[traceyleedawes]

Started with acrylics, but am now into watercolour and have just started in pastels – can’t pick a fave

[traceyleedawes]

Hi Tori – just had a look at your gallery. Wow – very talented!! Don’t hesitate to show off your work.

As a starting point, online galleries/websites are a pretty good option – they are a quick and easy way of getting yourself out there NOW, rather than waiting for a curator to give a yay or nay, and your art is in the international arena without the expense of shipping overseas. I have my work on Bluethumb, Saatchi Art, Artfinder and Oz Artfinder. And, of course, Colour In Your Life. They are free to join, but take a commission (just calculate that into your price). As for approaching real live galleries, advice I found through research was that it’s preferable to send a CV/Portfolio of your work via snail mail – the thought process being that these days that will draw more attention than yet another message in a gallery’s inbox. Then follow up with a phone call – the overwhelming impression I got from my research was under no circumstances cold call or just drop in. Australian Artist magazine has a monthly art challenge (subject and medium differs from month to month) that costs $7.00 per entry, and you send them a photo of your work (pretty sure that mag is available in NZ). Depending on what is around where you are, you could always look at holding a small solo exhibition – a few local artists where I live have their work displayed in the local RSL club, and I have sold a few pieces through a local giftware shop. Good luck and go for it!

[traceyleedawes]

Hi Mike –

Yeah, the ATO is and organisation you want to stay on the right side of LOL! I would just contact them and explain exactly what your intentions are. Either that, or put aside a % of any earnings from your art in preparation for a tax bill when you declare your ‘income from a second job’. Best of luck – let’s hope you’re making the majority of your income from sales sooner rather than later :) Trace

[traceyleedawes]

I have a corner of the shed in our yard – and being in North Queensland, summer can get a bit uncomfy, as you can imagine.

When I work with acrylics, I like having a space I can throw paint around without worrying about making a mess, and being able to head to ‘work’ so to speak, every day. I like having a separate space from our home, even if it is only in the back yard.

When I work with watercolour it’s a bit different – I find I don’t need as much space, so I tend to do that at night at the kitchen table.

Whatever works!!!

Happy Days, Trace

[Author]

Posts