By Cliff Austin
(Re-posted with permission)

Be Prepared…..

1. Bring a Hat, Water, Bug repellent, Sun tan lotion, extra panels, extra solvent, frames, framing material and boxes to transport to and from the location. Bring extra Business Cards, and a small portfolio just in case. You never know if the gallery says” Hey, I like your work, what else have you done.” Bring “Lots of patience.”
2. Bring extra panels or canvas’ just in case you need to re start or if the weather changes, which it will. You will need a panel or canvas carrier to carry your paintings and to transport wet paintings to and from the framing station and gallery. (the framing station might be the trunk of your car)
3. Scout out the area you think will make a good painting. Try to imagine what the light will look like in the morning and evening and set the time to paint.
4. Go paint. If you feel comfortable with mediums, use a quick drying medium. When your painting sells the last thing you want to worry about is the customer smearing the wet paint. Some artists volunteer to varnish the painting after a couple of weeks. I don’t know how they do that. Customers like to have a box to take the painting home in.
5. Frame the art. Bring extra screws, wire, d rings, screw driver, wire cutter, nails or staples or point driver, marking pens and small bio to paste on the back if you like. Some galleries supply name tags and title cards, some don’t.
6. Be on time. Check in is usually casual unless it is a quick draw situation, so get there early, to check in and stamp your panels and check them in after they are painted. Be patient.
7. Be at the show, to sell your art. It is not the responsibility of the gallery to promote you or your art. It is their responsibility to sell the gallery of which you are only a part, and maybe just temporarily. Talk to the people around you. That will sell your art faster than a “pro” sales professional ever can.
8. When the show is over, be kind, there are a lot of other artists who are trying to wade through the red tape of picking up their art and go home. Not everyone is going to be a winner. The fun is in the experience of painting together.

Good Luck – paint what you love – love what you paint.

Cliff