I've been selling work for over ten years now.  I started trying to become what I perceived to be a "proper" illustrator.  I assembled a portfolio and mailed out copy after copy with resume, tear sheet, award sheet, and leave behind (what has now become my business card handed out at fairs.)  I received rejection after rejection, and the expense and lack of return slowly drove me away from pursuing my dreams of being published.

I finally gathered up the nerve to try the art fair angle.  My work is very ecclectic and "niche market," and I was shy of the response.  I dove in headfirst, not knowing even a bit about the fairs I enterred, the patrons who frequented them, or presentation, pricing, or even transporting my work.  I've learned so much, and am still learning, of course, but over the years one thing has become a pattern:  my sister (business manager) and I track each fair's patrons for what it is they like in my booth.  Cats?  Unicorns?  Environmental work?  Certain colors?  Anything with faeries?  Inevitably, wanting to make sales and connect with these people, I try to garnish my booth with want I think the patrons want.

Sometimes it feels a bit like pimping out my art.  "Hey, kid, you like kitties?  Take a look at this giclee..."   Certainly, now when I consider a subject i'm specifically painting to fill out my booth, I think about "saleability."  Is this an image that will sell?  Will enough people be drawn to this piece to make it worth my painting it?  How many possible interpretations can be seen in this work?  The more interpretations, the greater the number of people who will like it.  It can become quite mercenary, really.  I'm working on piece based on the Swan Princess and as I'm composing the image, I'm thinking "people may see this as an angel.  That's good marketability."

I don't know that it's necessarily a bad thing.  If I don't sell my work, I can't justify buying more supplies, spending more time creating. And for every piece I create that is made intentionally for "the sale,", I create at least two which truly mean something to me, and it's 10 times more rewarding when it's one of these personally vested pieces which sells.  Less frequent, more precious.  It's the payoff and it's definitely worth it.