FROM INSPIRATION TO INCOME: A Comprehensive Guide to Selling ART
A Review of Abby McClure’s new book
Author Abby McClure with husband Chris and Wilmington, Delaware picture framer Obie Kline (right) in the doorway of Kline’s shop on Delaware Avenue.
One solution for the chronic art “storage” problem encountered by many serious productive painters is to find an equally “serious” collector with deep pockets, such as the legendary Peggy Guggenheim whose motto was “Buy a picture a day.” A more practical bet, however, if sales are few and far between, is the creative art marketing plan presented by Abby McClure in her new book, From Inspiration To Income. “If more sales are the goal,” writes McClure, “then we must become masters at understanding the minds and behaviors of buyers, in addition to every notable nuance within the entire process of an art sale.” Valuable insights into how those “nuances” can work for greater success in the art market is precisely what her book delivers. McClure’s approach to the challenge is all about the “energy” an artist’s art generates in the marketplace, and as readers will discover, the author is in possession of the “golden” keys that will lead to success, the essential tools that have driven her own performance as a widely-collected, very successful painter.
McClure devotes the core chapters of the book to the “nuts and bolts” of art making, which is really the key to success no matter how brilliantly the marketing and sales system is organized. The title for Chapter 6 states the mission on this point: “Creating Quality Work That Sells,” a mission beautifully accomplished by McClure in her relentless commitment to excellence. “I have confidence that her marketing operation is a well-oiled machine,” says her friend Wilmington, Delaware picture framer Obie Kline, “but what makes Abby’s pictures so popular is her passion for painting and the outstanding quality of the work. Her landscapes and seascapes are very ethereal, especially the nocturnal pictures.” abbymcclure.com
Throughout the book McClure suggests many action steps that can improve performance and sales. Her husband Chris’s advice to “paint more” comes readily to mind along with his wife’s recommendation to pack up your gear and get outside. An enthusiastic and accomplished plein air painter, McClure writes, “There is no better way to learn drawing and painting than to work outside, studying everything around you. Plein air will teach you to paint better and faster in the shortest amount of time. It will vastly improve the quality of your work as you train your eyes to interpret nature and the multitude of values and light effects.” She provides a detailed list of all the tools beginners will need for their plein air adventures including suggestions for the best paint choices and a helpful outline of plein air painting basics.
Another powerful influence on the success of a painting is color, a topic McClure covers in depth. Her “remarkable” discovery about the color that exists in the shadows and the realization that “wherever there is color in a scene, the exact opposite will also be present,” is a fascinating part of the book that McClure says “will improve your paintings.” In conveying the important points about this topic, she examines the pictures of some of the world’s greatest painters, with references to their finest works. “By seeing all these new ranges of color and portraying them in your art, your work will become much more alive,” she says.
In addition to practical matters like framing and pricing, McClure provides valuable information about core art processes such as varnishing and photographing art works and also explores the important matters of “self-development and self-care,” essential disciplines in the life of anyone who is self-employed. “Finding a balance between deriving ideas, creating quality work, presenting, framing, showing your work, selling, shipping, quality control, and customer service,” she points out, “is a lot to manage. And then, being physically and mentally healthy on top can feel downright overwhelming.” Her antidotes to burnout include improving people skills, formulating time management protocols and reducing stress with ample rest, concluding that “Even if you only have one day (or afternoon) per week, unplugging and resetting yourself is a valuable practice, as it feeds your creative wellspring.”
Taken together, the topics explored in From Inspiration To Income add up to a transformative understanding of the art market and how painters can make it best work for them. With the basics of creativity and processes of utilizing the skills and tools of the painter’s trade covered, the book ends with an inspiring discussion about reaching out into the world, targeting a fan base, and building a brand. McClure cites an apt George Bernard Shaw quote that sets the tone for this ongoing endeavor in the lives of successful artists everywhere: “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”