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Vol. #116 - March 2010

How Pat Fiorello Makes a Living Making Art

Pat Fiorello creates upliftingpaintings inspired by nature.

For 20 years Pat worked in thecorporate world. Pat has an M.B.A.from the Harvard Business Schooland was Vice President, Marketingfor Coca-Cola and Nabisco. Sheleft her "first" career to pursue herpassion for art and has been doing

so successfully ever since she founded Fiorello Art &Design.

A Signature Member and Past President of the GeorgiaWatercolor Society, Pat's paintings have graced over65-juried shows and a dozen one-woman shows. Inaddition to selling and licensing her art, Pat teachesworkshops in the U.S. and Europe. Pat has helpedhundreds of artists develop their business skills throughher work with arts organizations, workshops and privatecoaching.

A.C.T.: What prompted you to start yourprofessional art career? What makes an artistprofessional?

I started painting as a hobby and a way to get away

New E-Book &Recordings

Making Money as anArtist: Taking Chargeof Your Bottom Linewith Pat Fiorello

The Ins and Outs ofJuried Showswith Pat Fiorello

Creating YourProfessionalPortfolioby Aletta de Wal

Giclées: Tiny Dotson Paperwith Barry Glustoff andPeter Leafman ofDigital Arts Studio

What I Learned as aGallery Dealer ThatI Wish I Had Knownas an Artist.with Kathy Swift, CowArt and More

Pricing Your Art withConfidencewith Alexandria LevinPainted Jay Publishing

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from the rigors of corporate life. The more I painted,the more it became a passion. About 8 years ago, Iswitched from corporate business to art business tobe more aligned with my purpose in life - creating aworld of beauty, love and inspiration. I also wanteda more flexible, richer and satisfying lifestyle. Iconsider art a business and my intention is to makea profit.

A.C.T.: What makes an artist professional?

Commitment to learn, grow and create on aconsistent basis. The key is mindset - that this isyour work, it's important - not just a casual leisuretime pursuit. It's a serious commitment. It's not justwhen you are in the mood.

Communicate professionally. Do what you say. Beresponsible. Don't make it challenging for others todo business with you. If something happens, gettogether and clean it up. Collaborate to make it awin for everyone.

A.C.T.: What is your artistic direction? What is your"life's work" as an artist - what legacy do you wantto leave?

My intention is to sharebeauty so people can bepresent to it. For a couple ofyears I worked on a cloudseries. Now I am doing moregarden scenes. I portraylandscapes, gardens, andflorals in a "RomanticRealism" style. My paintingsare representational, butidealized rather thanphotorealistic.

I also teach art, so part of my legacy is passing onthe gift of art to others and to help them succeed. Ifothers had not shared in the past, we artistswouldn't be where we are today. It's our

"Make a Better LivingMaking Art"In-person Meetups inLos Altos, CA

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Real artists talking tothe right people andgetting the right advice.

Contribute to theA.C.T. ScholarshipFund

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All products purchasedat Amazon through thislink will earn a smallcommission from yourpurchase yet you willnot pay a higher price. Amazon sells manythings not associatedwith books or music thatyou want or needeveryday. Thanks forsupporting other artists.

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responsibility to pass on our techniques and visions. A.C.T.: What is your art business direction and whatare your business goals?

My top goal is to create art regularly. I usually havea series I work on for several months or more. SinceI've been painting full time, I create over 100paintings annually.

In traditional marketing, we used to do marketresearch and then come up with a product to satisfyneeds. I think art is different. Painting what youthink others want quickly deteriorates to productionand it shows in the work. You lose the spirit andcreativity that good art conveys.

I always counsel artists to be true to what they wantto create rather than paint to what the marketwants. Be true to yourself, to what inspires you, andwhat you are passionate about. Then find otherpeople who also love that. You don't need everyoneto love what you do - just enough art lovers to makea viable living for yourself.

A.C.T.: How do you manage your time, money andenergy?

It's a delicate balance of where to spend my timeand energy. People often think we are in our studiosseven days a week, but that's not the case. I jugglepainting, marketing, teaching and other activities, soI set out each year with goals and game plan foreach month of what I need to focus on and getdone.

Typically on Mondays I do a lot of the administrativeand marketing activities. I get them out of the wayso they don't fragment my painting time or distractme while I am in the studio. Tuesdays I teach andprepare for upcoming classes and workshops.Wednesday I am usually in a class for my ownlearning, so that's a painting day. I generally holdThursday and Friday free from meetings and outside

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commitments so I have that time available forpainting. Sometimes I offer workshops onSaturdays, but I try to keep that to just oneweekend a month so I don't take away from thetime I have with my husband and also so that I geta break. At the end of the month I update my website, handle accounts and bookkeeping.

Of course it doesn't always work out as neatly andstructured as it sounds - but that's the general flowof things that I shoot for in planning my activities.

If you are serious about selling your work, devotehalf your time to create art and the other half tomarket and manage the business side of things (e.g.working with galleries, updating website, keepingtrack of inventory, hanging shows, submitting toshows, even reading art magazines). Being in yourown business, it's easy to work 24/7. There's a lot todo so you need to keep an eye on the balance tomake sure one thing or another does not consumeyou. Find a rhythm that works for you and makesure to have mental white space for creating.

A.C.T.: What peak moments have you had as anartist? What makes it the best job in the world?

There are peak moments creating and peakmoments in terms of career accomplishment. Someexperiences that fit both. My highlights include:

~ Memories of creating certain paintings thatjust seemed to magically come together andflow.

~ Painting memories from days on location inspecial places.

~ Being accepted into myfirst juried show.

~ Teaching paintingworkshops in Monet'sGarden in Giverny, Tuscany.

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~ Gaining Signature statusin the Georgia WatercolorSociety.

~ Having a paintingpublished in SPLASH, the Best of Watercolorbook, published by North Light books.

~ Receiving appreciation from students I havehelped in workshops

~ Coaching artists who have gone on toaccomplish their dreams.

A.C.T.: How do you define and celebrate success?

I define success as being able to live life on yourown terms. I am grateful that I can choose how Ispend my time to do the things I enjoy and sharemy gifts with others. Getting feedback that mywork makes people smile makes me feel really good.

In the corporate world, I had performance reviews,bonuses and perks. Being in business for myself,there's no one to give me the recognition I had in abusiness setting, so occasionally after I accomplishsomething big, like a major show or commission, I'llbuy a gift for myself- like a wonderful new brush orart book.

A.C.T.: What obstacles have you encountered in yourart business and how have you handled them?

I sometimes encounter resistance from galleries whodo not want to carry watercolors or works on paper.I spent time educating collectors and galleries.Because of marketplace realities, I have expandedinto oils the past few years so I have both optionsavailable now. It also gives me more price points. Ienjoy both mediums so I do both, and keep thesubject matter consistent with my style.

Getting caught up in "limiting" thinking about the

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economy is something to watch out for. Know it is areality, but don't let it discourage you. Things willcome back. People are still buying art. Just keepmoving forward.

A.C.T.: What opportunities has a professionalapproach to your career brought you that you mightotherwise not have had?

I have had opportunities because of my professionalapproach. Doing business is always a partnership, soI develop trust with people. They know that they cancount on me and that I will deliver what I said Iwould. It's very important to be "easy to do business with".Being organized helps me stand out as a committedprofessional. This is especially important withpartners like galleries, and venues like schools. Give people what they ask for when they need it. Ifyou drop the ball, it affects their reputations too. Sohonor your word under all circumstances and beopen in your communication. People will be happy towork with you again and refer you to others becausethey know they can count on you to deliver.

A.C.T.: Who are your role models and mentors?What was the best advice they gave you?

I studied watercolor for many years with Mel Stabinand Betty Carr, among many other talented artistsand instructors. Not every artist is automatically agood teacher - but these two excel at both. Fromtheir generous sharing, I learned about the rollercoaster of the art business and that it is a lifetimejourney.

Technically I learned to keep things simple. Capturethe essence of a subject. No need to spell out everydetail, but to be true to my vision.

As an artist I learned to be true to what you love,work hard at it - and paint, paint, and paint.

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As a teacher I learned to be generous with andsupportive of students.

A.C.T.: What is your art marketing strategy? Whatpromotional materials and actions do you use mostoften?

I view where I sell my work as a portfolio approach.That is, I don't have all my eggs in one basket. I amclear on my audience and seek out opportunities toget my work in front of them. I find venues andtimes to exhibit that fit with my lifestyle. I sellmostly originals, some giclées and cards. I alsolicense my images for home décor products.I work with a few galleries, hold an annual studioshow, one woman or group shows that I coordinate,public venues like Callaway gardens, churches, docommissions etc..

My website is definitely an invaluable tool forcommunicating with people and having my artvisible. It doesn't mean I get lots of requests for myart just by having it, but it helps build opportunities.It's a virtual brochure so people can get animmediate experience of my work.

A woman was searching for aparticular kind of flower to use forher needlepoint company. Shefound it on my web site and weworked out a licensingarrangement.

I don't do anything fancy. I use abusiness card, website and e-mails.I have an extensive mailing list

with different categories for people who areinterested in my various art activities and teaching.For major shows, I send out press releases,postcards and email announcements to my mailinglist.

I am learning how social media, blogs etc. can help

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gain exposure for my art without a major time andenergy drain.

Every artist needs a marketing strategy. Decidewhat you work is about and what you love. Considerwho might be interested in your work. Then setabout finding them. Don't get side tracked by eventsor venues that don't relate to your work and youraudience.

A.C.T.: What changes have you experienced in theart market and how have you navigated them? Whatlessons have you learned?

Art is a luxury item so some people are holding offlarger purchases. The gallery business is morechallenging- not sure if it's the economy,technology, different ways to go to market or all ofthe above. I partner with galleries any way I can,knowing they are under a lot of pressure. I dodemos', classes, send announcements to my mailinglist and other things that generate traffic andincome.

If business is a little slow, it's a good time to workon your art and business skills. My classes werebusier last year.

A.C.T.: What legal measures do you take to protectyour work?

I have a clause in my invoices to customers lettingthem know that I retain the rights to use the image.I have specific contracts for specific images withlicensing partners.

A.C.T.: What advice would you pass on to artistswho want to succeed in any economy?

Be true to yourself, what you want to create andwhat gives you joy. Live a life that you love andexpress yourself in the world.

Set goals and work towards them. Get coaching

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from others who are more experienced andqualified. Look for mentors. Find people who aresuccessful and see what they are doing. Be withother artists so you know what to expect and haveothers to bounce ideas.

Keep a positive attitude and long-term perspective.Being rejected by one show or one gallery is not theend of the world in the scheme of a long-termcareer. This is your passion (not just a job - there'sa lot easier ways to make a living) - so keep at it nomatter what. Avoid naysayers and negative people.Find people who support you and be around "cando", positive people who will cheer you on.

An art career is a marathon not a sprint. There is nolinear path, like being a lawyer. There are manyways to create an art business. If one doesn't work,there are other ways to go.

In the words of Winston Churchill "Never, never,never give up". And in the words of Henry Ford "Ifyou think you can or you think you can't, you'reright".

A.C.T.: How do you recommend that artists developtheir careers?

In partnership with A.C.T.*, I have been able toshare both my business and art experience to helpother artists make a better living making art.

We share a mission to eradicate the myth of thestarving artist and to empower artists to be clearabout economic reality and how take charge of yourfinancial health. "Making Money as an Artist: TakingCharge of Your Bottom Line" will help you uncoverblind spots where your history with money may belimiting you today, get clear on your actual financialresults and guide you in developing a realistic planto achieve your financial goals. The end result is thatyou make more money and keep more money.

I entered 65 shows and learned a lot in the process.

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To help artists avoid wasting time, money andenergy entering juried shows that are just not rightand use ways to assess and approach shows to getresults we created "The Ins and Outs of JuriedShows". Learn how the jurying process works fromsomeone who's been on both sides of the fence -entering and running juried shows.

P.S. If you want to know "Five Things Artists ShouldConsider Before Deciding to License Your Art", join me andTara Reed on Wednesday, March 10th at 4:00 p.m. Pacific.Click here to register.

* FTC Disclosure: When we find artists like Pat Fiorello who have deep, provenexperience in a topic that will help you make a better living making art, weput them front and center. When these fine folks offer services and productsthat are first class, sometimes we agree to help each other get the word outto you with an "affiliate" arrangement, which means that we will earn a smallcommission for referring you to their resources. Those are marked with anasterisk.

Contact:

Aletta de WalAuthor of the Forthcoming Book:"My Real Job is Being an Artist: How to Make a Living Making Art"Artist AdvisorArtist Career Trainingwww.ArtistCareerTraining.com

www.ArtBusinessLibrary.com(650) 917-1225 Pacific Timealetta@artistcareertraining.comFollow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/artmktgmentorFriend me on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/alettaJoin my group Act4Life on SWOMI: http://www.theswom.org/profile/AlettadeWal

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