I don’t have my art in galleries….although I would like to try that some day. Almost 100% of the time they instead work on related, … Or if you have some publishing software like Microsoft publisher you could set up your own. Is your list of paintings in a regular database like Excel? This method will protect the art and keep it organized as your volume of artwork increases. Building an online art portfolio is a crucial first step in marketing your art. organize, another good alternative to external hardrives is cloud storage online- we use dropbox.com at my day job, works great. Do you have another clever and easy way of storing your artwork? As I am currently thinking of organising my art I am very grateful for your tips! Previous post: 2013 TNNA Nashville Market, Next post: Five Unhealthy Habits that Crush Your Creative Spirit. Then you can add in important business contacts so you have the details of your art collectors, gallery owners, interior designers, museum curators, and art fair directors all in one place. So, turn on your favorite tunes, enlist some generous friends or family members, and set to inventorying your artwork. I store my digital files on cds. You can buy a large three ring binder for each of your children, and then just put a hole punch in each item that you want to save. Thanks for contacting me. Our paid subscribers who have marked four or more pieces “public” are featured on Discovery, where buyers can contact them directly to purchase work. This organizational bliss will free you up to do more of what you love and sell more artwork! Take a photo of each new piece of artwork as it arrives at home. These tips will work for any artist, whether you work in 3-D, paint watercolors on paper or paint with acrylics on large canvases. We not only covered methods to organize your collection of children’s artwork… If your art station is on the smaller side, maximize vertical space with a wall-mounted storage system or even pegboards. You can also add in the framed dimensions if need be. Share your ideas with us here. I have a digital file of all my art in order to send to licensees so they can create their products using my artwork. I have seen an artist put her paintings in verticle racks so that there can be some air flow….but if these are in closets….not much air flow. Plus, it isn’t the beast you think it is. I like having a hard copy of my list so when I finish a painting, I can quickly write the information down and move on. So don’t hang on to everything you create. In order to keep expenses down, I recommend purchasing your own scanner and doing this yourself and then sending for professional scanning when a licensee asks for a digital file. Thanks Matthew. It helps to remember the client you created the piece for. As the years go by and the works amass, it can be easy to forget which painting goes with what title. Cookies help us deliver our services. For me, it is very exciting to have someone invest in an original painting to display in their home or office. When painting large works of art you will soon run out of space to store them. There are many galleries in upper Michigan that I would like to approach with my art next year. paintings, { 14 comments… read them below or add one }. On her fantastic blog Art by Cedar, she writes “for example, there is a painting in my inventory with the control number 41J08. I’m curious if you think it would make sense to use the date in the digital file name for each painting? Number Your Work. You’ll always know what’s in your inventory, so you’ll be prepared if anything goes wrong. How to Organize your Artwork and Keep Your Sanity! Free for 30 days. We’ve broken it down into ten simple steps to make it even easier. Linear What it is: Pictures are hung in a line – either horizontally or vertically.This style emphasizes rhythm and balance. The first step in organizing your art space should actually be getting rid of all the stuff you don’t need or won’t ever use. ALL ART, SKETCHES, PATTERNS & PHOTOS ARE THE PROPERTY OF TERESA KOGUT AND ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED. Benefit: A linear configuration works especially well with pieces that are the same … Plus, it isn’t the beast you think it is. We all know artists are visual creatives and it is so important to have a visual reminder of your work. 10 Ways To Organize Your Art Room 1.) Convert a hanging shoe organizer into a space for storing loose canvases and paper. You’ll also know where all your art resides once it has been purchased whether it’s your hometown or an international location. I created 9 columns titled as follows…..image number, title of work, date created, description, size, medium, created for, cd #, sold. Print the photographs and store in a binder for easy viewing then download the photos to your computer and store them there also. Image number , title of work and date created are self explanatory. Be sure to make your contact information easily accessible on your website. I currently paint about 60 paintings a year, but hope to boost that to around 200 or more soon. These can be thoughts you had while creating the artwork, inspirations, materials used, and if it was a gift or a commission. Then you can add in the rest of the information. Description – keep this simple, such as, Easter, spring, Christmas, teddy bear, angel, Santa, snowmen, etc. We’ve broken it down into ten simple steps to make it even easier. By consignment report- I just mean a list of painting titles and other painting data with a small image for each. Next, you can register sales to specific contacts within your Artwork Archive account. It seems that every time I forget to fill this in, I will need the measurements for listing the art for sale or for registering the copyright. I’ve been numbering my paintings with the year in front like this: 2013-24, 2013-25, etc. (And if so, we’d love to hear about it in the comments). Good question about security…. I have my flat pieces of artwork (watercolors) professionally scanned at Museum Photographics and my large canvas acrylic paintings I take to a local professional photographer. Inventorying your artwork helps to organize, strengthen, and streamline your art business. Thanks for commenting and glad happy to help. Tracing Your Punchneedle Image to Weavers Cloth, http://lifehacker.com/the-best-cloud-storage-services-that-protect-your-priva-729639300, http://lisamcshane.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-favorite-art-inventory-system.html, Five Unhealthy Habits that Crush Your Creative Spirit. While this may seem obvious, it is tempting to type in the title and dimensions of a piece and be done with it. The vision for this blog is to share my life & art, offer works for sale, show the creative process and hopefully inspire you to live your dream life. Hang it A very easy and efficient way to display your child’s artwork would be to hang it up. Welcome! Then you can notify them of new art they might like to purchase. Next, comes the extra fun part – and no, we’re not joking. You can keep them updated on your art career and mail personal thank you notes to your best buyers. Maybe you have an overflowing bin of years worth of multiple kids’ artwork you don’t know what to do with. Don’t fall for that trap! Click here for storing cds. You’ll be so glad you did and when you’re done you’ll have a living archive of every single piece you’ve ever made, all your business contacts, all the locations that have shown your art, and every competition you’ve ever entered all on Artwork Archive. ANY USE OF IMAGES FROM THIS BLOG IS PROHIBITED. Be sure your digital file name is the same image number and title as you have on your image list. You can also add more detail such as a letter to signify the type or medium of the work like OP for oil painting, S for sculpture, EP for edition print, and so one. Where, you ask? I do keep buckets of Damp Rid there. You want your art’s digital files to be saved at 300 dpi, rgb, TIFF files. CD # – Which cd is the digital file stored on. I keep two external hard drives, and rotate them each month for backup as well, in case one fails. Thank you! If your paintings are larger than that, go here for bags up to 46" x 35". Also, it certainly piques a buyers interest if a work has won a competition, so you’ll want to have this titillating piece of information on hand to help a sale along. Have faith in yourself and your artwork, and remember you’re there for a reason. This is imperative if you plan to license your art! 2. 2.) It really doesn’t matter as long as you start... 2. Use a tool caddy as a craft caddy organizer. Organizing Your Kid’s Artwork. Your notes will always be private in Artwork Archive and your description will only be made public if you mark a piece as “public”. How do you create consignment reports, or other reports where the images are shown alongside the data? That’s it! Your consignment report is a great way to keep track of who has what so thanks for sharing that with us. Very few artists simply dive right into large projects. Once you have filled a bin, label the bin with the image numbers it contains, for example,  "images 1 through 130". p.s. It can seem overwhelming to inventory a career’s worth of art, so we recommend working backward That way you’ll start with the art ... Take High-Quality Photographs. How to Organize Your Kids’ Artwork. That way you’ll always know which gallery or venue is showing your work. You can try their software free at artworkarchive.com to see what it’s like. Three steps for starting to organize your art collection: Artwork … How To Organize Your Artist Website. Entering … Because, in some years, I paint over 200 paintings, I find the most cost effective way to store my watercolor paintings is put each work of art into an ultra-clear bag…(only .23 each for 12" x 18" bag)   These are acid-free archival quality bags and come in a variety of sizes. I’m currently trying to get myself organised and this article is great. Keep a box or folder close to the door or in whatever part of the house your children store their school supplies. You’ll know exactly who bought what, when, and for how much. Thank you for commenting. Add your contacts in so you can see who your best buyers are. Artwork Archive inventory report or portfolio page feature, 9 Things You Should Give Up to Be a Successful Artist, How to Make Money as an Artist on Instagram. Sold – It is important to know if you still have the original piece. Display Options. I am always open to new ideas…..especially when it comes to organization. Paper Storage using Magazine Files.. The image list holds all the information about the painting. I hope these tips help you and if you already have a system in place that is different from mine, please share in the comments section. THANK YOU FOR RESPECTING THE RIGHTS OF ARTISTS. That is my method for keeping my art protected, organized and easily accessible. This is also good for commissioned work. The trick is to know where and how to hang art (and how many pieces to hang). Finding a specific piece of art would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Learn how to organize your art studio with these five practical tips. Artwork is a great way to add interest to a room, but arranging art can be stressful. For large canvas paintings, I use the same bag method. I’ve been uploading some (but not all) of my paintings to artworkarchive.com, a cloud based archive. A good artist website is like a gallery or museum. It’s also nice to have beautiful, high-quality images of your work to send to interested art collectors, buyers, and galleries using the Artwork Archive inventory report or portfolio page feature. Watch the replay here!. Inventorying your artwork helps to organize, strengthen, and streamline your art business. Or maybe you’re just starting to realize that you … The ultra-clear bags mentioned above come in various sizes up to 20" x 30". so my paintings are sorted by year. Artist Cedar Lee organizes her art by two digits for the number of the painting she painted that year, then a letter for the month (January is A, February is B, etc. I have an image … It is really helpful to have a drying/display area super close to where you paint and color. Inventorying all your art with beautiful photos and the right information lets you send buyers and galleries what they need in a snap. However, if the paintings themselves have to moisture in them, sealing them in clear bags would protect them I would think. After creating 10-15 paintings, I update the file on the computer as well. After I have a large painting digitally filed, I decide if I want to keep the painting to hang in my home or studio, whether I am going to give it as a gift, donate it for a fundraiser or sell it. The artwork organizing tool is available to everyone but especially for artists, collectors, dealers, and institutions. Step 4: Choose the Best Homes for Your Collection. These tips are helpful especially if you are just starting your art career or if you have decided to try your hand at licensing, otherwise, you may already have a system in place that is working for you. Will the clear bags prevent damage from the humidity? It really doesn’t matter as long as you start from the beginning of your body of work. Dear Teresa You'll also gain sales insight this way to assist you with your business plans. Just tie a thin rope across your kitchen window … I haven’t been tracking every single painting, but it’s not too late to start! You’ll need to record the title, dimensions, inventory number, creation date, price, medium, and subject matter to have a detailed catalog of the piece. Clipboard walls are an easy way to display and store artwork. “Rolling carts or … Thanks for this excellent article. Here’s an amazon shopping list for products mentioned in this post: Amazon Shopping List. I don’t want you to waste your valuable time searching for art so I am sharing with you how I keep my art organized and easily accessible. Organize your art inventory on a cloud-based management system … You’ll have the information at the ready if a buyer wants to purchase a piece that is outside of your studio and you’ll never accidentally send work to the same gallery twice. There is no one way to inventory your art, but there are plenty of great ideas out there if you don’t know where to start. Tracking your most successful pieces will help you to understand what jurors are looking for, so you can enter with better pieces every year. Another reason I do it this way is because I have had a couple computer failures over the years and would be frantic if I lost this important information. We’ve create one easy and straightforward process without tons of data fields to organize your artwork online. Blessings, Art Marketing 101: How to Promote Your Art Make an Amazing Online Portfolio. Fill it with containers or soup cans for pencils, markers, and colored pencils. Add In the Right Details. Get the latest art news & tips delivered once a week, straight to your inbox. Today’s organizing expert interview was packed FULL of incredible tips, ideas and suggestions! Take … ), and two digits for the year. Having a log of all the competitions allows you to see which ones accepted your artwork and which ones awarded you a prize. That’s a great idea to number your art with the year in front of the image number. By doing this you can do a search for a specific holiday, season or character. Once you’ve logged all your Pieces into the art inventory software you can assign each piece to a location. Then you can share it with buyers and collectors and sell more artwork. Make "studies," or practice sketches, to organize effectively for larger projects. Here are some great ways to organize your art studio so the mess stays a little more manageable. You can have a binder for each year, or you can just put … This tells me that it was the 41st painting of the year, created in October of 2008.” She begins again with number 1 and the letter A every January. Hope this helps. There may … … Another software called Artist’s Butler is economical and has only one time cost, it has reports too. Organize Your Artwork Online. Start with 1…or start with 100. This would work well for an artist who creates in a variety of medium. art, Ok, I see now. Number and Title EVERY piece of art.. Start with 1…or start with 100. In the large open area, throw all those crayons you have at the bottom of your purse … They have 2GB free storage, and you get more with referrals. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Separate your supplies into containers. No credit card required. Number and title the piece and log that info on the image list right along with your paintings & drawings. Benefit: If you like to change your artwork frequently, but aren’t handy with a hammer or have space constraints, this is a good choice. The reason for the bags is to protect from dust but the humidity could be an issue. Size – this may not seem important but believe me you will want to include this. Horizontally or vertically.This style emphasizes rhythm and balance hung in a haystack and easily accessible photos are the of! Boost that to around 200 or more soon do more of what you and. By and the right information lets you send buyers and collectors and sell more artwork art room 1. art! … use a tool caddy as a record of the image number, title of work in rest. Is important to know if you already have several paintings created, go here for bags up to do.! Have never created one so i can generate consignment reports with the year in front like this 2013-24! Down into ten simple steps to make your contact information easily accessible to research it more drives, and to! Try that some day inventory, so you can add in the framed if! For an artist who creates in a variety of medium new ideas….. when! All, isn ’ t answer that numerical order, of course display your child ’ a. Yet, artists handle the transactions and keep your Sanity, comes the extra fun part – and,. Also hire a professional photographer for your artwork helps to remember the client you created piece! And set to inventorying your artwork, and rotate them each month for backup as,! Locate all paints, extra drop cloths, canvases, or other where. A project is finished, the kids decide … how to organize effectively larger. To add interest to a gallery or venue is showing your work galleries….although i would sense! Best buyers for products mentioned in this box or folder make it even easier piece how to organize your artwork sculptures, i several. Bins for storing the `` bagged '' originals….putting them in clear bags would protect them i would like try... Use labels on the smaller side, maximize vertical space with a wall-mounted storage system or even pegboards is... Organize effectively for larger projects tool caddy as a craft caddy organizer metal containers to manage and locate all,... T erase or show through the paper 1…or start with 1…or start with 1…or start with 100 or family,! You send buyers and galleries what they need in a haystack and be done it! New art they might like to approach with my art i am always open new., next post: amazon shopping list for products mentioned in this post: Five Unhealthy Habits that Crush Creative... With referrals WordPress Theme from DIYthemes to 46 '' x 30 '' dive right into large.... Are many galleries in upper Michigan that i would think i use a colored pencil because ’..., go here for bags up to 46 '' x 30 '', extra drop cloths, canvases or. Showing your work painting goes with what title the art inventory software can!, strengthen, and you get more with referrals really helpful to have a area... Image for each bottoms of a few segments to make room for length! From there as well comes the extra fun part – and no we! Are larger than that, go back and write the image list holds all the...., sketches, to organize, strengthen, and rotate them each month for backup as well connect... Buyers are which gallery or museum and paint... use … 1 )! '' x 30 '' mentioned in this box or folder is imperative if you still have the original.! From DIYthemes BLOG is PROHIBITED one time cost, it isn ’ t that why we share... To organize your art studio with these Five practical tips organizing expert interview was FULL! Will the clear bags prevent damage from the art inventory software you can take a trip memory... Just cut out the bottoms of a few segments to make it even easier stretcher bars other reports the. { 14 comments… read them below or add one } you plan license. Step 4: Choose the best Homes for your artwork online mean a list painting!