If you are lucky, your family will be supportive and behind you all the way, but I get that this might not always be the case. Many people still buy into the ‘starving artist’ myth and think that you will live a life of finance poverty if you choose this path. Other people don’t understand how artists make money and think it is not a ‘proper job’.

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A professional artist is someone who has a gift to create and share something new with the world. The word ‘artist’ also means to make art, which is a term that relates to creative work.

Today, many artists are trying to create work for themselves and for their audience. With the help of technology, artists can get their message across much quicker and with less effort...

As we approach the end of the year, there may be a few projects you want to finish and goals to reach before the holidays start! Apply these 5 tips to increase your productivity and finish the year on a high.

1. Schedule your work hours.

As artists, we can work any time we want, but often this can lead to disjointed pockets of time where not much gets done. Once you know your most...

Your mindset is the little voice inside your head that becomes your radar, your north star, even when people around you are questioning you.

Start working on your mindset early, as it will keep you going throughout your career. It takes a bit of practice and some time to develop, but having the right mindset, along with a firm belief that you can do this, will get you far. 

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Your art business is constantly changing and evolving! Learn how to grow with these 8 tips below:

• Business success is built on good relationships. These include your customers, your audience, your suppliers, your colleagues and other artists. Treating everyone with kindness and respect, and being open and generous with your work builds connections which people respond to, and feel...

There are thousands of art lovers looking at art online every day. The art shared on social media and purchased by art enthusiasts is often not the best work online, it is mostly the art that has the best-quality images. The critical thing to remember is that people can not see your art in person. They judge the quality of the work you create by the image you are posting online.

The image you...

This is a question I get asked by visual artists such as painters, illustrators and printers, who may be considering whether to invest in professional framing for their artwork.

There are a few factors to consider here, such as budget, shipping fees and overall presentation, so I thought I'd share my opinion on each of these.

As a painter myself, I work primarily on stretched canvases, which I...

I will be completely honest about the things that I find hard in my business and what other artists struggle with too. Knowing these will either comfort you if you experience them, or help you avoid them altogether by pre-planning now. The road to becoming an artist is a winding one, but it is hugely fulfilling and SO worth it.

Here are some of the things I have learnt so far: 

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When it comes to selling your art, it is important to remember that not all art is equal.

There is no art in the world that appeals to everyone.

And that's the beauty of it, we all have different opinions, likes and dislikes, and tastes when it comes to art. 

However, there is some art in the world that appeals to a lot of people. Popular art that has a wide appeal, and sells easily. I...

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901)

Toulouse-Lautrec did his best creative work at night, sketching at cabarets or setting up his easel in brothels. The resulting depictions of fin de siècle Parisian nightlife made his name, but the cabaret lifestyle proved disastrous to his health: Toulouse-Lautrec drank constantly and slept little. After a long night of drawing and...

Henri Matisse (1869–1954)

“Basically, I enjoy everything: I am never bored,” Matisse told a visitor in 1941, during a tour of his studio in the south of France. After showing his guest his working space, his cages full of exotic birds, and his conservatory stocked with tropical plants, giant pumpkins, and Chinese statuettes, Matisse talked about his work habits.

Do you...

Joan Miró (1893–1983)

Miró always maintained a rigidly inflexible daily routine - both because he disliked being distracted from his work, and because he feared slipping back into the severe depression that had afflicted him as a young man, before he discovered painting. To help prevent a relapse, his routine always included vigorous exercise - boxing in Paris; jumping rope...