There is a lot of talent in this forum. Does anyone sell their artwork?
I have sold some prints, greeting cards and calendars …not enough to make a living out of it, but it’s passive income.
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Nice idea - but why spoil a hobby for a few $$ or ££ or €€ – might as well return to the treadmill
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I have sold some prints of my car images at car shows I attend and have gained some new customers of owners who wanted their cars digitally processed.
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“The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.”
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr
A Man Without a Country
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I made a decision some years ago to not do any fee based photography. However, I’ve sold some prints that have been posted from time to time. Never enough to rely on but certainly a left handed compliments of sorts.
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I have been involved in art end of photography for over 40 years. We had our own darkroom and did all our printing both b&w and color. Although I did the photography my wife was very adapt in the dark room. Our color work was done on, tube developed, Ilford Cibachrome from slides and medium format transparencies… For years we traveled the art show circuits in Michigan and occasionally got into Wisconsin. Overall we did OK and it helped send two kids to college. Some years we would do over 20 shows in the summer while both working full time jobs… It was fun because we were like a band of Gypsies. We got to know many of the exhibitors that would also do the shows and were like a family. Now I am nearly 78 years old now and my wife is 75 and a couple years ago we decided that art shows were to much for us to do. Besides it has become so impersonal now. Now our own local Art Festival you have to jury through a company based in California. It just wasn’t fun anymore. I have so much to learn digitally but so little time Ha! Ha! I admire all of you and your work on this forum and will try and learn from you as long as I can. Thank you all!
Our display a few years back - - -
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@Michigander I enjoyed your story and display image… I have also enjoyed the same experience and it brought back some memorable times. Like you, as I get older I have limited myself to just carrying a small portfolio and just car images to show car owners at car shows… it’s much easier and still fun… I still get to meet new people and share in our enthusiasm in cars.
Thanks John. As you, we have many fond memories to look back on. When we first started doing shows around '77 we had a pick-up camper. We would load all our stuff and a 4 yr. daughter and 12 yr. old son and head out. Now they are all grown up with families of their own and they still talk about those days 
.
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I have to confess that I have much more of my art work left over than the amt. I have sold. I enjoy the process of having a show and have had many through the years, but am not about to quit my day job lol
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Yes. Sold my work for many years and made a really good profit.
But it wasn’t my shop, so when the owner went bust, so did I. And as aldussault says, I have so much unsold work taking up space in my home.
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I have sold some over the years. I have also had a few of my images published in locally produced items. I even had the cover of the Chamber of Commerce Welcome Guide a few years ago. Since they don’t have much of a budget I donated the picture for just the credits.
I also teach and make wheel thrown pottery. This I sell quite regularly. Between the two I make enough to support my at times overindulgent photography hobby. For sometime I have wanted a smaller mirrorless camera but I have yet to decide which one. I also have started taking panoramas which has quelled my new camera desires temporarily.
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A friend of mine is CEO of a small hospital. He let me provide the wall art. A project of several years, with a great deal of artistic freedom
Still requested from time to time to decorate commercial space.
All of my work is printed and mounted by Laminpro
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I don’t know, Terry… I felt a great reward when someone bought my work. I didn’t start doing art to sell - it was simply for my enjoyment, but when my works did sell, I felt a sense of achievement that someone thought my work was good enough on which to spend their cash. I had the reward personally of a work I loved, but that someone else loved it too, was double the reward.
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I can only but agree and empathize!
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I have sold a couple images over the years when my work was displayed in a gallery or other venue, and somebody asked if they could buy one. I am far more likely to donate an image to a charity auction than to sell. I also give them as gifts to friends who admire them. The joy I get is when I go to their house and see my work hanging on the wall or they tell me somebody saw the image and complimented them on it. I am in this totally as a hobby. I retired from the rat race and took up photo artistry as a pleasurable pursuit.
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I have arranged over time with tax-exempt charities to take my works that I display but do not sell.
I ask that they display them in a public access area, often with a small plaque crediting me. After a reasonable time, they can do as they wish with the images. Generally they become more or less permanent.
I’ve learned, also over time, that just because they are free doesn’t mean someone wants to hang them.
But I far prefer that the ones that don’t sell hang on a public wall rather than in my garage. Mine usually end up in hospitals or patient care facilities… so I know someone is enjoying them
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That is a really great attitude, Don. Good on you.
Yes - sporadically. If you want to sell - and really sell - it will be a full-time job, keeping your website fresh and stocked with new items; and maintaining an e-mail list - sending out your new ideas and products to people who are interested in your work/the type of work you do, and previous clients. I am a passive seller, is why I’ve never earned more than $200 in 10 years! LOL
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