Last week I launched my first full collection of original seascape paintings - The Lapping Waves Collection. I've been selling paintings since 2013, but this collection marked a new way of working for me.
So, for a little bit of context...
My work can be divided into three categories:
- originals that I paint and then sell (whether that's in a gallery, a fair, or online)
- prints which are high quality reproductions of my original paintings
- commissions where I work with you to paint something custom and unique - usually based on your own photographs
Up until now, I have worked consistently on commissions (thank you!) and fitted individual original paintings in between - uploading these to my website (or exhibiting) as I've finished them.
Working in collections instead means that I set aside time to work on a series of original paintings that have a common theme. I'm able to fully immerse myself in that subject and completely fall in love with the whole process (even more than normal).
It allows me to be more productive as I can batch work - initially focusing on gathering inspiration ('work' trips to the beach) and painting (basically just having the loveliest time), and then I can shift and focus on the logistics (the photography, pricing, website listings, marketing, etc).
It also means it's easier to bring you along and share the process with you too - lots of you told me how much you enjoyed watching the paintings come together for this collection, which makes me very happy! You can still find lots of these photos and videos on my instagram feed.
I absolutely loved working in this way for the first time, and while I was nervous in the lead up, the happiness I felt when I shared the whole collection with you, and most of the paintings sold was the best. Thank you thank you thank you!
I'll definitely continue working in collections, so keep your eyes peeled for the next one. Most of the paintings I sold last week were bought by the lovely people on my email list before they were publically released - so make sure you sign up so you can have the early access next time too.
If you're an artist and not already working in collections, here's why I'd recommend it:
- higher productivity and creativity
- your painting technique improves as you're working on multiple similar pieces in quick succession
- you're able to share your whole process with collectors and build excitement for the launch
Three things that helped me with my first collection:
- giving myself plenty of time so I could really enjoy the process
- choosing a subject that I love (for me this was calming beach scenes with the waves lapping out of the painting towards you)
- sharing feedback and experiences with other artists. I'm an Artist-in-Residence with The Studio Source which is a brilliant community of artists and they also teach everything you need to know about working in collections (and hundreds of other things to do with running an art business). Feel free to speak to me if you've got any questions about it!
Thanks so much for reading - and for all your support with my first collection! There's only one painting left for sale, and I can't wait to see who chooses it for their home - it was such a lovely one to paint.
Emma x
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