I think that makes all of us. If we knew how the minds work, we’d all be rich 
Pass the peas, willya picunurse?
Ok, Bill its late. I’m not understanding your “pass the peas” post. I’m I just being obtuse? Have I been sooo sheltered? Hep’ me Bill Hep’ me. 
picunurse, check out fessie’s amusing Wilde quote above.
“Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it.” - E.B. White
OK folks, hint taken. Busy as all get out today, but will write something soon. Alas, none of my insights are apt to make you rich - at least they haven’t for me. 
Selkie Oh!:eek: I never meant to offend!I LIKE being poor. Well, *like * isn’t exactly right. I’m very sorry. Please forgive me?
Bill OHHH, now I get it! I’d forgotten the Wilde reference.
My husband & I were talking about this thread. He had a very hopeful insight. If we were only doing art for money, it would be less than art. Since we each get some kind of reward just from creating, even if we never find that perfect venue, we’ve already gained.
Wven though you initiated this thread in search of that venue, I for one, feel I’ve gained something more valuable; validation. The thread has become, at least for me, a momentary artist community. Maybe we would never say anything bad about someone’s art, the positives, I have to believe, are honest. If someone looked at your site, and didn’t like anything, they simply wouldn’t comment. There’s no emotional pay off for hurting a stranger.
Ok, I’m rambling. (* Ma’m, step away from the coffee cup. Slowly*)
Despite an exhaustion level of epic proportions, I’m going to attempt to open the “how do collectors think” can o’ worms. If what I’m about to write makes no sense, please, be gentle.
Note: the following is based on my experience (collector since childhood, antique and collectibles dealer for the last three years) with collectors purchasing many decorative objects with a common theme that individually cost from $5 to $2000. These aren’t the people looking for a single painting to put over the fireplace or an attractive statue for the mantelpiece; they’re people for whom collecting is an end in and of itself. Their behavior and logic may not, and probably does not, apply outside those narrow parameters. In other words, Bill H, what I’m about to say may not apply to your art at all.
I mulled around the idea of what sorts of “rules” apply, and finally realized they all boiled down to one basic principle: collectors want “complete sets… that are difficult or impossible for other people to obtain.”
I’d like to refer to the example I used above: a limited edition of 50 frogs, which could be decorated in any of the following manners:
(a) all pieced decorated identically
(b) 25 of one color, 25 of another
© each one-of-a-kind, with no duplications
Collector logic would run as follows:
(a) I’ll buy one, but probably don’t need two since they’re all alike. I might buy a second one if I perceive that, after the run is closed, I could make enough profit by selling the second one to buy most or all of the first one. Since the run is “large”, though, I’ll probably just stick with the one for myself and I’m not in any hurry to order it.
(b) I want a “complete run”, so I need one of each color. There are just enough of each color to spur collector demand for both colors, but not enough to meet collector demand. So, I’ll strongly consider buying an extra of at least one of the colors (maybe both), to re-sell late. Because quantities are so limited, I’ll need to be sure to order early so I don’t wind up with just one.
© Ohmigod! I can’t possibly buy out the entire run. But how do I decide which one to buy? It’s hard choosing amongst so many different ones, and no matter which one I select, one I like better will come out immediately after I buy it. Other collectors will feel similarly so demand for any one particular piece will probably be too low to justify investing in an extra for later resale. Besides, if I have two different ones, which one would I resell anyway? I’ll drag my feet on ordering until I see all of them, and pick the “best one”, even if it means I risk losing out on obtaining any of them.
Now, add a one-of-a-kind “artist’s proof” or “test color” to scenarios (a) or (b). Now it becomes "If I buy the proof, I’ll have a complete set and no one else can. Demand for the one-off gets driven through the roof, unlike scenario © where everything’s individual.
If you’re an artist working with animals or people, you have an extra tool in your arsenal: family groupings. Ever notice how little glass or ceramic animals are almost always sold in sets of three - mommy, daddy, and baby - regardless of what makes sense for the species in question? Add a dash of “I can’t break up a family” to “I’ve got to have a complete set” and watch sales climb.
Waiting for the slings and arrows, and suddenly glad that my username on collector boards is nothing like this one …
picunurse, yes I think you’re right; art is a reward unto it self. So much nicer if it’s validated by money though
Bill I just went to your art site… The names and pictures aren’t matched up anymore.
Really? it looks ok from here. Could you give me an example? thanks.
the pictures are lined down the left side of the frame. The titles are seperated as though awaiting the pictures.
Like this:
Picture Hell Dream 6
Picture
picture
picture
picture
picture
picture
picture
picture
picture
picture
picture
Touched
Sunset Sunset Sunset
I’ve had a look too and looks fine to me…
Along the topic of art, I thought I’d add a link the the Art Deadlines List. The link will take you to a page for the paid subscription but there is another link near the bottom of the page for the free version.
It details all kinds of gallery showings, art shows, art contests, etc. with event details and contact information. A pretty valuable resource if any of you are looking for more exposure. The paid version lists over 600 - 900 events, the free version pares it down to around 60.
I’ve been on the list for a few years now.
Sorry for the delay responding…
Selkie, thanks for the valuable insights. I think you’re very right about the mentality to own all of a set of things; I’m wondering if there’s a way to take advantage of that in painting. Very interesting thoughts.
SkyBum, thanks for the pointer; I’ve signed up and will check it out.
Does anyone have any pointers to art communities online? I’ve found www.fine-art.com, which is a great place to get feedback from other artists and see what they’re making and how they’re thinking. In theory, people buy there, but I don’t get a feeling like there’s alot of it. I’ve looked at about a dozen other “post your art here” sites, and haven’t really been impressed with many. Any other recommendations?
Some quick Googling on “digital art” turned up these, among others:
Thanks Selkie. I’d googled and looked through maybe twenty, and was disappointed with all except one. So mainly I was wondering about personal experiences with them. There are a couple I haven’t seen in your list, and I’m looking them over now.
Actually, that brings up another question about art purchasers. You searched on the medium (“digital art”), and I searched on the subject (“abstract art”, “fine art”). My thought was that people who buy are more interested in the content than the medium. But now that you call it out, I’m not so sure. Perhaps buyers collect pottery for example, and what’s actually on the pottery is secondary. But then the difference between oils and digital images seems much slimmer to me.
What do others think?
For what it’s worth, in my experience, the medium matters more than the subject. Even amongst horse collectors, there are people who collect only ceramic and people who collect only resins - and rarely do the twain meet, even if the same sculpture was reproduced in both mediums. It’s actually a common situation. Your comment “Perhaps buyers collect pottery for example, and what’s actually on the pottery is secondary.” sums it up nicely. (I realize this may seem to contradict what I said about marketing specific images to specific audiences, but I think that’s looking at a different slice of the art-buying pie).
I think your work will meet with a fair amount of medium-based resistance in a traditional fine art setting. Buyers may not care whether the paint on the canvas is acrylic or oil, but I suspect they will care that it is painted, not digital. Hence, my searches for galleries geared toward your medium, where one hopes that buyers who actively seek out the unique look of digital will congregate.
Selkie
**
Do you think that’s true for “wall” art? that is, pictures hung on the wall. I can’t call myself a great “collector,” but I have a varity of media on my walls (none of it matches the curtains, so I know it’s Art)
I do pencil portraits from photos. I’ve been taking it easier the past year or so, but I can usually get some business pretty easily when the urge to draw hits. It’s mostly done through word-of-mouth among moms on scrapbooking sites. I do have a website that I refer people to if they want to see more.