Call for Art
We’re Looking for Art to Feature in these Newsletters
We do not use AI to generate images. We support human artists. And we’re always looking for great art by real artists to feature in our newsletters! If you are an artist (or know of one), please leave a comment with a link to your art. Each piece we feature goes to more than 100,000 inboxes and is properly attributed with backlinks to the artist’s website. We discovered some great art from artists who commented on Eugene Terekhin’s article about relationships with trees on Tuesday that are featured below the article!
(See Clintavo’s Curated Corner after the article)
The following article was written by Debra Keirce, a regular contributing author to The BoldBrush Letter.
To Sell or To Win
Have you ever wondered whether the kind of art that wins awards is different from the kind that sells best?
It’s a question I’ve asked myself many times. I can’t point to a definitive, data-driven answer. In fact, no peer-reviewed, double-blind study exists on this as far as I know. If you know of any, I’d love to hear about them.
What works for abstract art might not apply to representational. Sculpture might follow different patterns than photography or digital art. Everyone's experience and what we define as success is different.
In my tight realism 2D corner of the art world, with artwork under $10,000, here’s what I’ve observed:
Still life, wildlife, and landscapes tend to sell more reliably than portraits.
Figurative pieces are more likely to win awards.
Pricing matters. In national shows, works priced over $2,500 can be harder to sell.
$1,000 and above makes for a more challenging price point in rural venues.
Looser painting styles don’t do as well for me in sales or awards. I tend to enter shows that value technical precision, and these require higher price points. But even with affordable pricing, my loosely painted works take a long time to sell and almost never win awards.
My collectors who own multiple pieces tend to prefer works that are 12” x 16” or smaller. Eventually, they run out of wall space. Sometimes my miniature, palm-sized paintings start to catch their attention when that happens. Whether it’s because of size or higher price tags, my works that are larger than 18” x 24” are much more difficult to sell, even if they win awards.
In contests where decorative art dominates, my work rarely wins. But in skill-based, narrative-focused shows, I tend to perform well. Still, it’s not unusual for a piece to win top honors in several exhibits and yet never sell.
All of this leads me to believe that most of us create with different priorities in mind depending on whether we’re aiming for awards or sales. Of course, some artists are fortunate enough to hit both targets simply by doing what they love. I think we all have moments like that.
But I want to start a discussion about this topic. I think that many of you probably are like me. I know that my liquor and glass still life pieces sell well. If sales were my only goal, I should create primarily those works. My figurative art garners the most awards. If ribbons were my only goal, I should focus on portraiture.
On introspection though, my work is story-driven. I’m drawn to emotion, to narrative, to the connection between the viewer and the piece. That’s what motivates me. That’s what I hope shines through, especially in competitions. I hope those same stories resonate enough to drive sales. But if I had to choose, I’d rather have a small group of collectors who’d rescue my art from a burning house than a hundred who bought it because it matched their couch.
So what about you? Do you create different work for juried shows than you do for sales? Or do you simply create what you love and let the chips fall where they may?
Inquiring minds want to know.
PS — Editor’s Note: Please support artists and help us get more exposure for the artists featured in this newsletter by clicking the “Like” icon ❤️, by clicking the “Restack” icon 🔁, or by leaving a comment. The more engagement we get, the more widely these images get shown. Help us support human artists and push back against the encroachment of AI!
Debra Keirce
www.DebKArt.com
Join me each month for free updates on this art adventure at
https://debkart.com/email-newsletter
Clintavo’s Curated Corner
We’re Looking for Great Art!
If you know of a great piece of real visual art (no AI art) that we should consider for future illustration of our articles or to feature in Clintavo’s Curated Corner, please click the button below and leave a sentence or two explaining what you like about a piece with a link to it on the web. It may be your own art or someone else’s (please do not send via email as we are much less likely to see or respond to those, thank you):
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No AI Zone: Everything written in this post (and all our posts) is written 100% by flesh and blood humans
We do not use AI images with our writing. We prefer to feature and provide more exposure for human artists. If you know of a great piece of art we should consider, please leave a comment with a link to it. All featured images are properly attributed with backlinks to the artist’s website. You can help support human artists and push back against AI by liking or restacking this piece by clicking the “Like” icon ❤️, by clicking the “Restack” icon 🔁 (or by leaving a comment).
I am 87 so I have had a lot of experience and disapointments. I tend to paint what I love. I enter shows and competitions and mostly get rejected. I have learned that jurors are complicated and most choose art that meets their own personal preferences. It's like playing rouleete. When you win, enjoy it and know you did your best - win or loose.
Dear Debra, I am just selling my artwork as I am doing fundraising for my own community and ChildFund International. I won't be doing any paintings larger than 14X 18 inches.I am also a writer and classical pianist.I sure do appreciate the breakdown of what sells and wins. I am not sure it will be the same but you really gave me some food for thought. Thanks so much. Jo Ann Koepke P.S I am still working to get my artist website set up. I had cancer and just went into remission in May so this is now an exciting time for me.