Q: I am going to graduate soon with a master's degree in fine arts. It has always been my dream to be able to make money with my art, but I also know that it can be difficult to do. I was wondering if you had any suggestions. Thank you.
Alice

A: The concept of the starving artist may be a romantic one, but romance does not pay the bills. So yes, the idea of starting a business based on your art is smart because it would allow you to make money while doing something you love.

Starting a business, any sort of business, is never easy, but certainly one prerequisite is that the business be based on something that you enjoy doing, because if it works, you will be fortunate enough to get to do it all day, every day. So an artist starting a business based on their art makes a lot of sense.
For many artists, the dream consists of having galleries display and sell their work. While clearly an option, it is not an easy one as it takes years to build the sort of reputation necessary to command the sorts of fees that pay the bills.
Instead, I say that you should be a bit more practical. As with any business, an artist wanting to start a business needs to find a niche and serve it.
Here is an example: The charming Linda O'Neill is a gifted artist living outside of Boulder, Colo. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and after receiving her bachelor's in fine arts, Linda wanted to become a studio artist and sell her paintings. But before she could do that, she knew she needed some work experience, and so went to work as a digital painter for George Lucas and his Industrial Light and Magic studios in Marin County, Calif.
A few years later, Linda and her husband moved to Colorado. Though she looked for work, she knew that it was time to venture out on her own. Her initial business plan was to do digital photo restoration, based upon her experience at ILM.

But then she met Abby, and that was when her real business was born. Abby is the dog Linda and her husband rescued from an animal shelter. One day, for fun, Linda began to paint a portrait of Abby. It turned out great, and soon she was painting the portraits of her friends' dogs and soon after that, Abby Creek Studios was born (www.AbbyCreekStudios.com .) Since then, Linda O'Neill has become one of the top dog portrait painters in the country.
She recently received portrait commissions with Guide Dogs for the Blind and the National Greyhound League. Her business has expanded into prints and cards, available both online and at select retail outlets.

When I spoke with Linda last week, she said that a main reason for her success is that she has a connection with dogs, and that her love of the animal translates into her art. Surely her great word-of-mouth advertising comes from that love and a unique ability to capture the personality of her models.
When I asked her what advice she had for other artists who wanted to start their own business, Linda mentioned two things:

1. Do what you love: Linda is a firm believer that any artist who wants to succeed in business has to paint what it is they love to paint, or otherwise make the art they love, while also keeping an eye out for a market for that art.

2. Market your business, then market some more: It is all well and good to be an artist and paint what you love, she says, but do not lose sight of the fact that you are also a businessperson. 80% of Linda's business comes from outside Colorado, because she spends considerable time and effort marketing.
For example, she has an ad that runs consistently in the national magazine, The Bark, and that ad directs people to her website where they can see samples of her work. She also does plenty of online search engine advertising so that when people type "dog portrait" or "pet art" into certain search engines, ads for Abby Creek Studios appear.

So the business lesson from this successful entrepreneur and gifted artist is this: "Do what you love, but don't forget to get your name out there!"
Today's Tip: According to Guide Dogs for the Blind, "Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), privately owned businesses that serve the public, such as restaurants, hotels, retail stores, taxicabs, theaters, concert halls, and sports facilities, are prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. The ADA requires these businesses to allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals onto business premises in whatever areas customers are generally allowed."