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Although I continued to paint portraits throughout the many years that I worked in the commercial/industrial design business it has only been within the last year that I have committed to full-time painter (as hobbies, yard, and other interests permit) and have found that networking has been my biggest (most productive) activity. The many years of part-time painting provided me a portfolio and the materials to display on PortraitArtist.com (A Stroke of Genius). The latter is my online portfolio and is an easy way to show your work or have it circulated among prospects, family, friends, other professionals, etc. (In the old days you had to have multiple portfolios (Photo prints) to send and recover from possible clients. Yuk!)
I also had business cards made (attached) and it has been quite effective. Several commissions have come about when a client forwarded my card to a friend or associate. The business card sends them to my web site and, as you can see, I list important portrait Society memberships (Complete with typo to be fixed upon reorder). These cards costs less than $125.00 per 500 for full color on one side and black on the text side. The reorder will be less. Even with the type correction.
For many years I donated watercolor floral paintings to the regional public TV station for their annual "Art Auction" but this year agreed to donate an oil portrait (Approx 16" x 20") I supplied a painting as the example to be displayed on TV and the winner will get a painting of the subject he choses. As good fortune would have it, the painting will also be cited as a "Judges award winner" among the donations and promoted often throughout the three day event. It will reach an audience that loves the arts and covers an area 7 or 8 times larger than my community.
I am also negotiating to paint the portrait of a well known restaurantuer/art lover (many paintings are displayed in his restaurant) that I will offer to paint for free if neccessary to hang prominently in his business. I did something similar a number of years ago and gained much recognition and more than a few commissions.
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