Here's to the mothers who are artists. And to the mothers who raise healthy, informed artists who make the world a better place. To My Mom Who had almost no interest in or contact with art, but who nurtured it in me (and her father). Who encouraged me when I drew that first cardinal and blue jay in oil pastels and thought they were masterpieces. With Barbara Pannage Stanfield on a visit to Romy Owens's Under Her Wings was the Universe in Enid, OK. Romy and I discussed this public art project on episode 76 of The Art Biz. One of my first oil paintings was my 4' stuffed panda, Emily. T ..read more

My utter bliss is to help artists make business systems that streamline their lives so they can spend more time in the studio. So when Skip Hill said he needed a system for following up with his collectors and important relationships, I knew I wanted to help. ©Skip Hill, Love Garden (Hush). Mixed-mediums, acrylics, collage, and inks, 52 x 74 x 2 inches. In this encore episode of The Art Biz, I walk Skip through the steps to create a plan for nurturing his relationships. We go through these steps to create his plan: What do you want to happen? By when does it need to happen? Or … How frequ ..read more

My utter bliss is to help artists make business systems that streamline their lives so they can spend more time in the studio. So when Skip Hill said he needed a system for following up with his collectors and important relationships, I knew I wanted to help. ©Skip Hill, Love Garden (Hush). Mixed-mediums, acrylics, collage, and inks, 52 x 74 x 2 inches. In this encore episode of The Art Biz, I walk Skip through the steps to create a plan for nurturing his relationships. We go through these steps to create his plan: What do you want to happen? By when does it need to happen? Or … How frequ ..read more

I want to help you reframe your daily decisions, actions, and results (or lack thereof)—to embrace the volatility of an artist life. To understand that there will be highs and lows, and that just comes along with the territory. Why The Ladder of Success is Problematic One of the most-used business metaphors is the ladder of success. When you picture a ladder of success, it’s assumed that you start at the bottom and work your way to the top in a predictable, progressive fashion. You’re always going up head first—getting closer to the ultimate success goal at the top with each step. What ..read more

Some artists are fine working by themselves in their studios. Other artists need to move their art beyond the studio walls and into the public in order to be fulfilled. ©2023 Marilyn Fontaine, The Body is a Universe. Oil on Canvas, 84 x 48 inches. My guest for this episode of The Art Biz is one of those artists who finds gratification in involving others in her art [ See Multiply Your Audience and Expand Your Show’s Impact with Jill Powers ] Marilyn Fontaine is a multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in East London. Her work is spiritual with a strong foothold in feminine themes. She ha ..read more

By now, most of us are familiar with Simon Sinek’s famous TED Talk, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” (2009).  In it, he is evangelizing with a microphone in one hand and a marker in the other—drawing diagrams and emphasizing his points on a large pad of paper. ©Margaret Biggs, Fantasia on a Mountain Theme. Oil on canvas, 30 x 48 inches. He is passionately trying to persuade us of his premise, which is this: People don’t buy what you do, or how you do it. They buy why you do it. I’m not going to analyze that thought in the context of everything else he said because th ..read more

One of the lessons I have inside of my learning center is a module on collaboration because I believe that collaborating is high-level thinking. Successful artists know that they will get further faster with the help of others. In this episode of The Art Biz I talk with Lori Sokoluk and Susan Purney Mark, who met in my coaching group many years ago and started a collaboration during the pandemic. When I teach about collaboration, I’m usually talking about an exhibition or event.  [ See Multiply Your Audience and Expand Your Show's Impact with Jill Powers ] Lori and Susan took it to the ..read more

Your artist mailing list is your most valuable marketing asset. It is the primary tool you use to share your art with the world. It’s your #1 marketing asset. Let me emphasize that by saying it a different way: There is nothing more important you can do to build your art business and career than to nurture your relationships. In reality, most artists have 3 mailing lists, not just 1. Download the transcript + a 3-page Artist Mailing List Assessment ©Jaye Alison Moscariello, Stopping the Noise - Peace I. Acrylic, latex, and graphite on paper, 12 x 16 x .1 inches. What is Your Mailing L ..read more

We know that an awful lot of people over 60 are taking up art. And we know that many of them are thriving. So why isn’t more being written about this phenomenon. Or discussed for that matter? I tried to find answers in Nell Painter’s memoir Old in Art School (2018), which is about her experience going back to art school at age 64—more than 3 decades after receiving her PhD in history from Harvard. But regardless of that title, it wasn’t very enlightening about the topic of being a late-blooming artist. [ This article contains two affiliate links. I'll earn a crazy huge commission on these ..read more

I believe in the power of daily affirmations for artists.  I first used them for myself a number of years ago to increase my income and it worked. I increased my income 40% that year. And while I am not now as dedicated to reciting them daily, I know I should be! I attribute the majority of my success back then to these affirmations. What possessed me to stop? I do not believe that reciting affirmations alone will move the needle. You must have the commitment to your goals in the first place and take appropriate action to move forward. I encourage you to try them as a proven business ..read more