In March, I drove from Virginia to Arizona, painting, doing a show and visiting my dad - and buyers paid for the whole trip in advance!
I'm working with a prosperity coach, and he suggested the idea. It is somewhat along the lines of a Kickstarter deal, but much more grassroots.
For each $100, a sponsor receives a 10-inch-by-10-inch painting, a discount on a larger painting, and a chance to win any piece of mine or a commission, up to 36x60. In addition, sponsors got postcards from me on the road, daily sponsor-only emails, access to a sponsor-only blog (this was essentially my daily Constant Contact emails, plus extra photos), a chance to win a paint-splattered T-shirt in which I painted, and a collage that I still need to figure out and create.
I promoted this notion on my own blog, The Accidental Artist, on Patch, and on Facebook, and via Constant Contact emails I sent to buyers and friends.
I was hesitant, at first, and initially didn't promote it very hard. Though I am working full-time as an artist, and self-promoting All The Time, I still wrestled with the notion of asking people to pay in advance for paintings! But as soon as I posted it on my blog, people began to sign up.
I ended up with 23 sponsors who signed up for 28 paintings! WOW!
I made 20 10x10s while I was traveling, and made a few larger paintings, too, most of which sold at the show in Tucson. (To see my review, click here.) I took a ton of photos, and will make paintings from the trip through the end of the month.
If the sponsors don't see a painting that they want from my trip series, they can have a 10x10 from any time throughout the year. This is a size I paint all the time. Started as a project (100x100, 100 10x10 paintings that I sell for 100) and has continued as a low-cost line for shows.
It's a great idea, and one that I will use again. You can make it work however it works for you, of course. I already have a sponsor for my next trip.
People loved getting the daily emails from me. They loved seeing photos of where I was, people I talked to, and the Dog of the Day, a part of the email I sort of fell into. They really loved seeing photos of my painting and my painting in the landscape (I will include one of each here).
Questions? Ask away. I'll answer all that I can. I really encourage anyone to try this sponsored approach. It's great for plein-air painters, but could work in all sorts of situations.
