I totally planned it that way. 😉 This is probably the only place where creating collections has suited me as an artist.


Why stop at one drink when I can also paint the cherries, bitters, and bottles that accompany them? Why paint one part of a state park when I can paint multiple scenes from it, each one complimenting the other and showcasing the beauty of different lighting or times of day?!


Creating coordinating art prints in my bins allows collectors to fill a wall with small art vs. one big piece.

Nothing is more satisfying than pairing your two favorite foods, your drinks of choice, or the alternative views of the Cave Point rocks. Every market I do, I try to add another new painting to the established food/drink categories, landscapes, or people (really just musicians and artists I can’t get enough of).


I know that not every artist has the desire to paint a little of everything but thinking about ways to expand into more of what your customers like allows you to intrigue them in new ways (*cough* repeat customers!).



I DON’T MAKE EVERYTHING AVAILABLE IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE.

Art is an investment, it’s okay if wanna-be customers can’t purchase at this moment.


There are always free ways to support you and your work without collecting a new piece of art! With this in mind, I consciously choose not to make any prints smaller than 8x8; it becomes too costly for me to print, package, and sell them when lined up against the purchase amount. I also don’t make every print in every size available to me.


Now, not every painting translates well into small prints: my 30x40 Cana Island Lighthouse loses so much detail when I shrink it down to 9x12. It’s still fantastic but you can’t get lost in the color transitions as well. Some paintings I only print at 16x20 and some I print only at 11x14. Some I do limited runs of and some I don’t make prints of at all (I’m looking at you Morning Mist in Orange).


Consumerism tells us to make everything available all the time at a moment's notice, but there is so much joy and exclusivity to the excitement of owning a piece of art that is one-of-a-kind. If it’s truly a really good idea that connects with many, I make another version of it and change it slightly.


When you do any type of art fair or market, listening and learning from the people who come into your booth, ask you questions, and make comments about your art can help you improve the experience all around for both you and your collectors.



Still have questions about Art Markets? Listen to this episode of my podcast!


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