by Carolyn Edlund
Artist Stephanie Paige uses a smart technique to sell her mixed media work. How this can help your sales, too.
Take a look at how Southern California artist Stephanie Paige shows her large scale mixed media artwork on her website. Visitors have the option of seeing her work in a traditional view, as shown below, but she also offers a professional photo of a room scene including the piece as well, which she creates using Photoshop.
Rebirth 40″ x 89″ x 2″, Mixed Media
See how effectively the room view helps to show the scale and impact of her work? Stephanie says her customers love it.
She says, “Using the images in a room setting has really helped my clients get a real good feel for what it will look like. I also have clients all over the world send me photos of their room wanting to see what it will look like before they purchase my work.”
Big retailers have long offered this type of service on their sites. They know that showing art in it’s environment (as well as changeable wall colors, frames and mats) helps prospective customers visualize how the art could work in their own home or office, and can make a huge difference in closing the sale.
It’s difficult enough to make a purchase of fine art online, since it’s so much more “real” in person. Just think how this helpful technique could enhance your own art sales!
Great idea! Thanks for the post.
Hi Carolyn,
I’ve been intrigued by this way of presenting work for some time now. I’ve asked one of the artists I know on FB, Alberto Saka, who uses similar technique, how he does it, and was told he uses Power Point. Another technology thing to learn.. I will definitely check out Art.com.
It is a good idea to put the art in context so prospects can visualize how a piece or several pieces will work on a wall. My question is, are these actual rooms where the art is currently hung? Or… how does the artist create these views?
This is a fantastic idea, especially as so many art sales are now happening online vs. traditional gallery settings.
My blog features a series of posts titled “Insert Art Here” in which we explore how artwork changes a room. It makes such a difference to see work as it might look hanging in a space vs. an isolated image on a computer screen.
Insert Art Here posts: http://artsyforager.wordpress.com/?s=insert+art+here&submit=Search
Wonderful – I love your article! Thanks for sharing this.
Several artists have emailed asking about Stephanie’s technique. She uses Photoshop to place her art in room views for her clients.
Hey folks!
I just came across this, which might be relevant: http://www.welikeartists.com/promotion/online-portfolios/263-exhibbit.html
By coincidence, the developers of this software, who are from New Zealand, contacted me about 18 months ago asking if I would write about this program. I believe it was still in development and that time, and I found it slow, cumbersome and glitchy.
Hopefully everything has been worked out and it’s successfully helping artists promote and sell their work. The concept is really good. It presents a gallery show, but I like the interactivity!
If the room scenes are fake, how does anyone know the art is fit in realistically? Also, where does on find these fake room scenes?
Cool article 🙂 This is the right concept to show art – the quality of the art is often enhanced (or not) by the context it is shown in. So the context is also an important part of the staging.
Alex, I agree and I think that artists must become more sophisticated with their marketing and websites. They are moving toward “in situ” shots like these, and also professional videos. This gives little businesses a big presence!