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Very cool, Matt! School Bus Dogs and Orange Black Monster Tree are my favorites. I would look into booth space at local festivals and art shows. I think you have an eye for this digital art!

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Jun 24, 2023Liked by Matthew Murray

Art is a funny thing. I do some every day and share it with my sister. We started in the first COVID lockdown when the National Gallery of Australia published a month of art prompts for kids, so my sister and I thought, well if kids can do it, so can we. And we’ve been doing it ever since - more than three years now. I’ve always been a drawer so it was easy for me, but you can really see the improvements in my art and my sister’s since we started.

I’d never think of selling it though. Having said that, I have sold two pieces. We have a local art society too, and as Rebecca noted, they are a terrific way to find out what’s involved in framing and hanging and stuff like that. They hold classes and in a portrait class, the fellow that was sitting liked my painting so much that he bought it! The other one I sold was a portrait of a dog, done in coloured pencils, on commission because someone loved another picture I’d done of a dog I know.

So word of mouth is always useful. And local art societies. And Etsy... Best of luck anyway. And thanks for the link to this older post.

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Thanks for sharing your story! I found your post from another Substack, Three Things Weekly. I also do digital art. My stuff often starts with things that I hand draw with watercolor brush pens, but I then put them into the computer and change the hell out of them. I also use a lot of digital collage. My art mostly goes into comics (primarily poetry comics) but I'm getting ready to sell some prints of some of my panel art.

I love the kinetic energy of your School Bus Dogs!

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Matt, I love a story about a journey well travelled, and this post is certainly one of those. Great stuff!

As for your art, it has such energy! I love how you've tried different things and settled on digital art - your art materials haven't been wasted, because they were a means to an end - they were part of the essential process you've been through.

As for suggestions on how and where to sell - great that you've joined Saatchi Art's online portal. I used to sell my work on eBay and then on Etsy and my own website, and built a small following of returning customers for my handmade lampwork glass beads. I'd send you a link to my website but to my regret I deleted it in a fit of pique when Covid caused me to close my business! Oh well.

I've got two suggestions: join a local art community which runs regular events - I used to participate in open studio events locally - either opening for weekends at my own workshop, or at venues where a collection of other local artists would also be showing/selling/demonstrating. Everyone loves to see art in action - why not participate in a local art show and take along your work in progress? And network like crazy! I was RUBBISH at that part - I am the world's most anti-social person - but I tried!

Here on Substack I follow Sophie Lucido Johnson - her newsletter is 'You are doing a good enough job' - and many of her posts begin with a shot of a piece of her limited-edition artwork and a link to where to buy it. Have a look at this post for an example (it's a fabulous read in its own right, while you're there): https://goodenoughjob.substack.com/p/brain-surgery

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