Artist Academy: Recent Episodes
Andrea Ehrhardt
The Artist Academy Podcast hosted by Andrea Ehrhardt. The purpose of this series is to show aspiring painters that it's completely possible to make a great career in the arts. We focus on the business side of art to help you reach more customers, increase profits, and ultimately live a life of creative freedom.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
What creates a good offer? I believe, if you make a product that appeals to your audience enough to make them want to buy, then that is a good offer in itself. You don’t need to add any gimmicks if the product sells.
However, if the products aren’t selling, then maybe adding some kind of element, like giving the buyer a reason to buy right now, is the push it needs to complete the sale. Or maybe doubling up on the product and giving more of it is the added persuasion tactic that’s needed.
The idea for this episode came about with me watching my own spending habits take place lately. I’ll give a couple of examples…
I am currently in love with this food delivery service I’ve been using: Factor75. It’s not sponsored but what made me buy the product in the first place is what makes it relevant. My friend highly recommended it, but that wasn’t enough to talk me into it since I had already tried meal delivery services in the past and wasn’t amazed. Then she gave me her free box discount code to try it for free and I was sold. The product was amazing and I’ve been using it since!
Maybe you could give out a free digital item like a downloadable Christmas card set that people could print out for free, in order to get people on your email list. There’s no cost except a couple of hours of time designing the cards with your art on them and “Happy Holidays,” or whatever, written on the inside. Customers will opt in, and you’ll have an email system in place ready to upsell them with products you’re offering for the holidays.
Maybe it’s WOWing a customer with a custom mockup to get them to say yes to the full mural.
Another item I bought lately was a bamboo sleeper for my 9-month-old baby boy. Actually, 5 sleepers because at first, I said, “absolutely not” to the price of 1 for $36. I know they are high quality and the prints were adorable, but I couldn’t get myself to spend that on something he won’t fit in next year.
Then I received a buy 2 get 1 free email… Nope, not good enough. The next day I received a 24-hour flash sale of buy 3 get 2 offer… Sold!
I realize that art is not the same as other products. It’s typically more expensive and has a different allure than buying something you can eat or wear. But I think it’s useful to look at the reason we buy other products and somewhat integrate that thinking into our art products.
After I bought those pajamas, I received an email telling me when my order was going to be shipped, thanking me for my purchase, and inviting me to their Facebook group where they post their biggest discounts. It was also written in a very cute and non-salesy way. (I’ll read it word for word on the podcast because it was THAT good)
We should all be doing this!
What’s your can’t-say-no-to-this offer?
I’ll share mine in this week’s episode of the Artist Academy Podcast. Listen to hear more about this subject and how I’m integrating these sales approaches into my art business.
Links mentioned:
Factor75
www.bumsandroses.com
Have a great week! :)
Andrea
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Chicago-based shoe artist Dillon DeJesus. I really enjoyed chatting with Dillon about a painting subject that I knew nothing about. It became very apparent how little I knew about his industry the more he talked about it and I’m excited to share this insight with you too.
This interview emphasizes the benefits of really diving deep into research and techniques within one niche. I often feel like a jack of all trades, which has its benefits, but this chat shines a light on the pros of becoming a master in one area. Dillon has leaned into, or rather dove headfirst into, the shoe/sports/painting industry and it is serving him well. With a customer roster of several NFL players, the dude knows his stuff when it comes to designing custom sneakers!
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Dillon DeJesus.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Denver muralist Gary Gomez. Gary has been in the decorative painting business for 20 years and his #1 tip for attracting new customers is to focus on your Google Maps page.
If you think about it, when we are looking for something new in our area, what do we do to find it? Ask Jeeves. Just kidding. 🤪 Only the early internet adopters will remember that. No, we ask Google, of course.
It would make sense to position ourselves as the go-to artist in our location by being on the first page of Google when anyone searches an art term like “muralist Missouri.”
Which, by the way, I put in my Instagram bio and it does come up on the first page of Google. 🥳
Listen to today’s episode to hear Gary’s backstory of how he got to where he is today (a booked out muralist doing all kinds of different decorative painting things) and how he lands himself on the front page of Google.
Gary's IG: https://www.instagram.com/denvermuralartist/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
I’m using AI to help generate pitch scripts, reference photos, different variations of mock-ups for murals, and to edit/caption videos.
First off, let’s address the controversial topic amongst artists lately wondering if using AI is a form of cheating. To that question, I also ask:
Is using a projector cheating? Is hiring someone to help paint half of the mural for me cheating?Is using a royalty-free reference photo cheating by copying someone else’s creation since I’m too lazy to take my own photos?
I confidently say, “Nope.”
Does the above list help save us time? Yep. And that’s what the theme of my year is all about… How to work smarter in order to work less while making more money.
It’s not about being lazy. It’s about using resources and skills together in order to create a more efficient work strategy and better outcome.
AI tools I’m currently using:
https://chat.openai.com/ to help create pitch scripts.
https://www.midjourney.com/ to create reference photos and ideas for mockups.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/enlight-photofox-digital-art/id1191337894 to create different versions of mockups to give the customer more options and examples.
https://clip.opus.pro/ to edit long-form video into short clips and add captions.
Listen to today’s episode to hear how exactly I’m using the above resources to make my work life better and more efficient.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Today I’ll be explaining how I use a virtual assistant to make my life easier and how you can go about it too. Upfront, I really want to emphasize that this is more of a seasoned artist tool, unless you’re planning to do a lot of outreach.
I didn’t hire a VA until I decided to add another stream of revenue into my business (coaching). I already had a bread-and-butter system working and generating money for me before I started hiring. So, if you’re wondering if you’re ready to hire just yet, I’m going to guess that the majority of you are not quite there yet. BUT I think it’s still a good listen for those who want to get to the point of delegating someday.
The idea of hiring and trading money for services outside of our own art businesses takes a while to get used to. We are scrappy in the beginning with doing everything ourselves: social media, emails, invoicing, editing, and everything else piled on to painting. But it doesn’t have to be like that forever.
Things a VA can do for you:
Invoices/Contracts
Sharing your content across other social media
Help manage your inbox
Edit Videos
Spellcheck
Add products/photos to your website
Anything repetitive
When you’re ready, my best pieces of advice for hiring a VA are:
Make your very first hire be a low hourly rate so mistakes don’t cost you
Hire a VA who speaks English really good ;)
A VA can’t do things for your art business that you don’t know how to do yourself
Give clear (video) instructions on how to do every single task
Organize tasks into daily/weekly/monthly lists
Expect there to be a learning curve and correct as needed
Listen to this week’s episode to hear all about my experiences hiring a VA for the past 3 years. Learn from my mistakes and hear how I’m continually making progress on how to best utilize this service.
Links mentioned:
Lastpass.com
Iworker.co
Upwork.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Las Vegas tattoo artist DJ Tambe. DJ currently has 3,000+ people on his waiting list and charges between $3,000-$7,000 PER DAY for his tattoo services. Do I have your attention now? ;)
Today we chat about the benefits of putting yourself in the public eye in order to grow your art business and the hesitations that come with it. We all want to lock ourselves in our studio and create all day but it’s what we showcase outside of those walls that makes customers come knocking.
Talking with DJ made me realize how many similarities there are in building a business with a paint brush versus a tattoo gun. It’s the same in that you start by practicing to enhance a skill then get to networking to build a portfolio. Then it’s all about word of mouth and promotion to go up from there.
This interview is a fun look into the backstory of a very successful yet humble artist who has recently hit it big! Let me know what you think of this week’s interview with DJ Tambe.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
https://www.instagram.com/djtambe/
They say that every millionaire has 7 different streams of revenue. To me, that both sounds smart and exhausting. Today, let's chat about the different ways we can bring money in by specializing in different areas within the art niche.
There are SO MANY possibilities when it comes to making money as an artist. Check out a list of some of the options below:
But as you're considering each option, ask yourself these questions:
- What area am I curious about enough to do a DEEP dive into?
- What thing would I not mind talking about or sharing on social media every single day?
- What thing would I not mind doing for free for the first year to get some traction going?
- Do I want to do these things MORE than my current job?
Art Revenue Options:
-
Commissioned Artwork:
Be a commissioned based artist - murals, canvases, digital artwork
Wood burning
Illustrate children's books
Design logos
Pet portraits
Create art for games
Art Prints and Products: -
Prints - digital or paper/canvas/metal/wood. Sell those prints via Etsy, a dropshipping service, etc.
Print of the Month club
Art subscription box
Create patterns for fabrics like wallpaper
Sell art supplies on Amazon
Sell images on stock sites like Shutterstock
Sell art on eBay
Sell local souvenirs
Thrift store art -
Digital Presence and Content Creation:
Start a podcast (with ads)
Blog (with affiliate links)
(E-) Magazine
Go live online creating commissioned-based art for tips (TikTok, IG, Twitch)
Social media influencer
Content creator on YouTube
Create a course/membership -
Art Exhibition and Events:
Art shows
Galleries
Street vending
Participate in art competitions
Paint and sip nights
White wall painting
Decorative finishing
Storefront
Live art at events -
Art-Related Services:
Help other artists with digital mockups
Edit photo/video (train a VA to do it for you)
Art Therapist
Tattoo Artist
Give Art Lessons
I’m currently spread pretty thin with having a podcast, membership group, mural business, print business (I cut that out recently), 1 on 1 coaching, a book, all on top of my newest journey of being a new mom. I can’t imagine adding another thing right now, which keeps me from chasing the new fun thing (Instagram’s new Threads app for instance).
My biggest tip for adding another revenue stream: Have your current one on autopilot before diving into something new. Meaning, it should be relatively easy to keep your current bread-and-butter business afloat. Because the new fun project will take your attention away from the old one. It’s like starting a new business every time, only slightly easier than the first, but a new business nonetheless.
Listen to today’s episode of the Artist Academy Podcast for a deeper dive into this subject, including my own personal experience with adding and subtracting profitable projects.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
And here's the link to episode 199. Wallpapers & Textiles with Peacoquette
This week’s episode features Patrycja Hannagan (PJ) of Mural Nomad. She’s a Polish muralist traveling around Australia with the goal of creating 100 murals in 100 weeks. She’s living the travel/adventure life that some of us have at one point considered, but maybe never thought was possible.
PJ gives us a front-seat view on what it’s like being a working muralist living out of a van. To some, it might look like she’s living this carefree, hippie adventure, but in reality, she’s making a great living while building up her portfolio and brand with murals from all over Australia.
My biggest takeaway from this interview was how much importance PJ places on outreach to build her portfolio. She doesn’t wait for people to find her, she goes to them. Literally, she drives in her van to different locations all over Australia. But more importantly, she does things like posting in Facebook groups, reaching out to local artists in every area, and networking with local businesses (like welcome centers) in order to hopefully get connected with another job in each area.
She’s open about pricing strategies, including how she went from charging $200 per mural to $65,000 for her latest project. PJ is currently on mural #59 of her 100 goal, so go give her a follow @mural_nomad to cheer her on in crushing her goal within the next year!
www.ArtistAcademy.co
In this week's episode of the Artist Academy Podcast, we dive headfirst into two powerhouse strategies that can light a fire under your career. Oftentimes, business owners lean towards being a promoter or a creator to get sales. Which strategy is best for your personality?
Strategy #1: Are you a natural audience builder?
Do you want your sales strategy to encompass the magic of audience engagement? Whether you're casting a wide net or focusing on a tight-knit niche, your goal is to create content that turns heads. We're talking stunning photos, videos that pull people in, and the secrets of composition, lighting, and creating buzzworthy content. In this episode, we get into how to get your audience talking, sharing, and taking your work further than your social media could ever reach. Think like an artist who's all about making content that hooks people in.
Audience Builder Traits:
• Creative
• Unapologetic about sharing your art
• Willing to invest in good equipment (camera or phone to record)
Strategy #2: Are you a natural promoter?
Or maybe you're ready to jump into the deep end of sales and promotion. Understand the power of a clear offer and how to highlight what makes it beneficial to your audience. In this episode, we run through everything from old-school flyers to cold emails, event networking, and the power of social media and niche groups. Plus, we teach you how to talk about your work in a way that grabs attention, how to price it right, and how to nail that perfect 15-second pitch that hits people in the feels.
Promoter Traits:
• Likes to talk to people
• Willing to learn sales strategies
• Dedicated to repetition and persistence
The good news is that you don’t necessarily need to do both. Choosing one will bring in art sales on its own. However, if you decide to conquer both, you're setting yourself up for some serious growth.
Imagine having an eager audience waiting for your next piece and being able to effortlessly drop special deals or teasers. We've got the guidance to get you there, plus tips on seamlessly blending promotional content with your regular posts. Not to mention, we share our insights on building a loyal fanbase and getting so good at content creation or sales that it becomes second nature. It might take a bit of elbow grease and dedication now, but trust us, the future's looking bright.
The other good news is that whichever path you choose, there’s only a hard learning curve for the first while. Eventually, it will become second nature.
Oh, you thought one of these strategies should come naturally? NOPE! It takes work no matter which route you take, but it’s worth it.
Tune in to episode #270 of the Artist Academy Podcast for a deeper dive into this subject and to discover the strategies, tools, and mindset you need to hit your artistic goals out of the park.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
I think artists both drastically underutilize while also overly complicate the idea of creating a brand in order to sell art.
Let’s start with the overly complicated idea. Your brand is YOU. It’s not just a font, page header, or logo. It’s your style, personality, and what you can bring to the table in terms of creating. Self-awareness = brand display. I’ll explain more in this episode, but that’s the simple gist of it.
This episode is a section of my book Mural Money on the subject of how to elevate, potentially harm, and take ownership of your brand. I’ll tell stories of how I was able to do all of that (yes, including harm my brand by making poor decisions) in these 2 chapters.
I had to include this part in the book because these were big lessons learned the hard way. Every time I’m introduced to a new artist and I see them do things like dressing inappropriately, constantly showing up late, or doing anything that hurts their brand, I can’t help but think, Noooo it’s so hard to come back from that. So, this is my shoutout to my younger self if that were possible, and anyone new to the idea of being your own boss.
If you liked this sneak peek chapter of my book: Mural Money, then I highly encourage you to get the audio version of the full book with over 15 hours of listening inspiration. I’m currently running a special of just $17 for the audio version at MuralMoney.com that comes with a bunch of extras like my art supply list, pricing guide, recommended book/podcast list, and much more.
I filled this book with tips from my journey of building a profitable mural career, plus I’ve included the best of the best advice from guests I’ve interviewed on this podcast. It’s my most affordable all-in-one book of advice on art+business and if you enjoy listening to me here, I know you’ll enjoy the book too because I read it myself. The book is available on Amazon and Audible, normally for $25, but if you go to MuralMoney.com that’s where you can grab the special $17 deal while it lasts. If you haven’t listened to my book yet, this is your sign to do it!
Anyway, let’s get to it. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode all about creating your brand.
www.MuralMoney.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Texas muralist Whitney Hayden.
If you listened to Crystal Frye’s episode, just 2 recordings back, you’ll hear a mention of the name “Whitney” a few times. We were referencing Whitney Hayden, who you’ll be listening to today, and you’ll also hear Crystal chime in a bit too. That’s because even though they live states apart, these two organized an in-person paint session together to learn from each other. Two muralists, who are doing very well on their own, met up to collaborate and grow. I just wanted to highlight that feature before we got started because I love the idea of it so much!
I actually did not know that those two were meeting up when I asked them separately to interview. Sometimes I get these mental taps on the shoulder that sound something like, “Hey, maybe you should interview Whitney again since it’s been over 4 years since her first interview. Her business has changed so much since then and her newfound storefront would be a fun topic.” I asked, and she agreed.
This interview is really down to earth and just two longtime art friends chatting about our businesses. Whitney tells it like it is and I really enjoy that about her. This is a fly-on-the-wall kind of conversation I would’ve liked to listen to about the topic of murals, prints, and what it’s like opening up a storefront. She talks openly about where her profits are coming from, and I think the numbers might surprise you. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Whitney Hayden.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
https://www.instagram.com/muralsbywhitney/
Take a moment to reframe your mind around the idea of sharing your art on social media…
Imagine you’re another fitness influencer creating videos for Instagram, trying to make it interesting and different from all the others in an overly saturated market. How interesting is someone lifting weights, really?
Imagine you’re an insurance agent creating content. How would you make that subject interesting to your community of followers? Nobody likes to talk about insurance for fun.
Imagine you practice law and are trying to build a customer base on Facebook by sharing fun legal facts. You’d likely run out of fun facts pretty quickly. Then what?
I had a business owner friend tell me, “If I could just create fun paintings to share on Instagram, my business would be so much easier!” She was right. Being an artist on social media isn’t even fair to the rest of the jobs out there. We have it EASY.
A small percentage of our audience can do what we do, or think they can, or maybe want to try. That leaves almost 90% of social media users in awe of what we can create with paint and canvas. They watch, comment, sometimes share our photos/videos, and a small percentage will buy if we do it right.
Do it right… meaning create something appealing that gets seen by the right customer at the right price.
This week’s episode is a chapter out of my book Mural Money all about social media. I share my successes along with other fellow artists who have used a variety of social platforms as a tool to make art sales. I think you’ll get at least one new idea out of it, and I hope you are able to reframe your mindset away from the thought that social media is hard to social media is actually pretty fun and relatively easy.
If you liked this sneak peek chapter of my book: Mural Money, then I highly encourage you to get the audio version of the full book with over 15 hours of listening inspiration. I’m currently running a special of just $17 for the audio version at MuralMoney.com that comes with a bunch of extras like my art supply list, pricing guide, recommended book/podcast list, and much more.
I filled this book with tips from my journey of building a profitable mural career, plus I’ve included the best of the best advice from guests I’ve interviewed on this podcast. It’s my most affordable all-in-one book of advice on art+business and if you enjoy listening to me here, I know you’ll enjoy the book too, because I read it myself. The book is available on Amazon and Audible normally for $25, but if you go to MuralMoney.com that’s where you can grab the special $17 deal while it lasts. If you haven’t listened to my book yet, this is your sign to do it!
Anyway, let’s get to it. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode all about social media.
www.MuralMoney.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features North Carolina muralist Crystal Jane Frye of the EZ Easel. Crystal gets the majority of her mural gigs from Facebook and today she’s opening up about her social media strategy that’s actually more of a simple habit than a strategy.
I think artists overthink the idea of social media so much that it puts them into a frozen state of confusion or fear. We don’t post because our hair doesn’t look perfect, video editing is time-consuming, or we forget to take photos/videos throughout the process so why even try?! Right?
What if I told you that posting to social media could be as easy as stopping what you’re doing for 1 whole minute, taking a quick photo, then posting it with a one-sentence caption? That’s it. That habit, just a few times per day, is how Crystal grew her Facebook to 27,000+ followers. No fancy video editing or scheduled posts. Just her showing the world what she’s doing as she’s doing it.
Listen to hear the details of exactly what kind of photos Crystal was posting, which ones get the most shares and the full story of how she grew her mural business using Facebook.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
You know we love to talk about art money here on the podcast! This episode is all about the numbers behind a well-functioning business. I’ll be sharing some cost comparisons with the intention of convincing you to charge more for your art.
Businesses know the cost of doing business which is why I find it easier to approach a commercial job with a high bid as opposed to something residential. But even homeowners know the cost of creating and maintaining a classy property. So let’s talk about a variety of expenses, including what it cost to build my own art studio, in this money episode.
Here’s a peek at some of the numbers I talk about in today’s episode:
* I talked with a white wall painter who made $30,000 in less than 2 weeks painting an old Hardees building inside and out.
* Need a vinyl decal? $10 per square foot is a basic average rate, plus design fees… for something that won’t last as long as paint. That’s $1,000 for a 10 x 10ft wall.
* An average landscaping package for a large business building starts at $35,000.
* A large business (1 Walmart location) will pay around $70,000 per year for snow removal.
* Attending/sponsoring conferences (on a small scale) costs on average $2-10k.
* Restaurant owners are paying out several thousands of dollars every week to employees. They are not going to think twice about your $1,500 logo bid.
* Need a sign made? Expect to pay a minimum of a few thousand and upwards of tens of thousands for something that lights up.
Listen to hear a better explanation of where these costs come from and how they relate to your art business.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
www.ArtistAcademyPodcast.com
This week’s episode features Georgia-based artist Ryan Benefield.
Ryan specializes in clean-cut murals and logos for the beer industry. He started his business during the covid shutdown and went full-time not long after. He’s since built himself a very profitable art business through the process of utilizing the relationships he built at his previous place of employment.
Ryan’s self-awareness allows him to play up his strengths and hire out his weaknesses in a way that both saves time and headaches even in his first few years of business. Ryan’s a member of our Artist Academy Masters program and a great example of how surrounding yourself with upper-level artists can up level your own art business.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Ryan Benefield.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Happy May Mural Month! I had to end this month with a chapter from my book, Mural Money, all about how to start and grow a mural business from the ground up. Extremely fitting to this month’s mural theme, right?
This is a snippet of chapter 7 that explains how I leveraged the power of a small city to create a name for myself. I used to think that I needed to travel outside of smalltown Springfield, Missouri to find work. I used to tell myself that well-paid job opportunities weren’t possible in my area. I was wrong, and I’m glad I figured it out before moving across the country.
If you like this sneak peek chapter of my book: Mural Money, then I highly encourage you to get the audio version of the full book with over 15 hours of listening inspiration. I’m currently running a special of just $17 for the audio version at MuralMoney.com that comes with a bunch of extras like my art supply list, pricing guide, recommended book/podcast list, and much more.
I filled this book with tips from my journey of building a profitable mural career, plus I’ve included the best of the best advice from guests I’ve interviewed on this podcast. It’s my most affordable all-in-one book of advice on art+business and if you enjoy listening to me here, I know you’ll enjoy the book too because I read it myself. The book is available on Amazon and Audible normally for $25, but if you go to MuralMoney.com that’s where you can grab the special $17 deal while it lasts. If you haven’t listened to my book yet, this is your sign to do it!
Anyway, let’s get to it. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode all about becoming the go-to artist in your area.
www.MuralMoney.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Transitioning from being an employee to working for yourself is a crazy mental shift that nobody seems to talk about.
Today’s episode is all about highlighting some of those shifting thoughts to hopefully help you take on a leadership role faster, or at least know you’re not crazy when that shift seems tough!
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Michigan-based muralist Kevin Burdick. I was so excited to chat with an artist who predominantly uses spray paint since I know very little about it but want to.
I was surprised to hear that Kevin uses acrylic spray alongside a roller with latex. He rolls THEN sprays using a mix of airbrush and cans. Why did I never think of combining these techniques before?! I ordered some Kobra and Montana Gold cans directly after closing out this interview.
I expected to get some spray tips from this conversation, which I did, but what I didn’t expect to come away with was a reminder that I paint because I love it and not just for profit. Kevin loves what he does and it really shows in his work. His spray murals have so much energy, movement, and bright colors. They almost POP off the wall!
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Kevin Burdick.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Kevin Burdick IG: https://www.instagram.com/kevscraps14/
Find mural festivals here 👉 https://www.instagram.com/streetartcalls/
Paint mentioned: Kobra and Montana Gold
Happy Mural Month! Today’s episode is all about everyone’s favorite topic: art money. “How do I price my art project?” is typically the question I get asked the most, so let’s chat about it.
Here’s a few tips and general overview of the things I go over in this episode:
My 3 main methods of pricing:
* Square Foot- 100 sqft x $25 per sqft = $2,500
* Time- How much time will it take me to complete this project?
* By Project- What are the general budgets for this type of project?
Factors to consider:
* Experience- The better you are, the more you can charge.
* Location- The higher the cost of living in an area, the more you can charge.
* Popularity- The more sought after you are, the more you can charge.
Bid Strategies:
* Over/Under- Give a starting price and a max price to help gauge where their budget falls within the two.
* High/Low Options- Give a simple sketch and an amazing sketch to help the customer visualize what a low and high budget can get them.
* Base Price + Add-ons- Give the price for the bulk of the mural then additional charges for smaller details.
BIG TIP! - Give the price over the phone or in person to gauge their reaction in real time and play on that. This helps eliminate ghosting!
Download the pricing guide: www.ArtPricingGuide.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Happy Mural Month! This week’s episode features California-based muralist and business mind Derrik Diza.
Not long ago, I came across one of Derrik’s posts in a Facebook group talking about how he’s getting new business and advising other artists on how they can too. Another business-minded artist looking to share industry “secrets” in order to help others make more money with a paintbrush? Hello! I had to introduce myself and get him on the podcast.
Derrik and I talked on the phone about business for an hour prior to this conversation, then another hour after we concluded the interview. Basically, we both love the topics of murals+money+mentorship, and it’s so motivating for me to chat about it with someone else as interested in it as I am.
I think you’ll find this chat motivating because Derrik breaks down the process of pitching and sets realistic expectations for results. This is the non-sexy side of running an art business but as he’s proved in his own business, if you put in the work the results will follow.
Here’s the pitch rundown:
1. Personalize (don’t sound like a robot)
2. Give Credibility (list companies you’ve worked with in the past)
3. Mural Showcase (share impressive images of your work)
4. The Process (what does working with you entail?)
5. Set Expectations (share what the starting cost would be)
For a better explanation and examples of this process, listen to this week’s episode all about pitching with Derrik Diza.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Derrik's IG: https://www.instagram.com/influentialwalls/
There’s nothing like having an art (best)friend that just gets you.
But for those who don’t have an art-minded gang of supporters hanging around, the first question you might be asking is, “Where do I find my people?”
🥁 Well, first I suggest searching online. Creepin’ on someone’s Instagram can give a decent indication as to whether we would like to meet them in person or not.
THEN Google their address and show up to their house unannounced with some art supplies and say something like, “Let’s be friends. I know all about you already.”
Jk… I mean, you can try that but maybe there’s a better way…
Like joining in on one of our Mural Meetups this summer. Yea, that might be the less stalkerish route. 😜
In this episode of the podcast, I talk about past meetups where artists have literally met their art best friend and have gone on to do projects with them all across the U.S.
I also fill you in on plans for future meetups like this summer in Missouri and JUST ANNOUNCED inside our Artist Academy FB group a possible meetup in the Dominican Republic. 🥳
Listen as I try to talk you into taking a chance, traveling outside your comfort zone, and meeting a group of artist strangers in hopes of connecting with new friends and finding your people. It has worked out for many artists I’ve personally known in the past few years and I’m hopeful that it will work out for you too.
Make this the year of taking chances and being glad you did. ❤️
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode will give you a flash of nostalgia as we chat with Tim Jacobus, the illustrator for the famous Goosebumps series by author R.L. Stine!
Tim shares all about his experiences in the illustration business back in the 90s and compares them to today’s digital methods. He is an open book when it comes to answering all questions about his creative process. From sketching out the iconic cover ideas to color blocking and choosing the perfect layout. It’s a lot more methodical than I realized!
Tim is a master illustrator and I feel so honored to have been able to chat with him about his experiences in the industry. If it’s been a minute since you’ve laid eyes on a Goosebumps cover, do yourself a fun favor and check out Tim’s Instagram where you’ll get a refresher on just how eye-catching his work is. I’m even more impressed looking at his work now, as an adult artist, as I was looking at it as a kid years ago.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Tim Jacobus.
Tim Jacobus IG: https://www.instagram.com/timjacobus/
To take a deposit or not to take a deposit? That is the question in today’s episode.
I’ll also be talking about the pros and cons of asking for money upfront, how much to ask for, and how to collect it.
I’ll share all of the different ways I’ve taken a deposit for a canvas or mural project in the past 10 years of running an art business, so you can decide which method is right for your business.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Florida-based artist Samm Wehman.
Samm has been a part of the Academy since the early days (a few years ago) and this is actually her second interview. You can find her first on episode #45. I told you she’d been around for a hot minute!
We decided to do a second interview (something I rarely do) because her art business has expanded so much, along with her mindset around spending her hard-earned art money.
We focus a lot on the mental shifts that happen from the early days of hustling as an artist to the later years of THRIVING as an artist. I’m excited to share this unique human with you again. Go give her a follow on Instagram so you can see exactly how colorful and compassionate her world is.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Samm Wehman.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Samm's IG Link: www.instagram.com/sammwehmanart/
This year’s theme is all about figuring out ways to work less while making more. A few of the ways I’m doing that are… 🥁
Pricing myself higher. 🤑
That sounds like a no-brainer, right? Make more = charge more. I feel like I’ve been meaning to do this for a long time, but those low-budget projects seem to sneak on my calendar. Not anymore!
Using higher quality paint and investing in tools to speed things up.
Listen to hear what my paint store bill was for just 1 project. 😅 But hey, one coat paint takes half the time as spending more hours on two coats!
Continuing to hire so I’m not doing 100% of the work all the time.
Shoutout to the many Artist Academy artists for coming to lend a hand on projects, and my virtual assistant, Ann, for making my life easier and more organized. 🙌🏻
Investing in courses. 🤓
Yep, I drink my own Kool-aid when it comes to buying information and learning from those who have done it before me in order to speed up the learning curve.
Letting go of my least profitable income sources… and doubling down on my most profitable ones.
Listen to today’s episode to hear what exactly those are. I think one might surprise you!
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Mural Supply List Link: https://www.artistacademy.co/artsupplylist
This week’s episode features Missouri based artist and sculptor Susan Sommer.
This was a big interview for me because I’ve been hoping to connect with Susan for years now! She’s a big time artist in my area. Like, not just big on Instagram like me, but big in real life with charging $50,000+ for her original paintings.
She has several popular murals in my city of Springfield and her well established name has earned her the opportunity to be a featured artist for sports events like the Kentucky Derby and the Olympics. I told you, she’s a big deal!
Listen to hear how Susan got her start as an artist with a lot of hard work and no professional training. You know I ask about pricing and tips on how to open doors of opportunity as a working artist. Listen to hear her unique answers and perspective on an evolving art/sculpture/mural industry.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Susan Sommer.
Andrea
www.ArtistAcademy.co
The first mural I ever painted was for free and took me an entire summer to complete. Obviously, procrastination played a part in that, alongside using the wrong brushes, cheap paint, and having no actual idea how to apply paint (large scale). I learned a lot with that first one.
Fast forward to today... This week I’m painting a large mural for the local college where I earned my painting degree. I’m charging $5,000 and it will take me a whopping 2 days in total to complete. There’s a little more than 10 years difference between that first project and this one.
I share this to hopefully put into perspective the idea that everyone starts from the bottom and sometimes the climb is slow but always worth it. I’ve learned a few painting tips in between there and now, but also how important it is to go after what you want in the form of pitching yourself for the job you want, instead of waiting for it to come to you.
This week's episode of the Artist Academy Podcast is a snippet from my book: Mural Money. I wrote it last year and if you like this podcast, I know you’ll very much enjoy the Audible version of my book too. I explain in great detail how I built my business, from that first mural until now, and how you can grow yours too.
Pitching myself to possible customers has played a big part in that journey, and in this chapter, I’ll share some of those pitching tips with you. Enjoy!
This week’s episode features Pennsylvania-based artist Andrea Fairservice.
What I liked most about my chat with Andrea was how relatable she is. Aside from having the same name, she reminds me a lot of myself with all the different art things she has going on.
She does commissions and prints, live streams on Twitch, has subscribers on her Patreon, sends out email blasts and all the art marketing things combine together to make up her own unique art business.
I ask her about all the things including which method drives the most sales and I think her answers might surprise you.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Andrea Fairservice.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Pricing art is a hot topic and one that I believe truly has no right or wrong answer. However, this pricing strategy is one that has helped me book more commissions and often increase the budget of my customer’s projects, as opposed to getting ghosted.
The strategy involves giving your customer 2 options…. Meaning, give a price and design that you think would fit the customer’s needs while not breaking the bank. Then give a second price and design that goes above and beyond what they asked for.
It’s amazing to me how people will miraculously find more room in the budget for a design they LOVE.
At the same time, giving two examples helps to explain why certain projects cost what they do. Taking time, space, final details, and all things into consideration.
Listen to today’s episode on the Artist Academy Podcast to hear how I’m using this strategy within my art business (with exact budget quotes)!
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Victor Ving of the Greetings Tour.
Ya know, the “Greetings from…” murals we’ve all seen in various cities around the United States. I even replicated a version of the idea to paint in my own hometown of Springfield, Missouri and have gotten several jobs simply from the recognition of it.
I am a huge advocate of finding out what works, making it your own, and putting in the effort to make murals happen. This is exactly what Victor and his wife did to get his project started.
If your city is lacking in the mural department and does not currently have a “Greetings from” mural, I highly encourage you to take the initiative and create one! Obviously, don’t copy Victor’s style and always reference where you got the idea in the first place to give credit to the founder, but for every small-town artist out there who is looking for an idea to get your name out there, this is it!
Listen to hear how Victor got his project started, the hoops he has to jump through to make it happen, and take notes to make a plan of your own.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Victor Ving of the Greetings Tour.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
greetingstour.com/bio
Things go wrong all the time… so let’s chat about it!
I put together this list to hopefully give you a heads up on what’s to come, so that you don’t make the same mistakes as often, but also to normalize that having things go wrong is just part of the job. It’s no big deal.
* Scheduling- AKA not leaving enough time in between projects.
* Using the wrong materials, mostly the wrong paint.
* Forgetting things.
* Spilling paint on clothes, sidewalk, carpet, etc..
* Height issues- Lifts, ladders, scaffolding…
* Pricing (undercharging)
* Contracts- I’m really bad about the legal stuff.
Listen to this week’s episode to hear an explanation of each reason, including stories of each from my own art business.
Do you find these things going wrong for you too? Let me know!
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Washington state-based nature artist Gianna Andrews.
Gianna has figured out her niche (nature), created products and takes custom commissions surrounding said niche, and written a book on the subject to help aspiring artists learn to do the same.
This all came after a bike accident that left her hospitalized with a body brace and nothing to do but sit still, heal, and create.
During her recovery process, Gianna realized her love for art and the possibility of making it into a business. Through lots of trial and error, she’s figured out a system that works for her. One that allows her to create, make a profit and still have time to enjoy being out in nature.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Gianna Andrews.
Gianna's website: giannaandrews.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
My New Year’s resolution is to figure out how to work less and make more while sticking to a quality work/life integration schedule. Heavy on the “life” part, specifically family, specifically my new baby boy.
So, how is this even possible with all the things requiring my attention?
It's possible because I don’t fill my weekday painting calendar to the max. Leaving just one workday per week completely open has been a game changer to my business, mental clarity, and overall happiness.
Reasons to schedule a “me/office/studio day” every single week:* Because we work for ourselves and we can. * It leaves room for project spillover. * It leaves room for a last-minute commission that we REALLY want to do. * It’s good for the soul. Reset, refresh, and jumpstart creativity. * It makes room for extra time with family. * Time to work on the painting idea that’s been lingering in the back of our minds. * Time to clean/organize our studio/car. * Time for sketches/invoices/website updates.
Listen to this week’s episode to hear an explanation of each reason. This is the first step to making more by working LESS!
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Cleveland, Ohio-based muralist Lisa Quine.
I really enjoyed my chat with Lisa. She has this positive, honest energy that comes from someone who has just come out of the thick of building her business, already having figured out so many things, while at the same time still growing.
We chatted about her unique pricing strategy and how it came to be her standard way of doing things after years of experience. We even unexpectedly got onto the subject of juggling work with new motherhood, a topic favorite of mine lately, when I realized that she too is expecting a baby soon.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Lisa Quine.
Have a great week! :)
Andrea
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode highlights some of the Artist Academy Advanced members who have successfully made $100,000 or more this past year.
I asked them to summarize where their sales came from, how they attracted customers, and to give their best piece of advice as to how they got to where they are today.
Because that’s what we all want to know, right? How the heck are artists out there making a great living with a paintbrush?! This episode gives you examples of how a variety of artists “made it” in their industry.
Check them out! 👇
Lyssa England
(episode 69)
Lacey Crime
(episode 207)
Jodi Trujillo
(episode 186)
Samm Wehman
(episode 45)
Hibaaq Ibrahim
(episode 185)
Chelsea Blosil
(episode 171)
Ryan Benefield
Have a great week! :)
Andrea
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Australia-based artist Carmel Jenkin.
Carmel has built her art business up to what most artists aspire to live up to one day: Someone who creates from the heart rather than constantly running on the commission hamster wheel. Yep, she paints whatever she wants and that happens to be a series of abstract female figures.
Her unique niche has attracted the attention of multiple collectors, and she even did a pregnant woman series which I was very intrigued by given my current pregnant status at the time of this interview. Carmel shares how she built her art business around such an emotionally charged niche and her strategies for selling.
There’s a lot of energy and knowledge that can come from someone like her who is currently in the thick of figuring out her methods through trial and error, all while having some big wins along the way. She’s an open book about this crazy but fun art business rollercoaster ride. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Camel Jenkin.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Carmel's IG: https://www.instagram.com/carmeljenkin/
If I had to do it all over again, this episode is all about how I would go from having no commissions on the books to making six figures quickly.
Looking back on past years at things I’ve done right, the things that ended up being a waste of time, what’s been most profitable, and what has NOT. I now know how I would cut out months or even years from my journey to earning six figures.
WARNING: These recommendations are not for the lazy artist. ;)
For anyone looking to achieve this six-figure goal, I want to welcome you to join the Artist Academy this year.
We have many members inside the group who have gone through the tutorials, utilized all the tools including our supportive artist community, and are now available to help YOU reach your big goals too!
Apply at www.ArtistAcademy.co to get the first quarter started with a bang!
The 31-Day Challenge begins January 1st! Are you joining in?
This week’s episode explains what this challenge is all about, how you can benefit from completing it and gives examples of past successes.
If you’re looking to make 2023 your most profitable year yet, committing to a challenge like this will help create the success habits needed to make that goal a reality.
Creating art every single day is the first step to kickstarting the momentum needed to get your productivity up to the level of a career artist. #31DayChallenge #ArtistAcademy
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Here's Tiffany's IG account: https://www.instagram.com/lucidtlcarts/
This week’s episode features California-based muralist Morgan Bricca.
I have stumbled upon the more experienced version of myself in Morgan. I could talk to her for hours. She has the confidence and positivity of an experienced artist; One who has dealt with the past trials of owning a business but happily perseveres because she knows from years of experience how the profits far surpass the struggles.
For example, her project minimum nowadays is $7,500. Yep, I said minimum. Granted she lives in one of the wealthier parts of the United States where customers are happy to pay. Still, she knows her worth, sticks to what she’s good at, and has built up a wealth of knowledge about the subject of murals, so much so that she wrote a book on it: The Mural Artist’s Handbook. This woman needs no further introduction.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Morgan Bricca.
https://www.morganmurals.com/
The Mural Artist’s Handbook
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Southern California-based wedding painter Nicolette Martin.
This conversation will make you ask yourself, “Should I try wedding painting?” Between the amount of fun she’s having creating these one-of-a-kind pieces combined with the high profitability factor sprinkled on top, this seems to me to be the perfect way to make a great living as an artist.
Nicolette fills us in on all of her “secrets” to getting started in this very niche industry, including her pricing strategy to book gigs for $2,500 a pop on average!
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Nicolette Martin.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
https://www.instagram.com/nicmartin_event/
About once a week or more I’ll get an inquiry in my inbox that goes something like this:
“Hi! I’m a new artist trying to get my start in the art world and could really use some advice. Could you please let me know how you are able to make art your full-time career? How are customers finding you? If you have any tips for me I would greatly appreciate it!”
Not to be mean in any way, but I give a good chuckle at these messages every single time I receive one. As if I could give anyone a quality answer to that very loaded question in a simple email or direct message response.
There’s sooo much more to it than any one suggestion I could give. In fact, that’s why I started this podcast and wrote an entire book on the subject of getting started in the art world. Also, that book ended up being over 400 pages and a 15-hour audible because I couldn’t stop myself from including a variety of stories and strategies that worked for me in order to “make it” as a full-time artist. If you’re finding yourself asking any version of that question, or wanting to, then I highly encourage you to check out my book: www.MuralMoney.com
This episode is a chapter torn out of it that highlights how you can attract customers. For all of those artists out there who have already read the book, THANK YOU! It was published almost exactly 1 year ago, so I think listening to this one chapter again might help jumpstart your memory of my crazy long book. If I find something I like, I’ll revisit it a year or so later because more often than not, I’m in a completely different place in my business/life and can think about the subject in a new way. For all of you rereaders, I hope that’s the case for you.
For anyone just hearing about this for the first time, I want to encourage you to give yourself a holiday present by purchasing the Audible version. I recorded the entire 15-hour book myself with added highlights you won’t find in the paperback version. Plus, you can listen while you paint! It’s a win/win.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Washington-based muralist Glynn Rosenburg.
Glynn’s journey is yet another one of those artists made by the pandemic stories we love to hear when a good thing happens from an unlikely circumstance. She’s been growing her mural business since and already has a record $7,000 month under her belt!
I’m switching things up a bit with this one and interviewing an artist who is fairly new in her career because I think you will be able to relate to her journey a bit better than some of the 20-year veteran artists we’ve had in the past. Glynn is currently in the thick of it and shares what methods she’s using to gain new customers as a new artist.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Glynn Rosenburg.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features traveling muralist Carmen MacLeod. Carmen joined the Artist Academy about a year or so ago after listening to the podcast for a while, and now has found herself in Vietnam on a workaway program creating murals in exchange for free housing and food.
She reminds me of myself 10 years ago. She’s doing the thing that most of us think would be fun to do but might not have the balls to do it. Or the thing that we all wished we did back when we were young and had nothing tying us down, right?
She’s living the solo female traveler life while building her art brand and gaining new experiences all at the same time. Carmen is another one of those people I like to follow out of curiosity about what they’ll do next and where they’ll end up next year. If you’re interested in signing up for Workaway, I have the link posted here in the notes.
In this episode, we’re going to talk about how she prepared to quit her day job, how she saved up for this adventure, and the experiences she’s been having thus far.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Carmen MacLeod.
Workaway Link: https://www.workaway.info
www.ArtistAcademy.co
I just finished my last mural project of the year in preparation for maternity leave. Talk about waiting until the last minute. I’m taking time off to have a BABY… is this real life?!
My idea for painting while pregnant this year did not go as planned…
I thought I would hustle hard during the summer and then take the last few months off, assuming a time would come when I wouldn’t be able to physically paint murals anymore… But that is NOT what happened.
In the best way, my plans changed.
August came around (the start of my third trimester) aaaand I still felt fine. Same with September, October, and now November. Actually, I found that keeping my body moving and my mind busy was the best possible thing for me. I kept moving so much that I ended up earning a whopping $65k in my third trimester! And the cherry on top of that statement is that I did it without sacrificing my rest, social schedule, or mental peace. Basically, I didn’t work myself to burnout, or even close to it, like I’ve been known to do in years past.
In this episode of the Artist Academy Podcast I take a look back at how I earned $65k in 3 months by sharing where my customers came from, pricing strategies, etc..
I’ll also be sharing what I really felt like carrying a baby in my belly while muraling, how I did my best to avoid paint chemicals, made a schedule that worked around my physical limitations, and a few other common questions I’ve been getting this year.
www.ArtistAcademy.co.
This week’s episode features British Columbia-based artist and adventurer Jessa Gilbert.
Jessa creates these giant, stylized nature murals and sells her canvas originals and prints through local shops. Also, she’s a wilderness guide for part of the year. Talk about integrating your work life with your nature-adventure life. Jessa is the ideal example of someone who stays true to the specific art style she wants to create and builds an art career around her own niche.
You’ll hear us chat about Jessa’s first-ever giant mural experience and how intimidating it was. Fast forwarding to today, she’s an open book about how having multiple revenue streams keeps her business going no matter what season she’s in.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Jessa Gilbert.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
In this week’s episode, I’m celebrating finally hitting the big 100,000 follower mark on Instagram after a little over 5 years of effort creating 1,700 posts. The majority of those shared posts over the last couple of years were in the form of videos, more specifically Instagram Reels.
Reels are THE main way I have grown a following recently, so today I wanted to share my top video ideas plus editing tips in hopes of inspiring you to create and grow right along with me.
Get the downloadable guide with links to the video examples I explain in this episode here: https://www.artistacademy.co/video
This week’s episode features Florida-based artist and muralist Kole Trent.
Kole is living the stereotypical cool guy, hippie-style, freedom-embracing life. He hustles with his art business for half the year then spends the remaining months traveling in his van wherever the wind takes him. He’s learned to let go of what doesn’t matter, dematerialize, and embrace the life that he is called to live.
I like to follow people like this on social media because you never know where they’ll end up. It wouldn’t surprise me if Kole fell off the digital train completely for a year and jumped back on telling us how he just spent his time circling the globe in search of new inspiration in whatever way he deemed fit.
He’s the kind of person who’s going to do whatever he wants to do and he’ll find a way to make it happen. For example, he’s even creating his own space coast mural festival starting this year.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Kole Trent.
https://www.instagram.com/kole.trent/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode is all about organizing, batching, and repurposing content to make your promotion efforts easier, specifically around the upcoming holiday season.
This topic is top of mind because I’m currently batch recording podcast episodes and all the things while preparing to make my own life much easier in the coming months when I take maternity leave. I’m working a bit more strategically right now expecting that I’ll be busy/distracted later on, and I think some of my methods could work in your future self’s favor too.
Basically, one step I’m taking is to batch-record videos and take photos of the products I plan to promote and sell during the holidays. This makes it easy for me to just grab content from my stockpile, add a quick caption, and post while I’m working on future commissions.
Listen to hear the many other ways I’m planning ahead and how you can too!
www.ArtistAcademy.co
https://www.artistacademy.co/HolidayWindowPainting
This week’s episode features Florida-based muralist Derek Donnelly.
The thing that really stuck out to me through Derek’s interview was his strive to create an artistic community in the St. Pete area. Doing this art thing all by ourselves is just scratching the surface of how much fun creating for a living can be.
Having just come off another Artist Academy Mural Meetup, and getting to spend the weekend with other like-minded artists, I can attest to how important it is to connect with other artists. If anything, having artsy conversations about business and life makes me feel less crazy. Being an artist is an odd job, and complementing that with odd people (because let’s face it, artists are awesomely odd) helps connect the dots, in an odd way. Derek gets this and so much more. Also, he lives in a shipping container, which I think is awesome!
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Derek Donnelly.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Derek Donnelly's IG: https://www.instagram.com/saintpaintarts/
This week’s episode features trash sculpture artist Stephanie Hongo of Sugar Fox.
I’ve been loving all of the advice from all the various artists I’ve been interviewing lately on the podcast. Getting away from my bread and butter, murals, and branching out to chat with digital artists, gallery owners, and people like Stephanie who creates trash sculptures, has been eye-opening to all of the many directions one can take with their art career.
Today you’ll hear us talk about all of the hurdles that come with creating something unique. Shipping issues, social acceptance, and being put into a categorical box are a few things we cover during our chat.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Stephanie Hongo of Sugar Fox.
Stephanie Hongo Website: https://sugarfox.net/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
If you’ve ever thought about selling prints, now is the time to start getting your system set up and ready for the holiday wave of orders.
Today I’m going to share my past experiences with selling, promoting, and creating prints to help you figure out if this could be a profitable option for your art business.
In the beginning, I tried everything to make money with art. Nowadays I’m more focused on where the big money’s at: murals. But every year around the holidays I promote print sales as a purchase option on my website because October through December has always been the best time for me to sell them.
In short, my selling process goes like this:
(After you’ve fine-tuned your artistic skill and have created something worth duplicating…)
1 Create a listing on your website and a process that makes purchasing EASY.
2 Figure out who is interested by way of email capture.
3 Upsell throughout the process.
4 Create an incentive to buy now.
5 Share progress to demonstrate social validation.
Listen to hear details of each step! If you need done-for-you templates, exact email wording, and more behind-the method strategies to make this print selling process as easy as possible, join us for the 4th Quarter Success Plan inside the Artist Academy Membership:
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Switzerland-based lettering expert Stefan Kunz.
If you’re at all into letters you’ve probably stumbled upon Stefan’s work somewhere on the internet. The dude has over half a million Instagram followers, as well as being spread out across various social media. He creates for big-name brands like Coca-Cola, has built his business to the point of hiring others to help, and also teaches his ways to anyone hoping to learn a bit about lettering.
Overall, the thing I took away from interviewing Stefan is that he’s very clean. Let me explain… The way he presents his work is professional. His courses and marketing are very thought through. His photos and videos are well edited. He takes the time to polish his methodical approach to this art business world. All of that just makes me think of the word “clean.” Maybe something similar to clean-cut, polished, or smooth.
After listening to this interview, check out his photos/videos/courses to get a further view of what I mean. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Stefan Kunz.
Courses: https://courses.stefankunz.com/?affcode=527238_hvliwzfm
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Today's episode is a sneak peek into how we are starting our 4th quarter planning inside of the Artist Academy Advanced Membership. My intention for releasing this members-only content out onto this public podcast is to:
Help you set goals and create a plan to work backwards to actually achieve those goals.
Tease you with what we are doing inside the Academy for our 4th Quarter Success Plan in hopes that you will join us and really start taking your art business seriously during the most profitable time of year.
I know a lot of current members listen to the podcast, but sometimes miss my weekly videos, so this is a call to those members to jump back into the group to devour this strategizing content for the next few months. Give me your attention and I will make it worth your time!
Let me know what you think of this week’s sneak peek episode all about goal setting and strategizing for the 4th quarter.
Join us inside the Artist Academy Advanced by applying at www.ArtistAcademy.co.
This week’s episode features Montana-based wildlife artist James Corwin.
If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “It might be kinda cool to own a gallery one day,” then James is your guy to follow. Not only does he own a gallery and sell $20,000 originals, but he’s also located in one of the most beautiful wilderness locations in the states: Hamilton, Montana.
Nestled next to the mountains, James sells his wildlife art through his gallery as well as being represented by 30 other galleries nationwide.
He’ll give you some tips on how to go about getting your art into a gallery that fits your style, along with telling his story about how he got to where he is today, and all the little gems in between.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with James Corwin.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
https://www.jamescorwin.com/
This week’s episode of the Artist Academy Podcast is a look at Dionne Woods’ interview with me all about NFTs.
Dionne has her own membership (she actually inspired me to create the Artist Academy) and podcast, and sometimes she asks me to come on as a guest speaker to share some knowledge about social media, creating viral videos, or in today’s case NFTs.
Today’s episode was recorded inside her membership group with her members and herself asking me all the crypto questions trying to understand what an NFT is and how it works. These are basic-level explanations for anyone just deciding to possibly dabble in the NFT world.
I’ll share my beginner experiences, successes, and plans for future NFT possibilities. If you want a deeper dive into the NFT world I have full videos to explain every bit of the creation and selling processes inside the Artist Academy Advanced Membership. If you come away from this thinking, “woah, that’s a lot,” just know we all had the same reaction at first! But I can help you through it if you decide you want even more info.
By the way… I’m speaking this year at Dionne’s Empowering Creativity Retreat in Branson, Missouri! I’ll be showing her audience how I create my viral videos while painting live on stage. If you would like to join in the fun and learn from Dionne and myself live in person this fall, check out the link in the notes to see what the weekend entails.
Empowering Creativity Retreat- https://www.theturquoiseiris.com/workshops-retreats/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
https://www.instagram.com/painttalkspodcast/
I love talking to people who live outside the box and today’s guest definitely fits that description. This week’s episode features watercolorist Andrea England.
Andrea lives with her husband on an evermoving sailboat, adventuring coast to coast. She combines her love of the water with her art business by creating original watercolor pieces and prints. She also diversifies her income by offering painting/sketching classes on top of everything else.
I hope this interview inspires you to dig deep into what your true interests are and take action towards them. Andrea is proof that you can make money through art the unconventional way. Even with a number of obstacles in the way such as the lack of wifi because, ya know, she lives on a boat, she’s still making it happen.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Andrea England.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
https://www.instagram.com/andreaenglandart/
I’ll let you in on a little secret… Something that puts my mind at ease whenever I’m deciding what to post, what paint, and what direction to go in next. Nobody gives a shit about what you do or don’t do.
Nobody cares if you paint something completely off the wall that has absolutely nothing to do with your current genre. All that does is show you’re versatile. Nobody cares if you take a break from posting on social media for a week/month. They only notice when you show up.
Just relax knowing that this art thing isn’t as serious as you sometimes might make it out to be in your head.
On the flip side… how do you make your audience give a shit about what you’re creating?
Let’s chat about all the different ways to put the attention onto your art in order to gain more orders, commissions, and make money with your art in this week’s episode of the artist academy podcast.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features THE social media famous international muralist Kiptoe.
I knew this guy had a lot of Instagram followers (265k), even more YouTube fans (707k), and a lot of experience under his belt. But what I did not know about Kiptoe is, first, his hustle game is crazy strong, and second, how he got it all started traveling around the world independently in his 20s building his brand.
He is a great example of an artist who took the time to get really good at what he does, then pitched himself (and continues to keep pitching still today) to customers in order to get the mural jobs he wants.
This dude needs no further introduction and I know you’re going to feel inspired by this week’s episode with Kiptoe.
https://www.instagram.com/kiptoe1
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Raise your hand if you’ve found yourself stuck on the commission ferris wheel. Constantly creating for customers (because ya know, money $$$) while not finding the time to use your art skills to create for yo-self.
I created the Series Six Challenge to help jolt myself back into creativity mode during the late summer weeks. This serves 2 purposes:
1- To light that creative spark again.
2- To prep for the 4th quarter and give my audience something fresh to purchase during the holidays!
In this week’s episode let’s chat about how this challenge has been successful in years past, and how to figure out a plan for your upcoming series.
https://www.artistacademy.co/challenge
This week’s episode features Louisiana based muralist Kassie Voisin.
Due to my current infatuation with all things babies caused by my current pregnancy, I asked Kassie to come back on the podcast to chat about her recent adventures into motherhood.
Kassie was one of the first guests I had on this podcast and since then I’ve gotten to watch her continue to grow her art business while becoming a boy mom in the recent year. You know those people who you kind of know, met maybe once, but you keep up with them on social media and feel like you know them more than you actually do? Kassie is one of those for me and I can’t help but root her on through this crazy journey.
This chat gets very much away from the painting subject and onto baby-type advice, so for anyone completely uninterested in starting a family this episode might not be for you. But for anyone interested in the ups and downs that come with integrating a baby into the painting life, let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Kassie Voisin.
https://www.instagram.com/kassie.voisin/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
What would you say if I could promise you that I could magically teleport you into a room full of eligible buyers? People who have the funds to afford your high-ticket items, are looking to buy, and just need to be introduced to your work. Would you be up for it? Although the process, in reality, isn’t as magical as you might be imagining, it is possible.
Every time I paint at a charity banquet I’m surrounded by this exact scenario. No, not every person in the room asks to buy my art, and not every person falls in love with my unique style, but it’s a room full of opportunity that often pays off. Not to mention the fact that donating your time to these events to help them raise money for their organization is a great thing in itself.
Download my notes on how to create this opportunity for yourself at:
www.artistacademy.co/livepainting
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features France-based colored pencil artist Sema Martin.
In light of my current pregnancy, I asked Sema, a former podcast guest, to chat with me about her recent adventures in motherhood. Selfishly I’m interested in her experiences especially because it’s so recent.
She has a 6-month-old, meaning she’s currently in the thick of the baby stages, and I want advice! I’ll likely interview several more new momma artists, but this is just the start of this mini motherhood series.
Sorry guys without kids, this might not be an episode for you. But for anyone curious as to what this type of lifestyle is like and to anyone who has done this before, I think you’ll enjoy our chat all about art and babies.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Sema Martin. You can also check out her first podcast interview all the way back to episode # 95.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
https://www.instagram.com/artistsemamartin/
Are you looking to be hired onto a project to gain experience OR are you at a point where having a helping hand could benefit your art business?
In this episode, I shared a few stories of my hiring adventures with bringing on complete newbies all the way up to more experienced artists, and everything in between.
How do you find help? What do you pay them? How do you ensure that the project goes smoothly with so many working parts? Listen to find out!
www.ArtistAcademy.co
his week’s episode features 46-year-old TikTok star, artist, and mother, Andrea Nelson.
If you think TikTok is just for kids or the algorithm is long past favorable to art, think again! Andrea will give you tips on how to create better videos and “sell” online without actually selling.
You’ll love this guest and how open she is about business! In just a couple of short years, she’s built an art career she loves and shares tips to inspire you to do it too, at any age!
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Andrea Nelson.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
www.adreamoradayart.com
This episode is all about the subject of how to handle the local artist competition and turn it into a helpful community.
There are going to be heated situations that arise from conflict between you and another artist in your area or online. How do you deal with it?
Listen to hear how I approached a variety of different situations having been on both ends of the conflict. Spoiler alert: simple communication solves everything!
ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Canada-based artist/educator/podcaster DKleine.
I was first introduced to him through the NFT’s for Newbies podcast and became immediately intrigued by the fact that this guy is a teacher who has found a way to make money as an artist online through NFTs.
The idea of making easy money by sitting behind a computer amazes me, if you haven’t figured that out yet. So, I brought him on the podcast to explain a bit more in-depth how he got his start with art and NFTs, and how he’s making sales. Because that’s the magical question, right? How can one make money through art? Lucky for us, he shares his “secrets.”
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with DKleine.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
https://www.instagram.com/dkleineart
This week's episode on the Artist Academy Podcast is something that I believe has been one of the reasons why I’ve had such a smooth mural career.
Taking the time to step back and think logically before reacting has saved me in many situations. Burning bridges over emotional reactions and decisions vs. looking at it from more of a logical standpoint can not just cost you referrals, but arguably something more important, it can cost you your peace of mind.
In this episode I’m going to be sharing some of my personal business experiences, plus ones that I see pop up frequently with other artists, to give examples of emotional vs logical situations.
I don’t want to scare you by talking about some negative things that come up when dealing with customers, but rather help you be better prepared for when these situations arise.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode is an introduction to Jordan Giha’s project: WXLLSPACE.
Doesn’t it seem like there are a small number of top artists getting a ton of high-profile work while other equally talented artists are left in the dark, mostly due to a lack of exposure?
Jordan hopes to bridge the gap between muralists and the customers who want to hire us by putting together a platform that helps connect the two. His goal is to help those artists who don’t have a large following or the giant resumes get work to jumpstart their art careers.
Sound like a good idea to you? Me too! Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Jordan Giha all about his new project: WXLLSPACE.
https://www.artistacademy.co/muralmaster
www.wxllspace.com
This week’s episode features South Carolina muralist Randall Kane.
I was actually having a bad day before I sat down to interview Randall yet you’d never know because I instantly fed off of his energy and turned positive. I hope this chat does the same for you today.
We talked about trying many different routes to make money as a creative, a different perspective on pricing, and what it’s like to paint with snakes. I’ll let him explain.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Randall Kane.
https://www.artistacademy.co/muralmaster
https://www.instagram.com/rkanedesign/
This week's episode on the Artist Academy Podcast features a northern United Kingdom muralist James Carter.
James has been dabbling in paint and street art for many years but just recently went full-time into the mural business during the Covid lockdown. It’s quite a different landscape for artists working across the pond.
In this interview, we chat about the differences and similarities compared to painting in the United States. It’s refreshing to hear James’ welcoming view on things like painting in public, plus he gives us some tips on using spray and a bunch of stuff in between.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with James Carter.
https://www.artistacademy.co/muralmaster
https://www.instagram.com/durhamspraypaints
This week's episode on the Artist Academy Podcast features Nashville-based muralist Tarabella Aversa.
I love talking with fellow muralists about the day-to-day tasks, the customer outreach, and most of all, the money that comes from this line of work. It’s so funny the similarities that all of these muralists from across the globe have, but I’m intrigued every time someone tells me something different.
In this interview, Tarabella talks about starting out with photo op-art, which gave her the exposure to kick start her mural career (same as me), but there were so many differences in our pricing strategies (I price by the hour, and she prices by square foot) and our artist competition demographics (a male-dominated crowd surrounds her and all I see are other female muralists).
There’s no 100% correct way to break into this industry which is why I love giving you a variety of methods from a variety of artists so that YOU can decide for yourself the best way to go about it.
Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Tarabella Aversa.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
www.artistacademy.co/muralmaster
https://www.instagram.com/tmamurals/
This week's episode on the Artist Academy Podcast features East coast muralist Lacey Crime.
Lacey is in the Artist Academy Membership, and we were chatting one day when she told me that her goal for the year was to make $100,000 painting murals.
Then, not long after, she shared that she had already made half of that goal just in the first quarter of the year! I said, “Let’s hop on a call to chat about how you’re making this possible for yourself so we can let other artists know too!”
www.artistacademy.co/muralmaster
https://www.instagram.com/laceycrimeart/
This episode is a sneak peek into the NFT course inside the Artist Academy Master’s Program.
Before I visually show artists how to buy Ethereum, create a Meta Mask account, link it to OpenSea, and all the techy stuff in between, I stress how important it is to think through why we are creating these NFTs in the first place.
If you’re unsure what an NFT is exactly, don’t worry, I will explain it in the program, or you can listen to episode 197 to get a head start. This is the next step that involves planning out your creation strategy; before we go into pricing, minting, and promoting.
Why would someone buy your NFT? I’ll help you answer in this sneak peek training video. Let’s get started!
www.ArtistAcademy.co
https://opensea.io/ArtbyAndreaEhrhardt
In this week's episode of the Artist Academy Podcast, we will have a Student Spotlight with Kristi Goss.
I’m not sure if you know this, but every Monday, I go live with one of my amazing Artist Academy Advanced students to get to know them better and give direct advice on their art business.
There are many artists who come into the Academy who go through the content, watch the videos, and still have some questions about their own unique circumstances. That’s why I opened up these 1-on-1 chats called Student Spotlights to help answer their questions and steer them in the right direction.
Kristi asked some really great questions and I think you can benefit from hearing the answers, as well as the rest of our conversation.
Let me know what you think of this week’s Student Spotlight episode with Kristi Goss.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
www.instagram.com/kristigosspaints
This week’s episode is not only a look into what an Artist Academy Scholarship entails, how to apply, and all of that fun stuff. We are also going to talk about how best to approach the application process, talk yourself up, and open doors for yourself with a variety of opportunities.
www.ArtistAcademy.co/scholarships
https://opensea.io/ArtbyAndreaEhrhardt
This week’s episode features Nashville based artist/actress/comedian Elisabeth Donaldson.
As you know, I’m a big fan of video, so you can imagine how much fun I was having geeking out over Elisabeth’s video tips throughout this interview. I liked getting a different perspective from someone who isn’t primarily just an artist, but rather she is more an actress/comedian which is a profession that relies on a camera. Communicating, entertaining, and having a stage presence is part of her job and I think we can take so many great tips from this different perspective.
If you’re struggling with video or just don’t understand the benefits of learning it, you’re going to find this episode very beneficial. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Elisabeth Donaldson.
👉 https://www.instagram.com/elisabeth.donaldson/
👉 www.ArtistAcademy.co
This episode is a sneak peek chapter from my book Mural Money.
Chapter 5: Motivation to Practice talks about when I was working to build my customer base locally so I didn’t have to travel for work anymore.
I had it in my head and often said out loud, “in order to make good money, I need to travel outside of Missouri.” I fully believed that because all of my experiences so far working art and promo jobs told me that this was true.
But it absolutely was just a story I made up in my head. It’s very possible to build a business wherever you are and make a great living.
This chapter is a look at how I motivated myself to do that.
www.MuralMoney.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week's episode features Belgium based painter Anastasia Trusova. My artist friend Shannon Joy referred Anastasia to me, who prefaced her introduction as "This is the artist I most admire. Her style, way of life, everything. This is what I want to accomplish too".
When I reached out, I had no clue that Anastasia couldn't speak English, which made this interview very interesting. She volunteered her gracious husband to translate, and we gave it a shot. This gives you a look at what artists from across the world are doing to make money as a creative.
It's funny because the tactics are very similar, specifically, the strategy to donate a painting to meet future collectors, much like I suggest doing with live painting at charity banquets. Do whatever you can to get in the room and be seen by people who could be turned into a customer.
Please stick with me through this multilingual interview, and let me know what you think of this week's episode with Anastasia Trusova.
https://www.instagram.com/atrusovaartist/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
www.MuralMoney.com
Which stage are you in?
- The Scaredy Cat
- The Hustler
- The Spoiled One
- It’s Time to Pivot
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Nashville-based wallpaper and textile artist, Sarah Walden of Peacoquette. I personally sought out Sarah and invited her onto the podcast to selfishly pick her brain about wallpaper.
There is so much more to it than I thought (isn’t everything?) and I’m currently weighing the options of diving into my own wallpaper/textile collection. Sarah makes it seem so fun and gives so many bits of advice on ways to make things easy on ourselves while creating custom pieces.
I know you’re going to love this very different take on the art world. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Sarah Walden of Peacoquette.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
https://www.sarahmasonwalden.com
I took a customer to court. Listen to hear how you can protect yourself from legal situations like this one.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Dallas based digital artist Allo. He is an award winning artist who creates minimal, abstract, and interactive art using AR. In this chat we talk about all things NFTs and aim to keep it super simple for anyone wondering if the digital world could be right for your art business. Let me know what you think about this week’s episode all about NFTs with Allo.
https://www.instagram.com/allo.art/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
If you like hearing interviews like this in your ear, if they inspire you, then I want to encourage you to download the Audible version of my book Mural Money. It’s a condensed version of all of the best tips given from guests of this podcast, plus my own words of wisdom to help you get started in any art industry, plus stories of lessons learned that I’ve never told before. You can pick up a copy at www.MuralMoney.com, and again I highly recommend the Audible version. My book is for any artist, especially those wanting to make a profit from a paint brush. I’ll see you next week!
If every millionaire has 7 different streams of income, how many should an artist have? In this episode, Andrea shares how she’s currently diversifying her income and talks about a number of different options for you to consider.
The question of how to diversify your income really comes down to this: Does this new avenue align with your core values enough to make putting in the extra effort worth it?
www.ArtistAcademy.co
www.MuralMoney.com
This week’s episode features Michigan based artist Austin Fabinski. Austin is my go-getter in the Academy since joining almost 2 years ago. He’s always up for a challenge and trying anything and everything to make this art career thing work. From books to art prints, shows, and going viral on TikTok, he’s done it all. I think this is a great look at the effort needed to go full time and I hope it inspires you to give a little extra this week. It all adds up. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Austin Fabinski.
https://www.instagram.com/austinfabinskiart/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Download the free guide to help you nail down your pricing system at: www.artpricingguide.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
www.MuralMoney.com
This week’s episode features Missouri based muralist Samantha Cox, who just happens to be one of my best friends. Samantha’s journey is going to be very relatable to a lot of the mom listeners. She shares how she went from the stay at home mom role to boss babe business owner with a lot of tough mental shifts in between. I’ve personally gotten to witness this because I’ve coached her from day 1 until she was able to stand on her own this year. Her confidence is currently at an all time high and continuing to grow, but it started from a pretty low place. Since quitting her day job she’s happier than ever and I hope this interview gives you the inspiration you need to do the temporary hard thing to experience the good things in the long run. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Samantha Cox.
www.Instagram.com/artbysamanthacox
Let’s chat about ways to spend money in order to make more of it.
Andrea goes through, line by line, the different ways she has spent money this past year in order to make more of it. Whether it’s for an immediate return or playing the long game, there are a variety of ways to spend in order to increase cash flow.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
www.MuralMoney.com
This week’s episode features Canadian wildlife artist Sarah McComb-Turbitt. Sarah is the perfect example of someone who takes things one step at a time, and has a very methodical approach to building her art business. She learns a new skill by pouring her everything into it then moves on to the next task. This makes sense considering her background is in science. She’s a biologist turned artist, and I know you’ll love all of her stories. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Sarah McComb-Turbitt.
What went right last year for your art business? What lessons did you learn? What are your goals for the coming year? Andrea shares her tough 2021 lessons learned and BIG 2022 goals to help inspire you to dream big too!
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Today we have another episode of the Quit Your Day Job series where I interview members of the Artist Academy Advanced, our private group mentoring membership program geared to helping artists thrive. I’m interviewing Shannon Joy who is from where I am, Springfield, Missouri but is currently on vacation in Hawaii. She carved away some time to chat with me about her dive into full-time art. I’ve met Shannon in person many times this past year both on mural projects and off. I first had her out to help paint a project at a local park, then another for a business, then another, and each time she’s helped more and I’ve done less. Now she’s out on her own in the art world and making a living with a paint brush. Listen as we chat about everything that happened in between that helped her go from working a job she didn’t like to now into a full time creative career. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Shannon Joy.
www.ShannonJoy.art
www.ArtistAcademy.co
The 31 Day Challenge is coming up. Listen to hear why you should start your year off with a bang and produce 31 paintings in the month of January.
Today we have another episode of the Quit Your Day Job series where I interview members of the Artist Academy Advanced, our private group mentoring membership program geared to helping artists thrive. I’m interviewing Jodi Trujillo who is based in Hawaii and has been a member of the Academy for over 2 years! The main thing I took from Jodi’s interview can be put into one word: diversification. She’s doing paint parties, murals, art shows, and even illustrating books. We chat about all the ways Jodi is making money with her art and has been able to quit her day job so hopefully it gives you some clues as to how to do it for yourself too. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Jodi Trujillo.
www.Instagram.com/geared2rdsart
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Today we are highlighting Hibaaq Ibrahim, a Minnesota based muralist who joined the Academy not long after I opened the doors over 2 years ago. She’s attended both mural meetups and I’ve had the privilege of watching her grow from a beginner artist to now a full-time muralist.
www.moonjuicemurals.com
Window Art
Holiday Specific Marketing
Run a Sale
Email List
Post Consistently
www.ArtistAcademy.co
www.Facebook.com/groups/ArtistAcademy
This week’s episode features Ontario, Canada art educator Brenda LaRose. We are taking a dive into Instagram Reels today as I chat with Brenda about her strategies for making video. I first found her scrolling through IG and after seeing a couple of her quirky Reels I thought, “alright, I’ll follow.” Then after seeing many more pop up and the engagement she was getting with this strategy I thought, “I need to have a video chat with this woman to get her perspective on all of this.” She particularly stood out to me because she’s not a young tween or even a Millennial, rather she’s Generation X and you don’t see many of those taking the time to learn video. Brenda has some very helpful tips for you about how to make videos and get views, so I’ll just let her explain. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Brenda LaRose.
www.Instagram.com/brendalarose_art
www.ArtistAcademy.co
My first book Mural Money is out for preorder on Amazon and Audible! Listen to this quick introduction and the behind the scenes of writing it to get a feel of what it’s all about.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Steps to thinking bigger and making bigger money:
Envision and say it out loud.
Present yourself in a way that attracts those higher paying customers.
Meet and hang around people who are doing bigger things than you.
Give back.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Today we are highlighting Lyssa Wyn, a Florida based artist who joined the Academy when I first opened the doors over 2 years ago! I have a special place in my heart for Lyssa because we’ve grown together and I’ve watched her transform her life through building an art business. I think you’re really going to love this episode so that’s all the introduction I think it needs. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Lyssa Wyn.
https://www.instagram.com/barefootanddoodles/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
I’m going to be reading you some of the hate comments I’ve been getting online to showcase how with every 100 positive/loving/encouraging comments you can expect 1 bad apple, but it doesn’t have to slow you down! Receiving hate is never a great experience but we can control how much it bothers us or doesn’t bother us.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Today we are highlighting Christine Riutzel, a Branson, Missouri, based artist who joined the Academy not long after I opened the doors over 2 years ago. Christine has this vibrant energy that you can feel through her art and is someone who you need to see her work to understand her uniqueness. Go click the link to her Instagram below. We talk a lot about getting involved in your local art community and how Christine has used that to grow her business and inspire other artists along the way. She really has been a positive force for the arts here in small town America and I think small towns need that. So if you’re listening and are wanting to build a local brand then try doing what Christine has and is doing within her community of creating street art and all the things. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Christine Riutzel.
https://www.instagram.com/beautyfromlight/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Today we are highlighting Dani Roma. A Kansas City based artist who joined the Academy just recently and attended our Mural Meetup. Dani is in the thick of it from just recently transitioning from teacher to artist and is currently in the process of getting her first few big mural jobs. This is such a fun/stressful time for most artists and I wanted to chat with her about her current struggle and wins to help inspire you to go for it too. It’s worth it I promise, just ask Dani. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Dani Roma.
https://www.instagram.com/dani.roma.art/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features author and art business educator Alyson Stanfield. You may know her from her famous book, I’d Rather be in the Studio. Alyson has been coaching artists since almost before I was born so it’s pretty obvious that she holds a vast amount of knowledge on the subject of art and business. We chat a lot about the mental blocks that artists create for themselves and how to move past it. We touch on critique and where to ask for criticism and where not to. We keep it pretty broad when it comes to advice but I’m sure you’ll take away something from our chat in one category or another. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Alyson Stanfield.
www.ArtBizSuccess.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Florida based artist and podcaster Suzanne Redmond. About a month ago or so Suzanne interviewed me on her podcast The Left Brained Artist and today we flipped the script to get to know her a bit more. She used to be a curator so I took this interview as a chance to dig in on her knowledge about artist statements, CVs, exhibition applications, and even artist residencies. She just completed an artist residency down in Hollywood, Florida, so we talked about how she is finding these opportunities and successfully applying for them, so you can take a tip from her playbook and do that as well, if you want to. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Suzanne Redmond.
https://suzanneredmond.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Today we are highlighting Brianna D’Amato, A New York based artist who joined the Academy back in April of 2019. Brianna has been to both Mural Meetups, this year in Missouri and last year in Iowa, so I have had the chance to get to know her pretty well. We have a few inside jokes and I just can’t help but laugh a little to myself thinking of our time together. You know how some people just get your humor, well Brianna is one of those. On a professional level, I’ve watched her grow on social media through the past couple years to the point of now being full-time and selling so many original paintings, and I’m just so proud of her. It’s so fun to me to watch and encourage these artists through their beginner years and Brianna is one of those for all of us to watch. She has so much potential and this is just the start. You’re about to hear how she’s gotten this far so let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Brianna D’Amato.
www.BriannaDamato.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Today we are highlighting Chelsea Blosil. A Salt Lake City based muralist who joined the Academy back in September of 2020. I have had the privilege of meeting Chelsea not just once at the Mural Meetup here in Missouri but twice with the first time being in her home state of Utah. After getting to know her a bit my immediate thought was, “It’s so crazy how we attract what we are.” We have so much in common when it comes to ambition and adventuring. I feel really lucky to be able to meet these amazing artists and I think Chelsea being the first episode of this Quit Your Day Job series is just absolutely perfect. You’ll hear why and let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Chelsea Blosil.
https://www.instagram.com/chelseablosil/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Every Monday I interview some of my amazing Artist Academy students to get to know them better and give direct advice on their art business. Today I was chatting with Sylvia Hecht who has a very unique story so I thought I would share it with you. We talk about the ways she’s gotten work abroad or has traded murals for things like free stay at hostels and Air BnB’s. She has some really good tips for having that trade conversation and we talk about getting jobs in general when you’re just starting out. This is a fly on the wall listen to a coaching call and I know as a beginner artist this call would appeal directly to me. I love travelling and experiencing new cultures, and I’m currently working on the possibility of our next Mural Meetup being a trade abroad experience. Let me know what you think of this student spotlight with Sylvia Hecht.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Florida based master muralist Keith Goodson. You have to go check out Keith’s work to fully understand what he’s capable of. I found him in a muralist group and was blown away by his talent. What I wasn’t expecting was his eagerness to share his knowledge with all of you. We hopped on a pre interview call really quickly and he mentioned how busy his schedule was today and that fitting in the interview would be a challenge, but his passion is to share his knowledge with up and coming artists so he was determined to make time for it. I could hear the earnestness in his voice and was automatically that much more excited to interview him. There’s something to be said for people who see what they have as such a gift and are so willing to give it away. This episode is a bottled up version of years of mural advice and hope that you take what he says and run with it. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Keith Goodson.
www.KeithGoodson.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Missouri based muralist Ray Harvey. I particularly liked this interview with Ray partly because we are only located a few hours apart and I like connecting with other midwestern artists, but also because Ray has this bluntness about him that’s just a breath of fresh air. He delivered some tough love towards the end of this episode and I was here for it! We talked a lot about pride and how artists sometimes lead with their pridefulness instead of just looking at a situation as a business transaction. From working with artists for the past few years I’ve realized that they are either struggling to feel good enough or struggling to be humble enough to learn new things. It’s very rare to find someone who just sees it how it is without emotion and is confident enough to take criticism, learn from it, and not let it get to them. Who cares if someone doesn’t like your art. Ray doesn’t! I think you’re going to really like his point of view on the profession of being an artist. It was unexpected but refreshing to hear how he doesn’t put himself on the artist pedestal that we all are probably guilty of at some point but rather views being a muralist as a job. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Ray Harvey.
www.RayHarveyArt.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode is another one of those sneak peaks I sometimes give out into what’s going on inside of the Artist Academy Membership. I’m soooo excited to announce that we are starting group mindset coaching bi-weekly inside of the Academy with our very own Madelyne Oliver. I’ve been wanting to do this for a long while and it’s funny how the right people find their way to connect to you because Madelyne is the perfect addition to the Artist Academy team with her experience in art therapy. We all have these thoughts in our mind that sound something like, “I’m not good enough” or “I can’t make money because of BLANK.” In this episode, we address those thoughts and talk about the ways to reframe them to a more positive mindset in order to help us grow as people and as artists. After talking with so many of you artists over the past 2+ years since starting the Academy the thing that always comes up is a lack of belief. Whether it’s about your abilities or the possibilities, we would love to help you get over that hurdle and move on to doing what you’re meant to do. (By the way, we both recorded this sitting outside on our decks so you’ll probably hear some nature sounds in the background, just go with it) Let me know what you think of this week’s sneak peek episode into our new series inside of the academy: Mindset with Madelyne Oliver.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Colorado based muralist Michael Beenenga. I really liked this chat with Michael. He’s well spoken, knowledgeable, and so willing to share exactly how he’s getting mural jobs via home shows. I think this strategy is genius. He explains everything from how to find these shows to how you can set up and present your painting services. He’ll let you know how to get leads and then what to do with those leads to turn them into jobs. I just want to reiterate that the leads you get at home shows are the big customers we want! Yes, there’s a fee to enter a home show but sometimes you have to spend money to make money. If you want something that doesn’t cost money then go make a listing on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. See how well that works and what kind of customers you get from there. You gotta pay to play in the big leagues so whenever you’re ready to take a step up then maybe consider listening to what this episode is all about. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Michael Beenenga.
www.ArtisticGoldCC.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This episode is all about how I’ve painted in various countries and how you can too. Let’s talk about work and travel for a minute. #WorldWideWings
To get the proposal templates and examples simply join the www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Toronto based muralist Marilena Madio of Wall Wear. Marilena struck my fancy when I saw her promoting her new wall decals because I thought, “Wow! That’s an idea that I might want to try out.” I asked her on to talk primarily about her new product but ended up being blown away by all of her mural knowledge. This is another inspiring story of someone who has built up their art biz to a point where she is making great money, supporting her family, and absolutely loving what she does every single day. I look up to Marilena because she’s been in this art game longer than I have and is just so full of knowledge on the subject. I think you’re going to really enjoy her vibe and all the info she provides. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Marilena Madio.
www.WallWear.ca
www.ArtistAcademy.co
I’m making this episode because I constantly get questions about how to paint quickly. Artists see me creating a mural in a day or 2 and think, “Why can’t I do that?” Let’s unravel it. But first… I can’t start this episode about giving you tips to paint faster without first stating that speed comes with experience. Where you are right now in your mural journey is exactly where you need to be and most of the time just putting in more hours will give you the speed you’re looking for. But besides experience, here are a few tips to help speed up the process:
1 Tip: 80-20 Rule: I’ll do 80% of the work but not the 20% that requires tiny brushes (Listen to hear the explanation!)
- Don’t overthink it
- Supplies: Projector and bigger brushes (rollers) www.ArtSupplyList.net
- Set a deadline
- Hire someone
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s BONUS episode features the founders of the Paint Hive: Regina, Gina, and Monica. The Paint Hive is a website that houses classes from a variety of artists who aim to inspire and encourage creativity, offer the motivation to start a new business, or simply expand your skills. We chat a bit about murals but this is kind of veered off from this summer’s mural theme which is why I’m delivering it as a bonus episode for you!
We mostly dive into what creating a great tutorial consists of. From writing an outline to the audio to being on camera and the fears around that. There’s a lot that goes into it but if you’ve ever thought about even the possibility of creating a tutorial one day then this episode might give you the boost in confidence that you need. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Regina, Gina, and Monica of the Paint Hive.
Use the code Andrea50 for 50% off any Paint Hive class this month!
www.ThePaintHive.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features California based muralist Jeff Raum. This might be one of my favorite episodes because Jeff has a lifetime of experience in the arts industries and he so willingly shares it all. We talk a lot about what can go wrong in the mural process whether it’s non-payment, miscommunication, customers using our designs but hiring other artists to complete them, etc. For every 10 customers there’s 1 that isn’t happy for some reason or another and that’s just life. We chat about the ways to reconcile these situations and Jeff shares so many stories and words of wisdom in this over an hour long chat. So grab a paint brush, stay productive, and just listen to these mural stories in the background. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with muralist Jeff Raum.
www.JeffRaum.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Virginia based muralist and faux finisher Bryan King. I put out a call for recommendations in a couple Facebook groups looking for nominations of lifetime muralists to interview for you this summer and Bryan’s name was brought up over and over. Artists wanted to hear from him and after checking out his photo gallery I could see why. This is another example of someone who takes pride in what they do and doesn’t rush. I have a tendency to try and move on to the next project ASAP but seeing Bryan’s work was a simple reminder of what could happen if we just take our time to produce a really great result for the customer. Bryan’s customers are a bit on the high end. He says that if he had to guess, he would say that most of his customers are in the top 1%. That is GOALS. To paint for that type of clientele you need to be in the top 1% of artists in your genre, and I think Bryan is that. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Bryan King.
www.artificeinc.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features not 1 but 2 seasoned muralists: Linda & Roberto. This duo has worked together for many years on many different projects throughout their lifetime mural career. They’ve been doing this mural thing so long that while they were explaining projects and the year they painted them I was thinking, “Oh wow, I was a toddler when they completed that job.” We chat about what it’s like being an artist for hire and riding the wave of the industry. Busy and not busy… From working for other artists to stories about taking on giant jobs of their own. They have a lifetime of knowledge in the mural industry and I definitely plan to have them back someday to talk about maybe something more specific that you would want to know about their mural careers, but for now this is a broad overview of many years painting murals. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Linda and Roberto.
www.laughingwellstudio.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This episode is all about painting logos! You might be thinking,”Wait a minute… I thought we were on the whole mural subject this month?” But I want to point out that murals and logos go hand in hand more often than you’d think which is why this is the perfect ending to all of the mural talk we’ve been having! All the time I’ll get a customer who hires me for a logo then says, “Hey, let’s do a mural on the other wall” or they will ask me to incorporate lettering on top of a mural or beside it or in addition to it. The two go hand in hand which is why I included a lettering and logos section inside of the Mural Master course. This is a sneak peak into an advanced training we did in the Academy all about logos! Listen to hear why you should go this route, how you can price, paint, and how to get profitable logo jobs alongside your mural jobs.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Toronto based muralist Corrado Mallia. I was so excited for this interview mostly because I was really curious how Canadians do this whole mural thing. I don’t want to ruin the surprise but it’s all very similar to the United States. Like I’ve mentioned before, I just like talking to other muralists because it’s like a bonding thing getting to hear that we all have the same hurdles to jump over like weather, supplies, sketching, and payments. The majority of our conversation today surrounded pricing and getting paid, which is always a hot topic. I hope this interview gives you a bit of clarity on pricing and makes you feel better prepared to give your next bid, no matter how big the job is. There’s really no absolute right way to associate money with murals but we’re going to chat about it anyway! Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Corrado Mallia.
www.corradomurals.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Minnesota based muralist Tony Stafki. Tony has been in the mural game for 14 years and this interview is a look into how he grew his art business from the start. We talk about some crazy mural stories involving painting on carpet walls and another painting up 100 feet. It’s really fun for me to talk to these muralists because even though we all do it slightly differently, we all actually do it way more of the same way. It’s funny how similar we go about bidding jobs and completing them with similar materials. It’s the same but different. One other similarity is that everyone struggles in the beginning with finding work but if you talk to anyone who has been in the game for more than 10 years they will tell you that things are going pretty well. It gets so much easier. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Tony Stafki.
www.WallArtByTony.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features a lifelong muralist and one of my friends Pietro Palladini. I had the privilege of working with Pietro in the early parts of my career and along with his enthusiasm and friendly character, Pietro set the example for what a great muralist is. Now in his 70’s, Pietro has spent his life practicing his craft out of joy and painting all over the world. He has had many interesting gigs from painting on big movie sets to repelling off of buildings to paint giant billboards. He painted the casinos in vegas and the list goes on and on. For this interview I wanted to just hear about all the stories he’s experienced throughout his life as a working artist. I think you’re really going to enjoy this one. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Pietro Palladini.
www.PietroPalladini.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Oregon based muralist of 20+ years Annie Margarita. I could talk about murals all day with Annie! She’s been around the block (the world) a time or two painting murals, faux finishing, sculpting, and interior decorating. Annie does it all! She has built her business up to charging $100+ per hour while working a few days a week and a few hours per day. She doesn’t overdo it and still makes a great living with her art! We chat about painting for amusement parks like Disney and several other big names. She’s a big deal! I’m so excited to have her as a guest for May Mural Month because Annie is an amazing example of someone who has put in the work early and is now reaping the benefits of it! I hope you’re as inspired as I am by her so let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Annie Margarita.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
www.AnnieMargarita.com
People underestimate the power of excitement within persuasion. Grow your audience and sell to more customers simply by showing how much you LOVE what you do! Listen to hear how I make sales using genuine excitement regularly.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features an expressive painter based just a hop, skip, and a jump away from me outside of Kansas City, Anissa Perry. Her Facebook page Niss & That has grown to over 20k loyal fans who are all excited about her work along with a membership group and all the things. One thing I’ve noticed about Anissa’s following is that they are invested in her art and give so many positive praises letting her know they are rooting for her in the comments. This was another interview that surprised me with the many turns it took throughout starting with her story. Anissa started her art business with the goal of making enough money to leave her marriage and still support herself and 4 boys. For all the single moms out there, this is an interview for you. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Anissa Perry.
https://www.facebook.com/nissnthat/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
I was recently interviewed by Paulina with the Gente Increible Podcast and she was kind enough to let me share it with you. Paulina is from Mexico and being asked questions by someone in a completely different country made me realize that no matter where you are typically the same art rules apply. We talk about how to build an art business, tips on getting started, the whole bit. This is also a bit of an introduction to how I got started in the art business which I thought would be really informative for new listeners being that the intro I did in the very beginning is over 2 years old! Let me know what you think of this interview by Paulina with Gente Increible about me.
www.Instagram.com/genteincreiblepodcast
www.ArtistAcademy.co
So you want to be your own boss, huh? You’ve tuned in to this episode because working for yourself sounds like way more fun than listening to someone else tell you what to do. What does it take? What does “be your own boss” actually mean? Listen to hear the 3 mental milestones you need to overcome ASAP in order to establish a BOSS mentality.
This week’s episode features New York based artist and educator Corrine Yancone. I’m so excited because after we recorded this Corinne and I agreed to put the first 3 modules of her painting course inside of the Artist Academy Advanced! I’m so excited for my members to get to learn from her this week and if you’re not in the Academy then just listen up as she describes her course and how to enroll for yourself. We chat about live painting and what it takes to show up confidently to ultimately build your dream art career. There’s a lot of marketing tricks out there that work and can help get us ahead a bit but it really comes down to the hours we want to spend on our painting skills. If you’re a really good painter then marketing your amazing art will be so much easier. Corinne teaches painting, how to find your niche, and how to show up for yourself. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Corinne Yancone.
www.cafcreations.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Today we have another solo episode all about everyone's favorite subject: Instagram. I focus specifically on writing with confidence, the benefits of letting your customer get to know you, and creating captions that people can't help but comment on!
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Ohio based muralist Pamela Kellough. I had no idea what to expect when meeting Pamela and in our first few words I was just flooded with warmth from this woman. She is a joy and possesses so much mural knowledge from her 20+ years of experience. Yep, Pamela is 65 and still hanging out up on lifts and doing all the things required to paint murals. We chat about pricing and if money is a motivator for you (it is for me) then this will be a really motivating episode, and will make you want to go out and start pitching yourself for mural jobs! Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Pamela Kellough.
www.pamelakelloughmurals.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Are you blocking yourself from making money? I want you to make the mental shift to go from, “How can I make money this month?” to, “What can I do now that will set me up for a great career in the future?” I want to openly talk about this subject despite this voice in my head saying, “You’re bragging,” and be the motivation for you to achieve any level income you desire.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features California based illustrator and cartoonist Ryan McCulloch. Ryan is the VP of art and design at Mutasia which is a series of award-winning books, music, animation and stuffed animals about an island where everyone is a mix of 2 or more different animals. Example: Pugapillar. How fun is that?! Ryan is so fun, creative and willing to share all of his knowledge about cartoon making and what it’s like working with a team. Imagine having a handful of different creative minds working on one project. Sure there’s there’s bound to be some creative friction with different ideas but imagine the amazing results you can get by combining those minds together! That’s what Ryan does for living. He also goes into depth about creating cartoons with the plot lines, facial features, body languages and everything you say with art that doesn’t even need to be said with words. This is a very different type of conversation than our typical business-style but I hope you find it as interesting as I did. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Ryan McCulloch.
www.Instagram.com/ryanmcc_art
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features London based painter Aengus Boyle. Aengus and I recently met on Clubhouse, yet another social media platform for making connections. We were both speaking in a room and got onto the subject of podcasting. It went something like, “I have a podcast, you have a podcast. Let’s do the podcast thing.” He has a bit of a leg up on the marketing aspect of things with currently working for VaynerMedia so naturally our talking points surround social media and marketing. We stumble upon some really great possible tips for using ads with very specific targeting. If you’re going to spend money, might as well be smart about it, right? We touch on audience growth, getting over perfectionism, and even a bit more on prints. So sit back and listen to this chat with 2 people who are obsessed with art marketing. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Aengus Boyle.
www.ArtbyAengus.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Common fears or complaints I hear from artists:
“I’m not that good.”
“I’m shy.”
“People will steal my work.”
“I’ll starve.”
“I’ve waited too late in life.”
“I’m not a motivated person.”
Listen to hear why you SHOULD become an artist and why these fears aren’t actually real.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
www.artpricingguide.com
This week’s episode features Minnesota based Illustrator Tim Cortes. Tim and I were connected through Rob MacDougall of episode 137. Rob spoke really highly of Tim so I said, “Alright, let’s bring him on too!” Like Rob, Tim is also a sports illustrator and has made a great career of it drawing for big time leagues and various professional sports. Our subject today mostly centers around the idea of doing what you love, then sticking to what you know, and the importance of accuracy. I really couldn’t’ decide which one of those would be the title of this episode because all of those subjects were brought up and defined by Tim’s own experiences. He is such a great example of someone who found their niche, got really good at it, and stuck with it enough to build a reputation and now hardly ever hears the word “no.” He doesn’t have to pitch himself, but rather word of mouth makes people come to him. He’s gotten so good at his craft that he hasn’t had to spend any efforts on advertising. I hope this conversation inspires you to stick with it enough to find what you love to create, then have the patience to practice enough to get dangerously good, because it does get easier the longer you’re in the game. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Tim Cortes.
timcortes.net
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This episode is for the artist who hasn’t found their niche just quite yet.
Art Marketing 101:
Find your “thing.”
Get really really good at that thing.
Find an audience and a price point where people are saying “yes” often then slowly increase.
Things like video, email lists, ads, art shows, all of this can add to your success but the basis is steps 1-3 above.
So how do you find your “thing?” How do you find your niche? How do you get in your groove as an artist?
Answer: Kiss a lot of frogs (and listen to this episode).
www.artistacademy.co/challenge
This week’s episode features Alexa Jacobs (now Alexa Perce). Alexa has a really interesting story about how she’s following along with the family business. Since age 15 she started working part-time for her dad, Scott Jacobs who is a very established artist, as his under-painter. Not at all looking to make a career out of it, she went through the motions and tagged along with her dad to shows unintentionally getting the best introduction to the art world from an amazing mentor. I’ll let her tell you the rest of the story. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Alexa Jacobs.
https://www.instagram.com/alexajacobs.art/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
I am knee deep in print orders right now so let’s chat about prints. In this episode I’ll give you an overview of the printing process so you can decide if prints would be a good option for your art business.
If you would like my recommendations for printers, prices, materials, and a complete walk through of the entire printing process then check out www.PrintPerfect.net
Today I’m going to walk you through the timeline of how I’ve paid myself with art through my entire career from the beginning but focusing on the NOW and how I’m altering pricing in 2021. Download the pricing guide using the link below to help you set a pricing system that works for your unique art business.
www.ArtPricingGuide.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Canadian based illustrator and sports cartoonist Rob MacDougall. I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with Rob as he basically just gave me advice on how to handle my next illustration job. I am so grateful for his input backed by years of experience in the illustration industry. This guy has some stories and knows his stuff. Having all of these standard questions planned for him as I typically do, I threw them all out and we just went with the flow while staying on the topic of illustration. How to price, how to get jobs, how to communicate with customers throughout the design process, etc. If you’re thinking of illustrating a book or anything in the future, I hope this interview gives you some clarity and helps you be a bit more prepared. I know this is exactly what it did for me, and Rob is such a joy to talk to! Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Rob MacDougall.
http://www.robmacdougall.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Consistency + Repetition + Group Motivation = Success in 2021
In this episode I break down WHY starting the year off with an art challenge will be the best move you can make! I list out the many ways to go about this and how it will be beneficial for your art business.
Artists mentioned: @AimeeHooverArtist & @SophieGreenFineArt
ArtistAcademy.co/challenge
This week’s episode features Australia based wildlife artist Carla Grace. This conversation is a look into what it’s like to grow slowly but intentionally. Carla puts a lot of time and thought into her art and you can tell that by observing her paintings. So much detail is required to get that realism effect and she is the type of artist who puts in the time to learn her craft before expecting a ton of sales. There’s this learning phase we all have to go through, and I think Carla is a great example of someone who really took the time to make her product the best it could be and then took off with it. The better you can be at painting, the easier it is to promote and market that product. Carla shares how she sells to a higher clientele and lives up to the expectations throughout the entire buying process. Everything is top quality from the brand of paint to the customer communication and I think that’s a great reminder of what it takes for artists who are wanting to sell at that level. This interview gives such a different perspective into the world of selling high end canvases as opposed to our typical mural talk and I’m excited for you to hear it! Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Carla Grace.
https://www.instagram.com/carla_grace_art/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Alabama based artist Shawn Fitzwater of Fitz Signs & Murals. This episode is going to inspire you to get out of your own head and start reaching out to people to get new business. Shawn is only in his second year of his art business and is currently booked 6-8 weeks out consistently with competitive pricing. He’s making a great living, supporting his family, and got his career started a little later in life which I love because I know some artists are listening thinking, “Is it too late for me? Did I miss my chance?” Nope! I know I just recorded an episode all about not worrying about being highly profitable in your first couple years, and this episode gives you the solution to turning things around for yourself. That solution is to start reaching out to people! Shawn contacts MANY new possible leads per week and gets turned down a lot, but what matters are the yes’s and those are the reason he’s been able to create a fabulous mural and logo career for himself and he’s just getting started. Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Shawn Fitzwater.
https://www.instagram.com/fitzsignsmurals/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features New York based designer Corey Paige Bloomberg of Corey Paige Designs. This girl, let me tell you, I’m so impressed with the way Corey shows up online and with her art business. I thought she was much older and more experienced than she is just by the way conducts business. Don’t get me wrong, she has a lot of experience with having a mural at Wynwood and having worked with many businesses. Corey recently designed a car wrap with colorful graphics that’s sure to catch anyone’s eye on the road. Her style is so fun and eye catching which is why I’ve been following her on Instagram for the past year. It’s fun to meet the people we admire and if you have anyone that you follow and would love to hear more about please don’t hesitate to shoot me a DM requesting an interview. I’m open to any full-time artist, designer, muralist, anything in the arts that might help inspire you to pursue a career of your own, and I think Corey is just that. So let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Corey Paige Designs.
https://www.instagram.com/coreypaige_designs/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This episode is all about why you should think about adding a little bit of an extra charge to the projects that need immediate attention. Pricing your services isn't just about the money you want to make, it's about the quality of life you want for yourself and those around you.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Today I'm going to explain exactly what I mean by treating your art like a business and give some examples of other businesses and their profit margins in the first few years. This should make you feel waaaayyyy better about being a "startup" artist. We are so lucky to do what we love for a living with little to no overhead costs!
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Today I'm going to explain exactly what I mean by treating your art like a business and give some examples of other businesses and their profit margins in the first few years. This should make you feel waaaayyyy better about being a "startup" artist. We are so lucky to do what we love for a living with little to no overhead costs!
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features surrealist painter Brady Willmott. Before you listen please go check out this Instagram to get a better idea of the type of art he creates. You will be missing out in this conversation if you don’t go see his art for yourself. I found Brady on TikTok and was amazed by his unique approach to composition and subject, and even the dramatic lighting he uses, I had to get to know him a bit and pick his brain to figure out how he does what he does. We talk a lot about playing the long game and Brady is a really great example of someone who is benefiting the longer he’s in the game and I hope it inspires you to stay in and keep doing your thing too! Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Brady Willmott.
https://www.instagram.com/bradywillmott/
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week I let my husband, Ryan Sanders, takeover the mic and ask me questions to give you a look behind the scenes of how the Artist Academy came to be.
This episode is all about DEPOSITS. Not the sexiest topic BUT I think it can be one of the more useful. I’m going to be sharing some behind the scenes stories about times where I didn’t take deposits and have gotten burned from it, aaaaand times where deposits have saved me from a lot of extra work, and up until now where I require a deposit before I even put anyone on my schedule.
I just made $3,000 in 1 day during my annual birthday sale! Now let me explain a little bit about how I made this happen...
People need a reason to buy NOW. Your customer needs to feel like they've WON. I'll explain both of these things in this week's episode.
This week’s episode features the famous window artist Scot Campbell. I am so excited to publish this interview with Scot because it is extremely timely for the holiday season we are currently in! Scot has painted thousands of windows in his art career and so openly shares his painting tips and ways of getting new business. Plus Scott gave me an idea during this interview that completely changes the way I’m going to be doing window art this year! It’s a good one. You’re going to want to listen to this to get motivated to start pitching yourself to businesses. This is a great way to not just make a litte extra money during the holiday season, but to start a whole other revenue stream in your art business. Not to mention, window painting is great promotion for you and the people you’re painting for. If you can’t tell, I’m extremely passionate about this subject and I hope you come away with feeling that too. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Scot Campbell.
Scot’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn3QmzCFY4Jusv_KxIfUiPw?disable_polymer=true
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Australian oil painter Wanda Comrie. Wanda was nominated to be interviewed on this episode, and if you don’t know you can go to www.ArtistAcademyPodcast.com to nominate any artist that you might want to hear from.
Wanda shared some amazing tips for Instagram during our chat and one that stood out to me was that she private messages her potential buyers a video of her newly completed paintings. She talks about not being automated, in a world where everything is nowadays, but instead keeping excellent customer service at the forefront of her art business. She has full conversations with everyone who buys from her. There’s no automatic checkout system or computer saying, “Thanks for your order,” it’s Wanda personally typing and saying, “Thank you,” to her buyers. I love this and wanted to just state it at the beginning of the interview because I think it’s a testament to who she is as an artist and spills into the care she has for her paintings as well. Wanda makes all of her sales through Instagram and gives us a peak into exactly how she does it. Take notes and let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Wanda Comrie.
www.Instagram.com/wandacomrie
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Shirts, mugs, calendars, stickers, stationary... all the things! Should you offer your art on merchandise? Pros? Cons? Which item should I choose? In this episode I go over a few of the options and shed some light on how to figure out what is best for your unique art business.
Art Merchandising Sites:
https://www.cafepress.com
www.smugmug.com
www.zazzle.com
See my print of the month club: www.printofthemonth.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features a video coach! Amanda Horvath is the first non-artist ever to be interviewed on this podcast and that’s because I’m a strong believer in using video within your art business. It was actually pretty great to talk to someone who isn’t in the art niche because Amanda has such an outsiders point of view on things. Meaning, when we talked about different video ideas that artists could create, it started with Amanda just asking questions that she didn’t know the answer to which are the same questions our customers are asking, which is what we should probably make videos over. This is a very unplanned conversation so you’ll hear a lot of coming up with ideas on the fly and working through good and bad topics. This is a very real idea generating conversation and in the end we come up with an idea, and Amanda even gives scripts, over a topic that I’m about to create a video about. If I’m doing it, I highly encourage you to try it too. Hopefully some of the video ideas we talk about stick in your mind and I want you to be thinking of video ideas for your specific art niche. We go over a lot of things on video confidence, and all the good stuff. So let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Amanda Horvath.
www.instagram.com/ahvisions
www.ArtistAcademy.co
$2k in 1 day is the title of this episode because as most of you know I teach the business side of art and I love me some number goals. I’m going to share with you the exact method I used to generate over $2,000 in just 24 hours so you can use this method in your art business!
www.ArtistAcademy.co
Should you offer art lessons? I’m gonna bet that every single one of you have at least thought about this topic at least one in your art career so far and if you haven’t, you will. As an art educator and someone who has gone to school for teaching I wanted to offer my personal opinion on the subject to hopefully give you a little clarity and help you make a decision.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This episode is all about playing the long game. I’m about to share with you what exactly I mean by that and back it up with some recent stories that I think will help inspire you to keep going.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features art therapy coach Madelyne Oliver. I’m just going to say upfront, this is a very motivating and inspiring episode. She hits it right on the head with several different points about facing your fear with video and getting aligned with what you’re truly meant to do. I think a lot of artists are stuck in the rat race of life that they forget to take a step back and make sure their work aligns with what they truly want, which in turn breeds motivation. So many of us want to wake up motivated but we don’t realize that motivation comes naturally from doing the thing you truly love. Even I have to take a step back and make sure what I’m doing aligns with what I really want for the future. We talk about meditation and organization, all the things that I really think can be helpful for the overall growth of your art business. It starts with mindset. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Madelyne Oliver.
Book mentioned: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Meditation app: Insight Timer
www.Instagram.com/createwithmadelyne
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features a calligrapher! Sarah Script (Sarah Richardson) is based in Arkansas and just took the plunge into full time artistry. Sarah has been practicing the art of copperplate calligraphy for over 6 years now and you can definitely tell with just a glance at her Instagram page or website. Seriously, go check her out as you’re listening to this episode so you can really understand what it is we’re talking about because it’s kinda hard to explain. She’s done calligraphy work for Gwyneth Paltrow and Martha Stewart. This girl has skills and patience. Just hearing her talk about her craft throughout this interview I kept thinking how much patience she has to practice and practice until the lines are perfectly smooth. Her work is not done on the iPad, it’s done with paper and pen; a very special pen as you’ll hear her explain. This is overall just a really interesting conversation for anyone who’s interested in lettering or not. I think it can help us all to learn what these different specialties are all about, whether it’s calligraphy or animation like last week. My goal is to let you hear from artists who are doing different things because you never know, it might inspire you pick up a pen or try something new. Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Sarah (Richardson) Script.
www.instagram.com/sarahscript
www.ArtistAcademy.co
I never in my life expected Instagram to mirror TikTok's algorithm but it's happening. Instagram Reels is the new hit thing right now so let's use it while it's HOT!
If you're already a short video creator then just repost your 15 second videos on IG Reels with a new caption.
If you're not much into video yet, don't worry, I've got you! Video content, camera angles, editing, and confidence to show up on video are just some of the topics that will be covered this week inside the Artist Academy Advanced Membership.
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features a cartoonist! I was so excited to interview the first ever cartoonist to appear on this podcast: Eva Lacy is the animator behind Critterosity, a series of characters made and sold to appease the youth in all of us. I was surprised to find out that Patreon takes up the majority of Lacy’s business and the girl has it figured out. We dive in to all things art memberships as I try to dissect how exactly Lacy is doing it. For anyone unfamiliar with Patreon, it is a membership platform that makes it easy for artists and creators to get paid. You simply send your patrons (fans, customers, etc.) to that platform and they can sign up for whatever pricing tier you have set up to easily support your art journey. Sounds pretty great, right?! I thought so too. I personally know very little about that platform so, spoiler alert, I asked Lacy if I could license her full Patreon course explaining exactly how she does business through it, and she said, “Yes!” Her course is currently inside the Artist Academy Advanced by the time you’re hearing this episode, so if you’re a student just go to the Contributing Artists section of the Academy website and enjoy! If you’re not in the Academy just yet, don’t worry, Lacy still gives lots of great tips about Patreon and animation throughout this episode. Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Eva Lacy.
www.Instagram.com/critterosity
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This week’s episode features Utah based surrealist and mom of 3, Megan Moeai. TikTok brings people together! I first found Megan while scrolling the FYP on everyone’s favorite video platform and was immediately drawn to her art style and overall fun presence. If you’re one of those who still thinks that TikTok is just for kids, let me share this fun fact with you. Megan gets 90% of her sales from that platform! What?! And before you go thinking that you need to be a multi-million TikTok sensation for that to happen, Megan has less than 100k followers. What she does have is consistency, great art, and fun videos. Do you have that in you? Yea, you probably do. Keep listening as Megan shares her tips for getting sales on social media and just remember to have fun with it. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Megan Moeai.
www.instagram.com/moeai.art
www.ArtistAcademy.co
We've all been there. The beginning or middle stages of a painting that's not immediately turning out the way you hoped. It's a thing. I want to help normalize this ugly stage so you stop feeling defeated and can push through it onto the other side!
www.artistacademy.co/muralmaster
This week’s episode features Texas based designer, author, and muralist Alli Koch. This interview sheds a light on the idea of diversifying your art based income with advice from a working artist who is doing just that. Alli has several different revenue streams with just 1 being murals. We talk about how her designing abilities, podcasting, art coaching, and books have helped lighten the impact of Covid due to not being able to go outside and create murals lately.
What if one element of your art business got taken away? What’s your plan? Hopefully this conversation inspires you to think about some other options and what would make sense to add to your business to compliment the other parts. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Alli Koch.
www.instagram.com/allikdesign
www.ArtistAcademy.co/muralmaster
Are you in a creative slump? Feeling unmotivated due to burnout or just being inside all the time? Did you know that being unmotivated is actually just you trying to get yourself to do something you don't actually want to do? Let's figure out what you WANT to do in this week's episode. Get back to doing the things that light you up inside and you'll see motivation slowly come back.
www.ArtistAcademy.co/muralmaster
This week’s episode features Wisconsin muralist Sarah Pederson. Since this is Mural Month, I had to reach out to one of my favorite artists to follow on Facebook. Her murals pop up on my feed every week and every time I think, “Wow, she spent some time on that.” Sarah’s murals are so well thought out and so detail oriented and it really shows in the final product. In this interview we talk about her process and what goes on behind the scenes before she even starts painting. The details she puts in her customer to client interaction which flows into her painting process, is going to shock you. I know this because it shocked me. Sarah does all the little things from documenting her progress steps 1-100, to making sure every little detail of the painting is exactly how it’s supposed to be. If you’re someone who is detail oriented, this is an interview for you! Along with giving great insight, Sarah is also really encouraging to aspiring muralists and gives a lot of great tips on how to get started in this industry, so let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Sarah Pederson.
www.instagram.com/lucid.painting
www.ArtistAcademy.co/muralmaster
This week’s episode features the one, the only, the master of murals, Mural Joe. If you have ever searched for any "how to paint a mural" tips on YouTube, it is likely that this guy has popped up in your search. Joe has been at the mural game for 15 years and on YouTube creating videos for 10 years! I want to just state that right at the beginning because:
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It shows how much experience he has with this artform which explains how good he is at his job.
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I want to remind everyone that becoming a muralist isn’t something that happens overnight.
Joe has been working at this for a long time, and it shows! He is a celebrity in the art world and I feel so grateful to him for taking the time out of his very busy work schedule to chat with us and share his knowledge about everything on this subject. We have a friend in common, past podcast interviewee, Rich Marks, and I remember Rich making the comment about how Joe is such a natural teacher. They would be working and Joe would stop and start explaining what he’s doing to like he does it every day, and he does! I know you’re going to get so many good tips and inspiration from this episode so please share it with a friend, pass the knowledge along. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Mural Joe.
www.muraljoe.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co/muralmaster
This week’s episode features up and coming muralist in Marshfield, Missouri, Samantha Cox. I’ve have been waiting about 3 months to record this episode with her and I could not be more excited to now call one of my dear friends a full-time artist. Just a bit of a background, Samantha and I have known each other for about 8 years now, and I made it my mission to have her go full time in her art business just recently. I’ve always hinted at it with her and actually episode #25: If You’re Multi-Passionate, Listen Up! revolved around a conversation I had with Samantha when she was trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. I knew she wanted to do art full-time but she didn’t believe it was possible. Things happened in the past couple months to really push her towards now having a job she loves. We do our best to dissect exactly how she got here. Truthfully, I told her this a few months ago but I was looking for someone that I could mold into this role so that I could show other potential students what’s possible. She’s a great example of someone who dove into the Academy and put everything into action and is now reaping the benefits. If this doesn’t convince you to start painting murals, then I don’t know what will. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Samantha Cox.
www.instagram.com/artbysamanthacox
www.artistacademy.co
1 Use a projector and chalk it out: www.artsupplylist.net
2 Pre and post mural surface care is key.
3 Get everything in writing.
4 Buy BIG brushes and take care of them.
5 Block everything in first.
6 Always get permission from the building owner.
www.artistacademy.co/muralmaster
This week’s episode features LA based contemporary landscape artist Elyse Dodge. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to meet Elyse and this was yet another reminder as to why I started this podcast. Elyse was a joy to talk to and also a great insight into the branding aspect of art business. I think that we, myself included, get caught up in trying to make our art the most affordable option for our customer. It’s all about deals and discounts, but what about quality? I’m not just talking about our ability to paint. What about the quality of the products we make available that ultimately are a direct representation of ourselves? We are what we put out. If we’re using the “most affordable” print paper or selling our art on cheap China made items because that’s the easiest option, but what does that say about your brand? As someone who did not grow up with anything luxury, I tend to price my art at what I deemed affordable as a kid, which makes no sense. It’s hard to get out of that penny-pinching mindset. Although there’s nothing particularly wrong with that but I just want to shed a little light on the other side of branding. Elyse does an amazing job at describing why her brand is set up the way it is and I’m completely for it. You go girl. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Elyse Dodge.
Buy her amazing yoga mat: https://www.elysedodge.com/collections/shop
www.instagram.com/elysedodge
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This is another episode of the student spotlight series where every Monday I interview my amazing Artist Academy Advanced students to get to know them better, give them direct advice on their art business, and so I can get feedback on how to be a better teacher. This week I’m interviewing Danielle Nesbitt as we talk all things murals. July is mural month inside the Artist Academy so you’re probably going to get tired of me saying the word “mural” by the end of it, but I also hope that I talk you into trying out this artform because there are sooooo many benefits that can come from it! One being the exposure you’ll get (artists hate the word exposure I know, I know) from painting in public. I always get jobs by just doing my job, painting a mural in a public place because people see me working, come by to chat, and spark up an idea of a painting for their home or business. I could go on and on about the benefits of murals but just listen to this episode with Danielle and then let me know if you have any questions. Danielle is the sweetest person and you’ll be able to hear it in her voice from the very start. I’m so thankful to be attracting people like her into the group because it really is becoming this friendly, positive, motivational place for artists to learn and grow. Let me know what you think of this week’s student spotlight episode with Danielle Nesbitt.
www.instagram.com/danielle.nesbitt.art
www.artistacademy.co
This week’s episode features Belgium based speed painter Montana Engels. This is actually a rerecord because the first time I interviewed Montana live on Instagram about 6 months ago, the system decided to completely shut off mid conversation, so we lost everything. That is when I started screen recording every single episode from then on out to make sure we recorded the audio just in case something like that ever happened again. Anyway, Montana and I picked up right where we left off, only this time I knew so much more about her and could dive into the specifics of her art business. Some of those specifics include live painting at events! Montana is a speed painter with a really cool technique where she paints with a clear medium and then throws glitter all over the canvas as a surprise reveal to the audience. We talk about how she gets these jobs, where it all started, how she prepares for the crowd, and everything else that goes into. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Montana Engels.
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/montana_engels
This is another episode of the student spotlight series where every Monday I interview my amazing Artist Academy Advanced students to get to know them better, give them direct advice on their art business, and so I can get feedback on how to be a better teacher. This week I’m interviewing Lindsay Moore and Dorin Mogda as we talk all about murals, prints, and everything that comes with being an up and coming artist. Lindsay is currently juggling the motherhood and fulltime artist role ever so well, and she was actually in the middle of painting a mural as we were talking. I could see a fun kids themed mural in the background which just goes to show you how used to juggling things she is. It’s nice to just talk face to face with my students every week so I can better understand them, where they’re coming from, what they’re going through, so I can better understand how to teach them! Anyway, let me know what you think of this student spotlight interview with Lindsay Moore.
www.instagram.com/lindsaybmooreart
Next up is Dorin. I’ve mentioned this before but sometimes people join for the community like Lindsay and sometimes people join for the tutorials and templates, like Dorin. He’s an art student who’s just taking it one step at a time entering the art world. We talk about how to handle negative comments on social media and on a more positive note, our mural meetup that’s coming up July 11th! Dorin is meeting us there and I’m so excited to teach everyone everything I know about painting murals. Seriously, if you’re a student I highly encourage anyone within driving distance or a cheap flight away from Iowa to take advantage of this gathering and come learn the ropes. I’m going to be teaching everything from how to spray, to lettering, varnishing, and everything in between. If you’re interested in more info just send me a DM, but for now let’s get to Dorin’s interview.
www.instagram.com/dmogda.art
Join: www.artistacademy.co
In this episode I’m giving you a major tip to incorporate this one “cherry on top” strategy into your art business. This tip will help you build better relationships with your current customers AND help you get more future business. It’s simple, easy, and a no brainer. Let me know if you agree and please share this episode with anyone who you think needs to hear it!
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
We made it to episode 101! Here are the top 7 most downloaded episodes:
24 Why You Should Never Give Up Your Copyright with Maria Brophy
61 Instagram Tips to Grow Your Art Business with Kate Tova
62 How to Beat The Algorithm
53 Social Media Strategies with Laurence White
31 How to Create and Sell Prints 101
49 How to Set Up Residual Income Systems in Your Art Business
48 Increase Your Sales with 3 Tier Pricing
www.ArtistAcademy.co
This is another episode of the student spotlight series where every Monday I interview my amazing Artist Academy Advanced students to get to know them better, give them direct advice on their art business, and so I can get feedback on how to be a better teacher. This week I’m interviewing Brianna Damato and we got to dive in on our combined favorite topic: TikTok! I’m always seeing Brianna pop up on my for you page (fyp) and you’ll be intrigued to hear that she is actually getting commissions from using that platform. Yep, it’s not all just fun and games with silly videos, the adults are migrating to TikTok and they are buying art!
We also talk about our upcoming mural meetup and just to give you an update, Brianna has since bought her plane ticket and is meeting us in Iowa next month for our first ever artist academy group event! We will be painting the most instagrammable spot in the Midwest all while learning just about everything there is to know about murals.
How to prep a wall, use a projector, operate a lift, use a professional grade paint sprayer, paint calligraphy, apply varnish, AND you will get photos and video to use on your website! This is free for students only so if you’re interested just send me a DM and I’ll give you all the travel details.
www.instagram.com/brianna_damato_art
www.artistacademy.co
This week’s episode features UK based wildlife artist and animal rights advocate Sophie Green. I felt like I was talking to a girlfriend in this interview. Sophie just kept it real and says it like it is, but in the nicest possible way. She’s full of advice and this fun fact was a first for me… Sophie gets a lot of her commission requests from Twitter. I’ve never had an artist say that in an interview. It’s always Instagram or art shows or any traditional route, but never Twitter. We talk about ways to get more work and where to focus your time as a self-employed artist. She shares how it took 3 years for her to transition from teacher to full time artist. She found a method that worked for her and now she’s seeing the benefits of it. She mentions to leave your ego at the door especially when first starting out as an artist and I think that will hit home to anyone in the beginning of this art journey who is not getting immediate sales and beating themselves up over it. It’s okay! It’s okay to take a few years to get to a goal and it’s okay to not have people banging at your door right out of the gate. Even with this podcast if you go listen to the first couple episodes, oh boy, I had no idea what I was doing. Now a year later I feel like I’m just getting it figured out and we’ve just begun to grow. Having a goal in mind and a direction to head towards is something that has helped me and Sophie be “successful” and she shares how she went about it this interview. So let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Sophie Green.
www.instagram.com/sophiegreenfineart
www.artistacademy.co
This is another episode of the student spotlight series where every Monday I interview my amazing Artist Academy Advanced students to get to know them better, give them direct advice on their art business, and so I can get feedback on how to be a better teacher. This week I’m interviewing two artists, Jeni Dolde and Christy Perez.
Interviewing the past couple weeks has got me thinking… Some people like Megan in last week’s episode join the group mainly for the community and comradery while others like Jeni join for the tutorials and templates. I love hearing that all aspects of the group are being utilized because I work really hard on those tutorials so it’s nice to know they are being used.
In my mind I kinda categorize every member into 2 types: You’re either the silent go-getter or the group cheerleader. Some are both! But some people don’t comment a lot in the group, they just take the information and run with it in their own business. Then others still use the templates and things but a big part of growing their art business is getting and giving feedback to and from other members in the group. They cheer them on when they’re doing well and help hype them up when someone is struggling. No matter what your role, it’s so cool to see how the group is turning into this really positive place where artists can go, no matter where you’re at in this journey, and get a nudge in the right direction; mentally or physically with a step-by-step lesson or a pat on the back. I think the analytical artists listening will be able to relate to Jeni in this first interview so let’s get to it!
www.instagram.com/jenidolde
Next up is Christy who has a very interesting story of how she was introduced to me and it’s in one of my favorite contexts, but I’m going to let her tell you all about it. If any of you listening have a funny or inspiring story of how you found me or the podcast and you’d like to let me in on that knowledge, please email or DM me and I would love to know and share it on my social media. I think it’s so cool what the internet can do (when it works) in terms of bringing people together and uncovering new information. Speaking of bringing people together, as you probably heard in this interview, we are doing our first ever Artist Academy Mural Meetup on July 11th so if you would like more information on that just message me and I will fill you in! Artists will be coming together to create the most Instagrammable spot in the Midwest next month. It will be a fun-filled learning experience for anyone who wants to get into painting murals. If that’s you, then message me! Hopefully you’ll get to meet both Jeni and Christy there, so let’s get into Christy interview so you can get to know her a bit better.
www.instagram.com/Hibiscus.art
www.artistacademy.co
This week’s episode features one of the artists who helped me get my start in the art world, Farley Lewis. Farley is a calligrapher and landscape artist based here in Missouri and we center most of our conversation around the joys of plein air competitions. He mentioned about halfway through the interview that these outdoor competitions are one of the major ways he sells his art, so I had to dive in on him with the questions. By the way, did you know that “plein air” is French for “outdoors?” Now you do! It makes sense, right?
Farley mentioned that he meets collectors at these plein air events, he talks about how getting the experience has made him a better painter, he gets to mingle with other artists, and so many other positive aspects. I hope that if you’re someone who is thinking about trying one of these out or if you had no idea this existed, then I hope this inspires and educates you on the subject enough to seek out some more information on events in your area. As Farley mentions, the first event can be a little intimidating but like everything it gets easier and can be really beneficial! Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Farley Lewis.
www.instagram.com/farleylewisart
www.artistacademy.co
This is another episode of the student spotlight series where every Monday I interview my amazing Artist Academy Advanced students to get to know them better, give them direct advice on their art business, and so I can get feedback on how to be a better teacher. This week I’m interviewing Colorado based animal artist, Megan George.
It was such a treat to get to start the week off with Megan’s positive energy. They say you attract what you put out and I really see the result of that with Megan. Having Megan in the group is kind of a reassurance to myself that I’m doing something right because she’s just a joy. She dives in, commits to the group challenges, provides a killer product, and does everything with a smile on her face. That’s all I can ask for from a student.
In this episode, one of her suggestions was that we do an Artist Academy Meetup which is now going to happen this summer, but more on that later. I get something out of every student call whether it’s a suggestion on what to do more of or to integrate something completely new like a meetup. We are in the middle of a group challenge right now, but Megan and I had the idea to do a 6-week series challenge. Basically 6 paintings in 6 weeks to help create a series, but more on that later too! For now let me know what you think of this week’s Student Spotlight interview with Megan George.
www.instagram.com/megan.george.art
www.artistacademy.co
This week’s episode features colored pencil artist and new author Sema Martin. Sema and I are a perfect subject match for this episode because we both emphasize in teaching the business side of art. We’re on the same wavelength when it comes to art education and I was so excited when she agreed to be a guest on this podcast. Sema is my ideal guest because she’s both a great example of what an artist can become in a very short amount of time and a great resource for artists who want to start an art business. She just wrote and published a book which you can pick up at www.semamartin.com if you’re looking to profit from your art, and come on, aren’t we all looking to do exactly that? Sema is full of art business advice designed to help you make money doing the thing you love. I also want to point out that Sema and I do the exact same thing in different ways and we got together to promote each other. There is enough room for everyone at the table whether you’re an artist or coach, a photographer or any other profession. What if you got together with someone in the same field as you who offers a very similar product, and you promoted each other. This is a little off topic for an intro, but I wanted to plant the seed of the idea in your mind to maybe go live with an artist you know this week. If someone likes your content then they are likely going to resonate with a similar artist’s content and vice versa, and by you getting together with them it’s doubling your reach. Just think about it. I hope you’re ready to get schooled on how to start an art business in this week’s episode with Sema Martin.
https://www.semamartin.com/studioshop
www.artistacademy.co
This is another episode of the student spotlight series where every Monday I interview my amazing Artist Academy Advanced students to get to know them better, give them direct advice on their art business, and so I can get feedback on how to be a better teacher. This week I’m interviewing Jessa Aber as we talk about motivation and figuring out what to do next. This crazy art rollercoaster ride of a career can be so confusing and so unmotivating at times but calls like THIS can be just the thing to lift you up and on to the right track! Getting clear about your goals and then deciding what step to take next is something we ALL are having to do monthly or sometimes even weekly. Figuring out what it is you actually want and then talking to a mentor about what the next step could be what will save you from walking in circles around and around, again and again. This is how we get stuck! The formula for getting unstuck: Find someone who has been there and done the thing you want to do and ask them for advice. Likely, someone has already done it and will be happy to share their progress with you. That’s why I started the Artist Academy and likely why you’re listening to this episode today. If you need extra help with your art business just message me. I don’t bite. Let me know what you think of this student spotlight interview with Jessa Aber.
www.instagram.com/northernlightsarts
www.artistacademy.co
Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc. Does your head feel like it’s about to explode just by hearing the names of all those platforms you “should” be on and might be missing out on by not putting effort into. It’s okay, I got you.
This is a sneak peak into a recent training we did in the Advanced group that I wanted to share with you to hopefully motivate you to really sit down and get intentional with your social media strategy. You don’t have to do all of it all day every day, just take it week by week. You can download a copy of my Social Media Calendar at https://www.artistacademy.co/socialmedia
Get weekly social media training: www.AdvancedMember.com
www.Instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features Baltimore based fantasy artist and educator, Saz Ross. Saz has such an interesting back story as to why she creates the art she does and I think all of us could learn a thing or two from her on the topic of inspiration. I think we forget that the things we were interested in as a kid are often the things that can give us the best fuel for ideas as adults. Saz is a public speaker and seasoned art educator and I could definitely tell by the way she presented herself and told her story with such confidence and ease. It’s really nice to see an artist who is comfortable in front of an audience since most of us are very introverted, but I think Saz is a great example of what’s possible if you work for it. I think you’re really going to enjoy this week’s episode with Saz Ross.
www.instagram.com/saz_ross
www.artistacademy.co
This is another episode of the student spotlight series where every Monday I interview my amazing Artist Academy Advanced students to get to know them better, give them direct advice on their art business, and so I can get feedback on how to be a better teacher. This week I’m interviewing Hibaaq Ibrahim. There’s one part of this interview that really stood out to me so I wanted to get it out there first and foremost: Hibaaq wanted to learn calligraphy so she reached out to an artist in her city and asked to job shadow them. She was like, “I’ll carry your paint, whatever you need!” and the artist is now taking her under his wing to show her the ropes. I want to emphasize this tactic because I can only do so much as an online art educator. I can show you exactly how I do it, I can give you my contract, my methods, my everything and that will help you, but nothing can compare to one on one training. And if you’re thinking about reaching out to someone in your area, just do it! I have never turned down anyone who has asked to shadow me for a day. I welcome it with open arms! And then I often give them work and pay them. It is worth your time to go out and make real life connections with real life artists, not just on Instagram. It will benefit you in more ways than you know. With that, let’s get to it. Let me know what you think of this student spotlight interview with Hibaaq Ibrahim.
www.instagram.com/moonjuiceart
www.artistacademy.co
Hey! This is a sneak peek into a recent Instagram training we did in the Advanced group that I wanted to share with you to hopefully motivate you to really sit down and get intentional with your social media strategy. This is based on the results I got this past month by gaining over 2,000 new followers in just 30 days. I really got serious about my Instagram growth this past month and then I dissected exactly what I did and gave it to my students so. We are currently growing our accounts together and motivating each other to show up every day with purpose! It’s one thing to just throw something online every once in a while, but what would happen if you really put some thought behind your aesthetic, captions, and your overall brand! What do you want people to think or feel when they interact with your social media accounts? I’ll explain a little more so let me know what you think of this week’s Instagram training sneak peek.
Get the full Instagram training: www.AdvancedMember.com
www.Instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features Washington based soul painting artist Julie Kluh. I so enjoyed getting to meet Julie through this interview and it’s conversations like this that really make me so happy that I started a podcast. I love talking to artists and travelers. It’s so rare to meet someone who just gets it when it comes to wanting to live outside the box and experience the world according their terms, and Julie is that person. You are going to love this episode as she tells her story of how she lived on a sailboat for years, traveling the world, and gaining inspiration for the art she creates now. Julie is only a year into doing the full-time art thing, but you would never have guessed by looking at her online presence. Her paintings are breathtaking, and she has an understanding of the business side of art that I hope you really listen to and take something away from. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Julie Kluh.
www.instagram.com/juliekluh
www.artistacademy.co
This is episode number 4 of the student spotlight series where every Monday I interview my amazing Artist Academy Advanced students to get to know them better, give them direct advice on their art business, and so I can get feedback on how to be a better teacher. This week I’m doing two separate student interviews, the first is Rachel Wysocki and then Hailey Mae Scott. So let’s start with Rachel who joined the Artist Academy when it very first opened! I remember having a call with Rachel almost exactly one year ago from today. We talked about her art business and how she just found out she was having a baby, and since then I’ve watched her and helped guide her through that first year of taking her art business seriously all while navigating motherhood. If you’re a new mom or hope to be one day then I hope this episode inspires you and show you that it is totally possible to keep painting and keep working towards your goals even with those extra responsibilities. Let me know what you think of this first student spotlight interview with Rachel Wysocki.
Now on to the second interview of the day with Hailey Mae Scott. Hailey is such a joy to talk to and have in the group. She’s so genuine and has so much potential, she just needs to unlock it. In this episode we talk about all the life things that can get in the way of achieving your goals but how it’s never too late to turn your luck around, do the work, and get the results! Let me know what you think of this second student spotlight interview with Hailey Mae Scott.
www.instagram.com/rachelflynn_art
www.instagram.com/hms.artist
www.artistacademy.co
Today is a solo show all about how to inform and capture someone’s attention within the first 15 seconds of meeting them. We are going to go over why this subject is important and how you can create a pitch of your own!
www.ArtistAcademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features Austria based fantasy artist Raffaela Cech. I am completely obsessed with Raffaela’s style of painting. She does these gaming inspired, fantasy-like scenes that are literally out of this world. She is a true example of an artist who is sticking to her niche and thriving from it. We talk about why she chose this niche and how she’s getting commissions for a subject so specific. While you’re listening to this episode, I highly encourage you to click the link in the notes to really see Raffaela’s art for yourself. Just scroll through her Instagram and you’ll see how far from the typical landscape her art really is. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Raffaela Cech.
www.instagram.com/aronjaart
www.artistacademy.co
This is episode number 3 of the student spotlight series where every Monday I interview one of my amazing Artist Academy Advanced students to get to know them better, give them direct advice on their art business, and so I can get feedback on how to be a better teacher. This week I’m interviewing Austin Fabinski. Austin is a former elementary art teacher turned full time artist still in the very beginning of his art career. It’s so exciting when my students are in the very very beginning because everything is new and exciting to them. I’ll get messages or DM’s from students saying, “I made my first sale!” or, “I just got my first print order in!” and we celebrate together because every milestone is such an accomplishment especially in the beginning. There’s a lot to do like set up a website, file for an LLC, get your social media game strong, all the things that come with being a full time artist that nobody talks about. Austin is an amazing example of someone who has come into the group and hit the ground running. He is painting literally every day! Not just that, he’s trying his hand a designing t-shirts, started an art featuring account, does art lessons, and is trying everything in order to figure this whole crazy selfmade art career out. I feel really lucky to have attracted someone like Austin into our Advanced group because just his presence motivates others and his encouraging attitude really adds to the overall momentum of the group. Let me know what you think of this new student spotlight series with Austin Fabinski.
www.instagram.com/austinfabinskiart
www.artistacademy.co
This week’s episode is a little different in that we flipped the mic with Pratiksha interviewing me for a change. If you remember Pratiksha from a couple episodes ago where I interviewed her about her art business and at the end of it she said “Hey! Why don’t I interview you for a change?” So that’s what we did. In this episode I talk a bit about the business I started before becoming an artist and how that has influenced the way I show up today. We also get specific into Instagram since that’s everyone’s favorite topic lately. “How do I get more followers? How do I profit from Instagram?” Those are a few of the questions I get a lot lately and for good reason, there is so much potential on that image heavy platform and I really believe that it’s made for us artists to thrive on. Anyway, let me know what you think about this episode with me all about Instagram.
www.instagram.com/pmuirart
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
www.artistadacemy.co
This week’s episode features sculptor, potter, and painter William Jeffrey Jones. I could listen to William talk about his stories as a sculptor all day. Did you know that he used to sculpt the figurines of famous people like Shaq, Magic Johnson, Buffy the vampire slayer, the list goes on When you purchase these figurines at any Walmart, if you look on the very bottom of the box you’ll see William Jeffrey Jones on the label. How cool is that?! He is full of tips on how to be a working artist from his many years of experience, like this one: Have you ever put a mirror up to your art to see it in reverse? Have you ever taken a photo and flipped the image so you’re seeing it with a completely new perspective? No, you should try it! It’s a whole new way to look at your art to know if things are exactly as they should be or a little off. He shares many more tips like this but I’ll just let you hear them from him, so let me know what you think of this week’s episode with William Jeffrey Jones.
www.instagram.com/wjeffjones
www.artistacademy.co
This is episode number 2 of the student spotlight series where every Monday I interview one of my amazing Artist Academy Advanced students to get to know them better, give them direct advice on their art business, and so I can get feedback on how to be a better teacher. This week I’m interviewing Keila Small. She has been a member for almost a year now and has made so many improvements in her art business and it all started by making that mental transition from thinking of it as a hobby and now to an art business. Keila is a full time stay at home mom with a love for painting. I highly encourage you to check her out on Instagram so you can see the level her art skills are at right now. She’s so good at what she does, she just needs a little bit of help getting focused and motivated to really make her art into a business, and I’m happy to help! I oddly love the business side of it all. I hope this episode is relatable to anyone with a current situation similar to Keila’s and gives you hope that you can make this art thing of yours into a profitable art business, and I think Keila is well on her way to doing so. Let me know what you think of this new student spotlight series with Keila Small.
www.instagram.com/keilasmall0519
www.artistacademy.co
This week’s episode is a recording from a live in our Artist Academy Advanced group all about the legal side of the art business. Contracts, LLC’s, copyrights,.. all the fun things that attorney Corey Kilburn joins us to every so nicely explain. He explains the rights we have as artists with putting our artwork online, what a good contract should include, and ultimately how we can legally protect our art business so things run as smooth as possible. Even though this isn’t sexiest topic, like selling on Instagram, I still think it’s very important to know some of this stuff even as a preventative measure. You don’t know what you don’t know. Corey explains it very clearly so anybody can follow along and take the steps to protect themselves and their businesses. Let me know what you think about this fundamental subject for this week’s episode with Corey Kilburn.
CKilburn@RoundTableLegal.com
www.RoundTableLegal.com
www.artistadacemy.co
This week’s episode features Brooklyn based muralist and sculptor Jenna Morello. I just got off this interview with her and I just want to warn you that there is a little bit of language in this episode, nothing too crazy, but if you have kids around then maybe just stick to headphones. Language aside, Jenna is so cool. I felt myself becoming my own version of a Brooklyn badass the longer we spoke. Haha! We reference a lot of her sculptures and murals in this episode so if you want a visual of exactly what we’re talking about, then just click the link in the notes that will take you directly to her Instagram so you can see these wicked cool resin pours she does. It’s kind of hard to explain but you’ll totally get it once you see photos. It’s such a unique approach. She’s really found a style that’s all her own. This episode is a look into how to stick to your niche, how to embrace the suck in the beginning and say yes to everything in order to build a portfolio, and how it will eventually pay off. Jenna has such a tough love approach when giving advice that I fully believe everyone needs to hear. She’s from Brooklyn so she says it like it is and it’s really refreshing to hear someone just speak her mind who’s been through it. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Jenna Morello.
www.instagram.com/jennamorello
www.artistacademy.co
We are starting a student spotlight series where every Monday I interview a couple of my amazing Artist Academy Advanced students to get to know them better, give them direct advice on their art business, and so I can get feedback on how to be a better teacher. Life is all about communication! This week I invited Jodi to go live with me and it was so cool getting to know her because she’s done so much in her art career already and now lives in Hawaii where she is having to start over, make new connections, and ultimately reinvent her artistic business approach and I’m all for it. This is going to be fun! Let me know what you think about this new Student Spotlight series with Jodi Trujillo.
www.instagram.com/geared2rdsart
www.artistacademy.co
This week’s episode features groovy California based surf artist Drew Brophy. Drew is kind of a celebrity in my mind right along with his wife, Maria Brophy. If you don’t know the Brophys then I highly encourage every single artist to click the link in the notes and buy Maria’s book: Art Money Success. It’s seriously a game changer and the reason why I know so much about them and their art career. Needless to say after reading her book twice, I was so excited to interview Drew and be asked to do a live Posca Paint Party this upcoming Friday! The link the link to join us in the notes and I really hope you want to hop on with us after listening to this interview and getting to know Drew a little better. He’s just so cool. I think he said the word groovy at one point, or maybe it was some other surfer slang, but I was like, “that is so cute!” Haha. You’ll see what I mean, so let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Drew Brophy.
www.instagram.com/drewbrophy
Join our Posca Paint Party! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/posca-paint-party-paint-a-butterfly-with-drew-brophy-and-andrea-ehrhardt-tickets-102205106224
Buy Maria Brophy’s book: Art Money Success https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999011502/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_bdINEbMTTNGBB
This week’s episode features Austin, Texas, based artist Pratiksha of PMuirArt. Pratiksha has had an interesting segway into the art world because her previous job required her to sell, sell, sell to the point of actually getting used to hearing the word “no.” And that’s what sales is, right? Giving your pitch to whoever might need your product, or in our case our art product, and letting them decide if it’s a fit. We talk about taking your emotions out of the sales process and realizing that the customer isn’t saying no to you specifically, they just might not need what you’re offering. I think so many of us wrap our identities into our work which makes it hard to hear any kind of feedback or rejection, which can ultimately keep us from continuing to put ourselves out there to sell. I just want to say that you have an amazing product that is PERFECT for a specific person but if you don’t kiss a bunch of frogs in order to get to your perfect person then it might not happen. I think Pratiksha gives so much good advice for getting out of your own head and into a business mindset which can ultimately set you up to make some major sales down the road. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Pratiksha.
www.instagram.com/pmuirart
www.artistadacemy.co
This week’s episode is a bit of a twist because I am being interviewed by California based artist and past podcast guest eKaterina Sky. She messaged me a few days ago asking some questions about TikTok because she was thinking about starting an account herself, so she brought up the idea of going live on Instagram to talk about it. Of course, I was all about it! TikTok is my new favorite platform just based on the pure reach you can get by posting one time and having the ability for your content to go viral. I’ve never seen a platform with an algorithm that’s so in the user’s favor. I am such an advocate for this up and coming platform as I shared about 6 months ago when I first discovered it in episode 37. So if you want to go check that out it explains the TikTok basics after I went viral for the first time, and now I’m sharing all the tips and tricks I’ve discovered from using it and going viral many times since then. I love this platform, they should really pay me (TikTok if you’re listening), and I love that I was interviewed by eKaterina because she’s such a good vibe. We are very similar and giggled throughout this interview. She’s just such a positive light and with everything going on it’s nice to focus on that and ways to increase visibility while everyone is currently on their phones so much! But let me know what you think about this week’s episode all about TikTok.
Check out my TikTok account: https://vm.tiktok.com/nhcobK/
www.instagram.com/ekaterina.sky.art
www.artistacademy.co
This week’s episode features Appalachia based illustrator Rosalie Haizlett. It was a treat getting to interview Rosalie. I do a little bit of research on every guest, basically enough to know that someone is legit before I interview them, but I like to not know everything about them before the interview. I like to keep some of it as a surprise and I was so taken back by how far Rosalie has gotten in her art career in such a short time. She’s only 25 and has found her niche, does artist residencies in national parks, and illustrates for big time outdoor brands. The girl has it figured out and she’s full of spot on advise! If you’re a nature lover, go ahead and do yourself a favor and follow her on Instagram. Her feed is inspiring and will make you want to walk out of your studio and into the forest. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Rosalie Haizlett.
www.instagram.com/rosaliehaizlett
www.artistacademy.co
What an art featuring account is, how you can utilize it to grow your IG following, and my past experiences of using this as a form of advertising. It works! There are a couple essential tips that I’m about to share with you that will maximize your growth and save you time and money.
My top recommendations:
@artwork_in_studio
@art_abay
@art_your_art
@art_freezone
@artsviral
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
@Artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features New Orleans based gallery owner, Casey Langteau. I was so excited to hear that Casey had already heard about the podcast and listened to a few episodes before I even asked her to be a guest. I have been podcasting for almost 1 year and it has been a very slow growth but has been picking up quite a bit as of lately which I am super happy about! With this interview, I already knew that Casey was going to be a really positive example of what a working artist can be. She has her own gallery in New Orleans, is rocking Instagram, and doing it all with a smile on her face. But seriously, you should really go check out her Instagram before listening to this episode (the link is in the notes but it’s caseylangteauart) because her style is all her own. It’s bright, fun, and cohesive. I had to ask her, “How did you find such as style?” She gave me the tips and strategies for narrowing it down. But I’ll let her explain it to you, so let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Casey Langteau.
www.instagram.com/caseylangteauart
www.artistacademy.co
How much time do I REALLY think I will spend on this project?
Should I hire someone more or less experienced to help?
If I end up spending a few more hours than I anticipate, will I start to resent the work?
Is there anything in this for me? Will it be fun?
Download the free pricing guide at www.artpricingguide.com
www.Instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
www.ArtistAcademy.co
@Artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features New Mexico based sculptor Geoffrey Gorman. Geoffrey applied to be on the podcast a few weeks ago and as I was checking out his Instagram to see if he was a good fit I was thinking, “This guy just looks really interesting.” I saw that he was teaching all over North America and creating a very different style of art than I’m used to, and all of that totally piqued my interest. This guy has worn many hats within the art world from a curator to a teacher, working with galleries and freelancing, and he travels for a few months out of the year! So you can see why I was so glad he applied to be on the podcast. With that, I just want to mention that if you think you’d be a good fit to be interviewed by me you can go to www.ArtistAcademyPodcast.com to nominate yourself or your favorite artist to be a guest. The only qualification is that every guest must be a full-time working artist because the purpose of this series is to show aspiring artists like you that it is completely possible to have an amazing career in the arts. I think this week’s guest is a great example of just that. Let me know what you think of this episode with Geoffrey Gorman.
https://www.instagram.com/geoffreygorman
www.artistacademy.co
In this episode I talk about what going live is, how to go about it, what to do while the camera is on, and how to maximize your results. We are currently doing a 14 day live challenge in the Artist Academy Advanced and I would love to invite everyone else to participate! The rules are simple: Go live for 5 minutes every day for 14 days straight to earn a free month’s membership! Just message me after you’ve completed the challenge by April 15th to qualify. :)
www.Instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
www.ArtistAcademy.co
@Artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features Florida based muralist and gallery owner, Alyssa Marie. I was referred to Alyssa by one of my Artist Academy Advanced students, Lyssa England, who just raved about how positive, ambitious, and overall amazing Alyssa is; and she was right. Alyssa is one of those infectiously positive, instantly friendly kind of people. She’s living the dream in Florida running her own gallery, staying busy doing all the things that come with working for yourself, and doing it all with a smile on her face. She hasn’t been full-time for that long, just 3 years and it only took about 6 months for her to get up and going. She mentions how she dove headfirst into this artist life, said yes to everything to gain momentum and now has an awesome art business in the sunshine state! Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Alyssa Marie.
https://www.instagram.com/alyssa_marie_gallery
www.artistacademy.co
This episode features Arkansas based street artist, Jason Jones. I was so excited to finally know who the artist was that created this giant, awesome piece of artwork in my hometown. Jason painted this huge robot style mural on a really large building in a popular development area and from the first time I saw a photo of it I was hooked. I thought, “Wow. I would have never thought to do that.” His style is so different and unique and that’s what really makes my head turn towards Jason. So I reached out a few weeks ago and connected with his lovely wife through email and we set it up for him to interview. I mention this because in this interview we talk about how Jason did all of his own business tasks in the beginning and has now gotten to the point where he has an amazing team member to help him with everything except painting. How awesome is that?! I think there are so many takeaways in this episode but let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Jason Jones.
https://www.instagram.com/artistjasonjones/
www.artistacademy.co
This solo episode is all about, you guessed it, networking! I share my personal experiences and benefits of networking along with how YOU can easily go about it.
Learn what live painting is and how you can benefit from it: https://andrea-ehrhardt.mykajabi.com/livepainting
See amazing wildlife photos by photographer Jared Hobbs: www.hobbsphotos.com
www.ArtistAcademy.co
@ArtbyAndreaEhrhardt
This week’s episode features an up and coming photographer from my hometown, Katy Sarnowsky. This was kind of an on the whim podcast episode in that I asked Katy the day before she came to visit me if I could record our conversation. The purpose being that I get several messages from artists or just new businesswomen wanting to pick my brain, so this is a chance for anyone to be a fly on the wall and get a coaching session from me. Creating something out of nothing is hard and there is no roadmap to success in the arts, but in this conversation I try to help coach Katy while she’s in the very beginning of her business. I think this episode is relatable to anyone who is just starting out in business, specifically in the arts, and just don’t know what steps to take next. Katy and I have known each other for over 20 years and we also talked for over 3 hours in this one sitting but I had my editor edit it down into what they think would be the most informative and inspirational talking points. I give Katy some ideas for her business towards the end of this episode and even though most listening are not photographers, I really think you can use this type of idea and implement it into your own business. Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Katy Sarnowsky.
www.instagram.com/katysarnowsky
www.artistacademy.co
This episode features a watercolorist from Australia, Tony White. I think this interview is going to be very relatable to a lot of you parents out there because Tony is trying to make it work with a couple very young kids at home. He’s trying to squeeze in painting time between being a full-time parent and doing all the things to run his art business. Tony does video, and you all know how interested I am in all things video, so we get into that and many other different aspects of his art business. Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Tony White.
www.instagram.com/tonywhitewatercolour
www.artistacademy.co
This week’s episode features an equestrian oil painter from Kentucky, Stephanie Hilen. Stephanie was actually requested to be on this podcast. A listener sent me a DM with their five favorite artists and Stephanie was at the top of the list. So if you didn’t know that you can request artists to be interviewed, now you do! Just send me an email or direct message and I will do my best to get them on. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to interview Stephanie. She’s such a sweetheart and her beauty shines through into the art she creates. In this interview we get into live painting, the challenges of painting quickly with oils and she’s even doing her own 29 day challenge for the month of February right now. Btw, her Instagram grid is something to be noted. Her use of white space and just an overall clean yet colorful esthetic is so pleasing to the eye. Check out the link in the notes section and it will take you directly to her Instagram so you can see what I mean. Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Stephanie Hilen.
www.instagram.com/stephaniehilenart
www.artistacademy.co
This week’s episode features the business brain of the internationally famous Montague duo, Courtney Montague. If you do not know who Courtney and Kelsey Montague are then you are probably living under a rock because even Taylor Swift knows who they are. The Montague sisters completed a pair of giant butterfly wings for her this past year among several other interactive photo op art pieces for big name brands all over the world. This is probably the most excited/nervous I had ever been to interview someone so far and I just want to share a quick behind the scenes story… About halfway through the interview a little notification popped up on my phone saying “20% battery.” I forgot to charge my phone for what was one of the most important interviews I had yet done for this podcast which just skyrocketed my nerves thinking that my phone was going to go dead at any moment. But in the end, everything was fine. I am just so thankful that Courtney took the time to chat with us and was so open about their art journey to get to where they are today. Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Courtney Montague.
www.instagram.com/montaguesisters
www.artistacademy.co
What is an algorithm? How can you make it work for you? Is it possible to spot and create viral content? All of these questions are answered to help you grow your audience in the easiest way possible!
Www.ArtistAcademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features Russian artist living in California, Kate Tova. Kate was such a joy to get to know. You know how you meet someone and can tell within the first few minutes that they are just a genuinely good person? Well, to me, that’s Kate. Her genuineness shines through in all of her answers throughout this interview and I think we can all take away something from all the information she shares about how she grew her art business. Frankly, I’m so impressed with any artist living on the coasts because the cost of living is so much higher there than compared to the Midwest where I’m from, but Kate is making it work and making it work well. She opens up about how she built her Instagram following and mentions that social media is how she’s getting the majority of her commissions. So inspiring! I’ve said this before but I LOVE social media because it opens up so many more possibilities, especially for artists, and Kate is a great example of that. Also I just wanted to give you a heads up that the mic was a bit scratchy especially in the beginning and we tried editing it out but couldn’t get it all. If you absolutely can’t stand it then just fast forward to about half way through the episode where it calms down quite a bit, but I just couldn’t let myself throw this interview out completely due to a minor flaw. So let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Kate Tova.
www.instagram.com/kate_tova
www.artistacademy.co
You have no idea how many times I get hired for jobs due to another artist losing that job because they failed to show up or communicate. It’s crazy! So today I wanted to go over a few basic business etiquette rules that I know will help you out in building your art business.
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
The Power of Practice and Networking with Rich Marks
This week’s episode features Arizona based muralist, Rich Marks. I met Rich through this month’s January Paint Challenge: 31 paintings in 31 days. Rich had heard about the challenge and started tagging me in his daily posts and it didn’t take long for me to notice what an experienced painter he was. There were so many days that I saw his work and would show my fiancé Ryan like, “Look at this guy who’s participating in the challenge! He’s so good!” So not long ago I messaged him and asked, “Hey, have you ever thought about teaching?” and long story short he’s going to be a contributor to the Artist Academy very soon which I am soooo excited about! Also I want to mention that I did not know that Rich and I had worked for the same company only on different locations at one point until he mentioned it mid interview. You can hear the shock in my voice when I realized that this art world is actually so small. Rich is full of helpful tips for aspiring and advanced artists but my favorite quote from him during this interview is, “You cannot network enough.” Ugh! So true! So sit back, get comfy, and let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Rich Marks.
www.instagram.com/rich.marks
www.artistacademy.co
Do you have what it takes to complete the 100 day challenge? The rules are simple... paint (or draw or sculpt or just create) for 30 minutes every day. This simple task will eventually form into a habit and drastically increase the likelihood of your success as an artist. Listen to hear the many other benefits of completing a 100 day challenge!
Www.ArtistAcademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features Artist Academy Advanced Member, Mandy Tardif. So in the Advanced Membership some week’s I’ll do an artist spotlight where I bring one of the members on live with me and usually it’s because they have a specific question or in Mandy’s case, it’s because she has an amazing story to tell. She has been through a lot in her lifetime and has come through it better than ever. Mandy shares about how she used to be really shy, like painfully shy, and you would not think it by talking to her now. Despite all of what she has gone through in her past (and she’s about to tell you all about it), she is truly seizing the day nowadays. I invited Mandy to share her story as a hope that it inspires you and gives you that extra push to get through whatever it is you’re going through right now. Because we’re all going through something or will at some point and Mandy is a great example of someone who is seeing the positive in everything and she explains how that has changed her life for the better. Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Mandy Tardif.
In this episode I share several stories of how I work with clients on a budget. It can sometimes be tough getting businesses to pay full price, especially in the Midwest, but just because they can’t afford it doesn’t mean all is lost. It’s completely okay to settle for a trade when it’s mutually beneficial.
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features one of my favorite oil painters from the UK, Katy Jade Dobson. There’s just something about Katy’s style of art that I’m so infatuated with. Her use of color and combining facial elements with wildlife is just so unique and unlike anything else I’ve ever come across. It actually really inspires me to think outside my box and to possibly create something a little bit different that’s coming very soon. In this interview Katy talks about how she started out her career with an art publisher but is now completely independent. If you’re not sure what that means, just listen in as Katy explains the benefits and downsides of having someone do the marketing for you vs. doing it all yourself. She shares all of this and so much more! Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Katy Jade Dobson.
www.instagram.com/katyjadedobson
www.artistacademy.co
Favorite Books:
Art Money Success by Maria Brophy
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Art Inc. by Lisa Congdon
The 4 hour workweek by Tim Ferriss
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Millionaire Success Habits by Dean Graziosi
Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso
Finish by Jon Acuff
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
200 mini meditations for instant manifestations by Sarah Prout
Favorite Podcasts:
Savvy Painter by Antrese Wood
BossBabe by Natalie Ellis and Danielle Canty
Goal Digger by Jenna Kutcher
Online Marketing Made Easy by Amy Porterfield
The Tim Ferriss Show
How I Built This by Guy Raz NPR
Oprah’s Masterclass
Call Her Daddy by Barstool Sports
This week’s episode features our first returning guest artist, Laurence White. I first met Laurence about 6 months ago when he came on to chat with me live here on this podcast and we talked all things social media. So this time it was nice to just catch up and see how his social media strategies are working and how he’s been able to take the transition from doing art part time to doing art the majority of the time while still taking side jobs here and there. Laurence is well on his way to becoming a completely full-time artist and I think it’s so interesting to talk to those who are in the middle of it all, doing the work, transitioning from the 9-5 and on to this amazing artrepreneur career. That’s a word I just recently heard which is a mix between an artist and an entrepreneur, which makes artrepreneur, which is basically what we all are if you think about it. So let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Laurence White.
www.instagram.com/laurence_m_white
www.artistacademy.co
This episode breaks down the simple strategy of how to reflect on 2019 in order to make a successful plan for 2020. Also get the scoop what went on behind the scenes in the first year of the Artist Academy; the good, the bad, and what’s ahead!
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
Join our January paint challenge at https://www.facebook.com/groups/artistacademy or by using the hashtag #31Paintingsin31Days or #JanuaryPaintChallenge
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features Artist Academy Advanced student, Lyssa Bowen, who just happens to be an art show veteran. Lyssa has been with me since the very first day I opened the doors to the Artist Academy, and I have to brag on her for a quick second due to the fact that this woman works her buns off to achieve her goals. She is a Rockstar student and today I wanted to get her on to talk about something that I know very little about, which is art shows. The majority of my sales are done online yet I get so many questions from artists and students about what goes into the whole process of signing up, setting up, and selling at an art show. Lyssa has been doing shows in Florida for the past 2 years, so her knowledge is pretty thorough on this subject and she offers plenty of tips and tricks for anyone who’s thinking about trying out this strategy in 2020. Lyssa highly encourages it! Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Lyssa Bowen.
www.instagram.com/barefootanddoodles/
www.barefootanddoodles.art
www.artistacademy.co
VIDEO: https://www.artistacademy.co/blog/residualincome
Don’t believe the myth that you can set some kind of residual income machine up and it works for you while you sip fruity drinks on the beach. That just isn’t real. What is real is thinking smart and working hard to set up systems in your business that allow you to profit without trading time for dollars. In this episode I uncover the methods behind how I started and continue to grow my $7/month Print Club: https://www.artistacademy.co/collectable-postcard-print-of-the-month
Prints $150 for 1,000: https://www.spfdblue.com
(Todd is great!)
Envelopes $34 for 500: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C3NNQW6/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_sYjZDb36ABTGK
Labels $20 for 3,000: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006B8FZ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_kZjZDb3ZQD3CG
Stamps 0.50 each: https://store.usps.com/store/results/stamps/_/N-9y93lv
Manual Address Stamp $15: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072BBH8SN/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_P2jZDb8VPC7A3
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This episode uncovers what 3 tier pricing is and why it might be smart to consider this method for your art business. The psychology behind why people buy art often has to do with the price point almost as much as the visual aspect. You could be ignoring an entire segment of customers by not taking perceived value into consideration. Listen to this episode for clarity on the 3 tier pricing subject.
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features California based wildlife artist, Aimee Hoover. I was so pleasantly surprised with how real Aimee is and how she showed up with such honest feedback in this interview. And I asked her all the questions like, “How do you get the majority of your sales?” and, “What are the processes behind her dynamic, realistic paintings?” She lets us know everything from where she gets her reference photos to how she gets collectors coming back time and time again to buy her art. We also dive in to her September 30 day challenge that she did for 4 consecutive years in a row. Every September she would complete a painting every single day for 30 days. If that sounds daunting, just know that you’re not alone. But also know that it is possible and the benefits that can come from committing to something like that, from showing up every single day and forming that habit, the benefits can drastically outweigh the inconvenience and Aimee lets us in on what it’s all about. Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Aimee Hoover.
www.aimeehoover.com
www.instagram.com/aimeehoover
www.artistacademy.co
Use this simple strategy to make quick cash and to promote your business this holiday season. Seriously, this is one of the easiest pitches you will ever make. Holiday window painting is an easy YES to a business because who doesn’t like to show off their Christmas spirit?!
https://www.artistacademy.co/HolidayWindowPainting
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features yet another Artist Academy Advanced student who is booked out this holiday season, Samm Wehman. Samm has been a student for the past few months and this conversation was our first official virtual meetup; the first of many to come! We talk about a number of things but something that really stood out to me was Samm’s passion for animals which ultimately led to art success within that niche. She has close to 100 orders to fill in the next month and all of those orders are similar in theme. She reiterates what I feel like I say all the time which is to make art because you love it and not just because you think something will sell. People will pick up on your passion and THAT will be the reason they buy, and I think Samm is a brilliant example of this topic. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Samm Wehman.
Www.instagram.com/sammwehmanart
www.sammwehmanart.com
Join the Artist Academy Advanced: www.advancedmember.com
This week’s episode features another Artist Academy Advanced student who’s doing big things, Christine Riutzel. I first met Christine about a year ago when I was doing a project in Branson and she was introduced to me as the artist who was painting Skateland. As you listen to this episode I urge you to go check out Christine’s Instagram (@beautyfromlight) so you get a visual of who she is and what her unique art style is all about. She uses such vibrant colors and it’s inspiring the way she sticks to that unique style which ultimately is what makes her stand out amongst the more traditional artists. I LOVE her style. But also I wanted to get Christine on here to talk about all of the public art projects she has in the works and how she’s getting these jobs in hopes that it inspires you to go out and do something similar if that’s a path you’re thinking about exploring. Public art can help to make a name for yourself, and my butterfly art is a perfect example of that. I get jobs because of that one public art piece all the time and Christine is taking a similar approach in a town just down the road the from me in Branson, Missouri. So let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Christine Riutzel.
www.instagram.com/beautyfromlight
www.beautyfromlight.com
This week’s episode features Artist Academy Advanced student Meg Wagler. Meg has been a student for several months and just recently has taken the leap out of her comfy 9-5 position working for another company as an illustrator into the independent contractor life of a muralist. I first met Meg about 6 months ago or so when she reached out and asked to meet up and shadow me on the job for the day. I of course said yes and brought her on the job with me to teach her everything I knew about setting up for a mural because she had just gotten her first mural gig and wanted to be prepared. Meg isn’t afraid to ask for what she wants and if you take away anything from this interview, I want it to be that. Meg is transitioning into a full time muralist and a big reason for that is because she had the courage to ask for what she wants and now she’s getting it. Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Meg Wagler.
This week’s episode features California based artist, Jenna Rainey. Jenna is a CEO, illustrator, calligrapher, and new mother who has built her art business to 7 figures. Honestly, I feel like Jenna is myself just a few years ahead of me which is why I was latching on to every word she said from advice on being a new mom to hiring help and everything in between. Jenna teaches courses to help artists with things like licensing and branding since she’s currently working on projects for big named companies like Target and Staples. How cool is that!? Jenna shares how she got to where she is such as her 8 years of experience growing on Instagram. 8 years! Think about that the next time you feel like you’re not happy where you’re at. This stuff takes time and Jenna is a great example of how consistency can get you amazing results. Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Jenna Rainey.
www.JennaRainey.com
www.instagram.com/jennarainey
This week’s episode features New York based, hyperrealism artist Nick Sider. This guy is sooo good at what he does! After just 5 years of being in the art game, Nick sells out paintings as quick as he completes them and how does he do it? On Instagram! What an amazing time we’re living in to have the internet as free advertising at our fingertips and to quote Nick, “you are leaving money on the table by not posting on social media.” Nick lets us in on all of his processes like taking photos with his art, and the process he uses to ship large canvases all over the world, and all the behind the scenes things that you sometimes don’t see on Instagram. So let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Nick Sider.
www.NickSider.com
www.instagram.com/nicksider
This week’s episode features Shaunna Russell but you might know her as @weekdaybest on social media. Shaunna paints these beautiful rainbow style pet portraits. Her colors are so bright and fun so you can imagine why she caught my eye on Instagram over a year ago. Shaunna’s story is an inspiring one with one reason being that she started her art career with two very young kids at home. I think she’s a shining example of what happens when you’re consistent and intentionally play to your strengths. Shaunna also mentions how she would rather just hide in her studio and paint all day, like us of us would, but she fights against that urge and puts herself out there anyway. And it’s working! Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Shaunna Russell.
www.weekdaybest.com
www.instagram.com/weekdaybest
Go to www.findyourartniche.com to take the fun quiz to figure out what your niche might be.
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
In this episode I’ll walk you through the 5 questions you can ask yourself to take a deep dive into finding YOUR art niche.
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What’s distinctive about your style?
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Do you find yourself drawn to a specific subject matter?
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What medium do you use?
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What message do you want people to take away?
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Why do you create?
This week I asked Artist Academy Advanced student Jen Baum if she wanted to hop on a live coaching call to talk about her art business. I asked Jen specifically because I knew recently she was feeling a bit discouraged and anxious that her art business wasn’t growing as fast as she’s wanting it to. Jen is brand new to the art world, having just made her website and is just recently getting used to the idea of actually calling herself an artist for the first time. This can be such an exciting and stressful time for any beginner trying to navigate something brand new. In this episode I give Jen some really good ideas to jumpstart her progress. These are ideas that stem from things I have personally implemented in my own art business and now can pass along to her and anyone else needing help in the beginning phase. Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Jen Baum.
www.AdvancedMember.com
What is it?
Why should you be on there?
& How to excel on TikTok.
Check out my TikTok profile: http://vm.tiktok.com/fevUoA/
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This episode is a look inside behind the scenes of the Artist Academy Podcast where I break down how we put it all together and why.
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features ecommerce expert, Chelsea Cardoza. You might recognize this last name since Chelsea’s husband, Justin Cardoza, was on a recent podcast episode talking all about his life as a cinematographer. Chelsea is the online marketer behind the scenes of their new company ModBox so she knows all things SEO and Google adds. In this episode she breaks it down for us and explains how we can use these online marketing tools to benefit our art business. I think of Google as a step up from social media. It’s a whole new world but it doesn’t have to be a scary one and can really be super profitable once you get the hang of it. Chelsea actually got me really excited to test out a variety of different adds including YouTube so I’ll report back soon on how that goes. I don’t think adds are a technique for an artist who is just starting out but even if that’s you, I would still advise listening in so you’re prepared for the next step up in your art business when it does come time. Plus her SEO strategies are well explained and something you can implement into your current website today. So let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Chelsea Cardoza.
Modboxtech.com
I just had the most productive Monday EVER! But why? In this episode I quickly run you through 5 simple productivity tips that I've recently adopted in the past couple years of being in business. I didn't have these methods in place in the early days and it definitely showed! Heck, some I'm just now adapting to, but all of them have definitely helped me inside my art business and I bet they can help you too.
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
I just had the most productive Monday EVER! But why? In this episode I quickly run you through 5 simple productivity tips that I've recently adopted in the past couple years of being in business. I didn't have these methods in place in the early days and it definitely showed! Heck, some I'm just now adapting to, but all of them have definitely helped me inside my art business and I bet they can help you too.
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features body positivity advocate Anne Claire Fleer. Anne is a body painting artist currently living in London and I was so excited to get to talk with her about her newfound niche. In this episode she walks us through the process of how she got to where is, which is painting women who are often traveling through the UK. She gives them a one of a kind experience by painting their naked body against an abstract backdrop. Not your average profession. You can tell how excited Anne is when she talks about this passion project and at one point she says, “I’m determined to make this work” and THAT’S exactly the attitude that will get you anything you want in life, and it’s the reason why Anne is doing so well. Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Anne Claire Fleer.
In this episode I lay out the entire printing process so you can successfully create and sell your own prints. This is an information packed episode full of my tips to successfully make extra profits in your business while working normal hours. To get the full process and have everything easily laid out for you, just head to www.printperfect.net for a peak into the full course.
Join us in the Artist Academy Advanced at www.advancedmember.com
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features Pennsylvania based bird artist, Rachel Altschuler. I loved getting to talk to Rachel and hear all about her back story and unique painting processes. I highly encourage you to click the link in this episode and check her out so you can see her very unique painting style for yourself and how good she is! Rachel has painted over 100 birds in the past several years of painting professionally and I love how she found her niche and is sticking to it. We talk about the fear that comes with painting something that’s true to you and not always doing what people expect. It is kind of a leap of faith to step out of your comfort zone and paint what you want to paint, and I think Rachel is a shining example of someone who is doing it very successfully. But let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Rachel Altschuler.
https://www.instagram.com/rachelaltschuler_artdesign/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/rachelaltschulerart/
In order to take FULL advantage of this upcoming 4thquarter, it is my belief that you need to have a few key elements in place in order make the most out of this holiday season! These things are fairly simple and really something that every artist should have even if you’re at the very beginning, but I feel like a few items might surprise you. In this episode I list off the 5 things you need to check off your list before we enter into the 4th Quarter Success Plan!
www.artpricingguide.com
www.youtube.com/c/andreaehrhardt
Apply at: www.advancedmember.com
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features wildlife conservation artist, Ekaterina Sky. This is another one that I brought on the podcast just selfishly because I wanted to meet her after following Ekaterina on Instagram for over a year. She creates these beautiful, wildly saturated artworks that caught my eye right away. She is Russian, currently living in California and about to embark on an amazing journey creating art around the world. She’s about to travel to places like Thailand, India, Africa, all while painting and leaving her mark along the way. I see a lot of myself in her and absolutely loved getting to talk to another giggly, bubbly girl who’s out there doing big things. Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Ekaterina Sky.
https://www.youtube.com/user/Katyuffka36
How does someone make 1k in 1 day? That the big question. Now I know you are listening to this because those zeros on that title caught your eye and before I dive into it I just want to preface this with a couple things... Getting your mindset right and welcoming abundance into your life and saying, “I AM capable and I can do this” is the first part to achieving anything you want. Then I’ll dive into the 3 strategies I put into place last year during the 4thquarter to have my most profitable day ever. And this year, I’m aiming for 2k in 1 day.
www.AdvancedMember.com
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
Simple Photography Tricks That Make A Big Difference with Justin Cardoza
This week’s episode features photographer/cinematographer Justin Cardoza. This interview was a little different, and not just because I was interviewing a photographer instead of painter, but rather because Justin lives in the same city as I do so we just both sat down in my studio and pressed play. This was the first time we streamed on Facebook and Instagram at the same time all while sitting in the same room. Justin shared some tricks on how you can use your iPhone to take professional looking photos of your art to share on social media, because we all know good photos are everything. Justin breaks down his simple yet effective photography tips and tells the story of how he built his business from the ground up. Justin and I have grown our businesses side by side over the past several years and it’s kinda cool to get to sit down and talk with him about how we got to where we are. It’s humbling stepping back to reminisce about the days when we were starving artists just trying to make it and I hope this conversation inspires you to keep trying and keep working towards your goal because being a full-time creator is seriously the BEST career in the world. So let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Justin Cardoza.
Modboxtech.com
https://vimeo.com/329462631
Being multi-passionate is amazing!!! Until you’re knee deep in one project and everything is going well and then BAM you get the itch to try something new and exciting because your current route isn’t quite as exciting as when you started it.
Now, I don’t want to come off as a know it all on this subject because I’m definitely NOT but I do want to share my personal experience with being multi passionate.
The main point I want to make throughout this entire podcast is this: If you want to go in another direction, just expect your current direction to either stay exactly where it is or start to suffer. This really just goes back to the popular quote, “the grass is greener where you water it.” Do you get what I’m putting down? You will succeed in the thing you put the most effort into.
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This week's episode features art marketing expert, Maria Brophy. This is the first guest that is not an artist herself, but rather someone who is an expert on the marketing and licensing side of art. Maria played a key role in developing her husband's art career, Drew Brophy, into the highly profitable brand it is now. I'm a huge fan of both of the and have listened to her audio book twice because it's THAT GOOD and packed with years of helpful tips for any artist. I was a little nervous for this interview but despite her celebrity status, Maria is just so personable and I truly feel honored to have been able to hang out with her for as long as we did. Let me know what you think of this week's episode with Maria Brophy.
https://brophyartacademy.com/
Book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0999011502/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
Do you live in a city where it seems like people don't really care about the arts? Buying art might be a foreign thing to the people in your area so it's hard to image being able to charge what you deserve. Trust me, I feel you! I grew up in a town with a total population of 370. Yep, that's 370, not 370,000... just 370 total. I currently live in a relatively "big" city if compared to my hometown but it's far from overpopulated. Springfield, MO, is a quiet midwest town with a population of 160,000. Buying art isn't a big thing here especially compared to Kansas City or St. Louis which are more than double in size. So how do I still make six figures living in a small city and having come from a very small town? In this episode I share tips and why I think it is actually an advantage living here!
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features Arkansas based artist, Tram Colwin. If you take a look at Tram’s Instagram, it’s pretty obvious why anyone would be drawn her to style. Specifically speaking of her 100 butterflies she recently completed in the first 100 days of this year. We did a similar 100 day challenge in the Artist Academy with the purpose of making yourself sit down and just create every single day. As we talk about this subject, Tram beautifully justifies the importance of setting goals, staying organized, and how that greatly effects your overall art business. I’m was so impressed with her organizational skills and ability to stick to the promises she makes to herself. Painting every single day for 100 days is no small task, I would know! But I really believe that the ability to do so really transfers into everything else you do, and Tram is a brilliant example of that. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Tram Colwin.
This week’s episode features now Missouri artist, John Whytock. Now, before we even started this interview I knew exactly what I was going to title this episode. “Learning from a legend.” When I first started painting for Bass Pro, I knew who John was through the grapevine. I hadn’t met him yet, but his reputation for being one of the top artists in the area proceeded him. It actually took several years for our paths to cross since we always worked for the same company but were just always on separate projects in different locations. I wanted to get John on the podcast because I knew he was full of stories of past art projects from a lifelong career in the arts. In this episode John tells us all about his days painting for some of the top locations in Vegas, for example. Does the Venetian ring a bell? Yea, he painted that! Along with many other lucrative projects back in the day. Not trying to be creepy, but I could sit and listen to his cool mural stories all day. I seriously can’t get enough of it and had a smile on my face throughout the entire interview. But let me know what you think of this week’s episode with John Whytock. www.johnwhytockart.com
This week’s episode features Oklahoma based artist, Dionne Woods. I’m so excited for you to listen to this episode because Dionne has been such an inspiration to me this past year. We randomly met on Instagram about a year ago and at one point I reached out to her and asked, “hey, is this teaching other artists thing really all it’s cracked up to be?” And after she told me about her amazing membership group that’s when I knew that 2019 was about to go in a completely new direction. So backing up a bit, did I mention that Dionne is a furniture artist? Talk about a specific niche! She takes old worn-down pieces of furniture and recycles them into beautiful works of art. If you search for Dionne using her brand, “The Turquoise Iris,” on any of the social media channels, you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about. Let me know what you think about this week’s episode with Dionne Woods.
This week we are switching it up a bit and I’m showing you a recent FB Live I did inside the Advanced Membership with our very own Jennifer Halterman. Jennifer joined the group when it first opened and she was one of the first members I ever virtually met. She is actually a part time artist, full time life coach, and I was just thinking one day “ya know, I bet she has a lot to offer this group if I just asked her.” And boy does she! This was such a special conversation that after we were done I was like, “hey would it be okay if I put this in podcast form? Because I think everyone needs to hear this.” Jennifer has such an inspiring story. She talks about how to overcome anxiety and self-doubt in order to live your best life and move your art career forward. Let me know what you think about this week’s art talk with Jennifer Halterman.
This week’s episode features Arizona based artist Andrew Lee. Andrew reached out not too long ago to talk about all things art and business since he too just started coaching aspiring artists! Yep, someone else is out there paving the way for the upcoming generation of amazing artists so they too can thrive without the hassle and guesswork we all had to go through. I think it’s amazing what Andrew’s doing because my mindset is very much abundance over scarcity, meaning there are plenty of art students out there for the both of us and I realize that his strengths are very different than mine. Speaking of, did you know that Andrew has his own line of art products on Amazon. He has sold well over 1,000 products on Amazon so far and we go into some of the details of how he did it in this episode. Let me know what you think of this week’s art talk with Andrew Lee.
Along with “what kind of paint do you use,” this “how do you price your art” question is one of the top questions I get weekly on my Instagram and in the Artist Academy Facebook group. And for good reason. Pricing is difficult! Even for me still somedays. I’d say probably 90% of the projects I get I immediately think “uhhhh what am I going to charge them? What’s fair? Yet, what’s profitable?” I don’t want to crazy over charge and have my customer say no and walk away. Also, I don’t want to undercharge and be underpaid or devalue my product because I chose the wrong price in a moment of weakness. So what’s the right answer? Well, first off, I’m going to just put it out there that there is no right answer, sorry. BUT I’m going to show you the methods I use to price my mural and canvas projects. Go to www.artistacademy.co/pricingguide to download your copy of the every so popular step by step pricing guide.
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This week’s episode features Branson based artist, Mary Evelyn Tucker. I first met Mary Evelyn about a year ago through Instagram and I wanted to have her on today because in just a year, she has gone from a few commissions here and there to completely booked out. This girl is busy! Not to mention, she sticks within a very specific niche. We talk about how her meeting just one person was the result of nearly 80 commissions which goes to prove the theory that it only takes just one person to move your art business forward in a big way, and you never know where that person might come from. We reference Mary Evelyn’s beautiful watercolor pet portraits quite a bit so if you want to take a peak at what she’s all about while you’re listening to this episode so you can visualize the paintings we’re referencing, just type in maryevelynstudio into Instagram so you’re not missing a thing. Let me know what you think of this week’s episode with Mary Evelyn Tucker.
This episode features UK based artist, Laurence White. Laurence started out in a career in film, mostly behind the camera, but is now stepping out in front of it with his art. You’re going to hear a little background noise in this episode so please excuse that. We recorded this mid-day at 2:00pm UK time, which was 8:00am central Midwest, and Laurence was kind enough to take a break from filming to hop on this interview. Laurence references a couple big names like Gary V, someone who I think all of us could learn a few business tips from, in the context of social media and how it plays such a huge role in today’s art world. He mentions how just putting out content regularly is a great strategy when just starting out or whatever level you’re at and I completely agree with just about everything he says in this interview. Let me know what you think about this week’s art talk with Laurence White.
First off, I have to remind you that art is a long-term game. If you can stick with it and be consistent and keep putting yourself out there, the money will come. It may just take a while to really get going and for the money to come rolling in. Okay, now that I stated the obvious, let’s get in to my 5 ways to make money TODAY…
For this exercise, I really sat back and thought, “Okay, what if I had no commissions in the coming weeks… What would I do to still pay my bills? What resources would I use to get new paying commissions?” Let me know if you try any of these 5 strategies and how well they work for YOU.
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt
This episode features California based artist, Casey Lynn Hancock. Casey tells us all about her leap of faith into the art world and how making the jump from part time hobby artist to full time was one of the scariest things she’s ever done. I think almost every artist can relate to that, right? We talk about pricing and how she started out basically underpricing herself to stay busy but quickly found her footing and is now a thriving artist supporting herself in one of the most expensive areas of the country. She gives us tips on Instagram marketing and how she’s using that platform to make a profit. You’re going to want to take notes on this week’s episode with Casey Lynn Hancock.
This episode features London artist, Louise McNaught. If you are not familiar with Louise’s work I want you to pull up Instagram and type in “Louise McNaught,” so you can see exactly what we are talking about in reference to her work. She does this super unique drip technique where she actually turns the canvas upside down to drip and then right side up to finish the painting. Louise has recently illustrated a book that helps bring awareness to endangered animals and raise money for related charities. She tells us all about that process and gives us many other unique tips in this week’s episode. So let’s get to it.
This episode features Miami native, David Lavernia. Dave talks about getting his start as an artist and part of that story is why he now tells aspiring artists the importance of slowly wading into the art world, rather than ditching your side job to just jump in head first. Dave also surprised me by talking about his volunteer side projects that included bringing murals into low art budget schools, and let’s be real, that includes a lot of schools nowadays. Let me know what you think about this week’s live art talk with Dave Lavernia.
This episode features Alaskan artist Susan Watkins. Susan is yet another amazing artist I met on a Bass Pro job site and even though we’ve worked together several times, I never knew her story of how she got started in the art world until this live interview. Susan entertains us with her plein air tips, artist residency experiences, and many wilderness stories living up in Alaska. Let me know what you think about this week’s live art talk with Susan Watkins.
This episode features muralist, Melvin Lovejoy, an artist I’ve worked alongside for several years while painting the many Bass Pro Shops all over North America. Melvin served as a sort of mentor to me in these early days when I was just figuring out what to do and how to do it. He really helped push me out of my comfort zone and on to bigger things. He was also a Bob Ross certified instructor which is amazing and just one of the many interesting things about him. Let me know what you think about this week’s interview with Melvin Lovejoy.
Adam Wolken is my first male artist on the show and he set the bar pretty high. Adam and his brother, Aaron, painted a large part of the famous Wonders of Wildlife Museum which was recently voted America’s BEST aquarium. These guys know what they’re doing with a paint brush and if you don’t know who they are, a quick google search will show you plenty of examples of their highly impressive work. I loved getting to talk to Adam. He really is just such a nice, genuine guy and seeing some of his work in person, really, it just blows me away. He opens up a lot in this episode about the art business and how a past experience helped him to not take being able to paint for granted. I love how when I ask for one answer to a question he really gives me five or more answers and lets us all in on what it’s like to be a professional muralist. So, let me know what you think about this Facebook LIVE episode with Adam Wolken.
This week we have Lindsey Kooyman interviewing LIVE. I was drawn to Lindsey’s vibrant, psychedelic, trippy, style of painting animals. It’s kind of similar to my own rainbow style animal paintings, which probably explains why I love her art so much, but I think it’s so interesting how two different artists in two completely separate cities are drawn to the same kind of style, yet we both put our own spin on it. For a long time I got so caught up in the idea of, “oh someone has already thought of that so if I did it too I’d be copying them,” but that’s not rational at all. I know several artists who do similar things and they all execute it differently. You can tell the difference between his painting or her painting, just like you can tell the different between mine and Lindsey’s, even though they’re all the same subject or style. I love Lindsey’s positive energy in this episode and how open and honest she is about her art journey. If you’re still in the transitioning period between having art as your side hustle and hoping to go full time, then I bet you’ll be able to relate to a lot of what Lindsey has to say. Okay, enough of the intro, I’ll press play so you can see what I’m talking about.
This week’s interview was a little different than normal meaning, due to some time constraints, I actually recorded it live inside a turkey blind. Not just that, but Brooke was in the middle of a residency in Vienna, Austria, so being that far away there were a little hickups on the audio side. I could’ve edited the audio imperfections out, but my philosophy is that “done is better than perfect” and I didn’t want to cut out any of what Brooke had to say. She makes some very realistic and honest points about what it takes to be a full-time artist. I love how talkative she is and how she really elaborates on her techniques and daily practices. Let me know what you think about this week’s interview with Brooke Cormier.
Prepare to be inspired by this week’s guest, Kassie Voisin. Kassie talks about how her overnight viral video jumpstarted her career as a muralist, and the important tips and tricks she’s picked up since getting that start. Towards the end of our chat, Kassie also gives us the story behind her Canvas for Kids project and I promise it will tug at your heart. But don’t just take my word for it, take a listen for yourself…
This week I get to talk to Alyse, aka A Million Tiny Lines, about overcoming obstacles, living life on the edge, and how she turned to art, first just as a way to escape boredom, but how it soon became her full-time career. Hearing her talk about her upcoming artist residencies will inspire you to book the first plane ticket out of here and go exploring. Let me know what you think about this week’s interview with Alyse.
This week I have Houston muralist, Whitney Hayden, on the show to chat about all things murals. She lets us in on how starting with a couple nursery projects propelled her to be the ultra-busy, and ultra-talented I might add, artist she is today. You’re going to fall in love with her southern accent and charm, so let’s get to it.
The first ever Artist Academy Podcast guest is muralist, Emily Million. Emily and I have completed several projects together in the past 5 years, all over North America, and it all started on a Bass Pro Shops job site. Emily was painting for Bass Pro for about a year before I came on the job and ever since I showed up, we would constantly get confused for each other. We look nothing alike except for our long red hair and if you think about it, that’s the main thing people see with our faces are towards the wall painting all day. Emily is my first ever guest on Art Talk Tuesday so let’s see what she has to say…
So... what is this podcast all about? Listen to see what the host, Andrea Ehrhardt, has to say about starting the Artist Academy and her 3 essential tips for success.
www.artistacademy.co
www.instagram.com/artbyandreaehrhardt