Art Marketing Podcast

I submitted these 2 pieces for NOmAA (Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance) with their Exhibition theme "America The Beautiful?" One of them was chosen for their gallery with the story behind it that convinced them to pick that specific one.

The subway told the story of the many immigrants that built them in life and death situations, like the Irish and Italians that were known as "the sandhogs" because they worked from deep underground. Many in situations where there was very little air. A lot of immigrants from Europe came and the Chinese who worked under horrible conditions out in the west. My patterns show the beautiful work that eventually developed from all their brutal and many times unbearable labor.

The "Rise of the wave" showed the dangerous and unknown waters that were traveled in slave ships from Africa, and the Europeans crossing over to arrive in Ellis Island, where they had to answer 23-25 questions. If you were sick you were turned back. My family from Italy made it through to give me and their children opportunities to build a new life and new dreams.

Both different stories, but the one they chose was the ocean image. The stories gave life to my images and drew them in. We need to be creative in a shorter outline on FB and IG but the stories no AI can give you. Our life and story goes deeper than AI because we are a living and breathing being. Our postings need to grab people and breathe some kind of life, a spark that pulls people in.

Happy Sunday All!

Len

Everything around us exists because there is a mother who created it. The air, the sun, the galaxies, the sea, the rivers, the winds, the jungle, the eclipses, the rain. The Earth is suspended.

I got to wondering if my bio was landing the way I wanted it to with a reader, so on a whim, I asked AI to write an "unhinged bio" for me. I fell off my chair laughing so hard and realized it actually really was an accurate bio for me, or maybe an artist statement, but FUNNY and engaging! (It sort of sounded like something Patrick Shanahan might write for me! ha!). I encourage you to do this for fun for some ideas. Here's mine:

Linnie Aikens does not “make art” so much as she wrestles it into existence—usually with paint on her hands, a half-finished idea in her head, and a stubborn refusal to behave.

She began as a respectable citizen: an art teacher, a guide, a person who knew where the supplies were kept and how to clean brushes properly. For decades she showed others how to see. Quietly, though, she was stockpiling color, texture, and rebellion like a storm building behind polite conversation.

Then something shifted.

Out went the rules.

Aikens paints like someone who no longer believes in straight lines unless they misbehave. One day she’s flirting with impressionism, then fauvism, then next she’s elbow-deep in abstraction, dragging emotion across canvas like it owes her money. Figures appear and dissolve. Landscapes remember they are dreams. Colors argue, reconcile, then explode again.

Her work doesn’t sit still. It hums. It leaks. It insists.

Nature shows up often—but not the postcard version. Her trees feel like witnesses. Her skies feel like moods that swallowed the weather. Gardens become conversations. Faces become questions.

And underneath it all: transformation. Not the gentle, inspirational kind you’d frame with a quote. The real kind. The kind that rearranges you. The kind that asks uncomfortable things and waits for an honest answer.

Aikens treats art less like a product and more like an ongoing event—something between a confession, a dare, and a long, wandering story she refuses to finish neatly. Medium doesn’t matter. Style doesn’t matter. What matters is whether it’s alive.

She paints like she’s still discovering what she thinks—and like she doesn’t entirely trust the answer when she finds it.

Which is exactly why it’s worth looking at.

I have an opportunity to design a T-Shirt, for a very popular cafe in the neighborhood. The owner and I discussed it, and he'll pay me upfront to try 12 of them in M, L & XL. I'll make about a 50% profit, but more than anything, people come from all over N. Manhattan to have coffee, brunch and dinners here.

I was trying to figure out if black or navy blue would be best and did a little research that I wanted to share with you here:

The popularity of t-shirt colors often depends heavily on the specific target audience, the aesthetic of the artwork, and the current fashion cycle. However, when comparing navy and black as base colors for apparel, there are a few consistent trends to consider:

1. The Dominance of Black

Black remains the undisputed king of apparel. It is universally seen as the most versatile, “edgy,” and slimming color. From a manufacturing and retail perspective, black t-shirts typically outsell navy by a wide margin because they pair easily with virtually every other color. If someone is selling graphic tees, black is almost always the highest-volume performer.

2. The “Navy” Niche

Navy occupies a specific space in the market:

• The “Clean” Aesthetic: Navy is often associated with a cleaner, more nautical, or traditional look. It is a preferred choice for brands that want to distance themselves from the “rock-and-roll” or “streetwear” vibe often associated with black tees.

• Artistic Compatibility: Whether art looks “better” on navy depends on the color palette of the graphic. Navy provides a high-contrast background for lighter colors (white, cream, gold) and creates a more muted, sophisticated look when paired with other blues or greens.

• Target Demographics: Navy is frequently favored in conservative, prep, or heritage branding. It feels more “refined” to some consumers, whereas black feels more contemporary or rebellious.

3. Practical Considerations

• Printing: For screen printing, black ink often does not show up well on navy blue without a flash-cure base layer if the navy is very dark. Designers have to be more intentional with color palettes on navy. On black, high-contrast designs (especially white or neon) usually pop more aggressively.

• Sales Volume: In most retail data sets, you will see a hierarchy where black is the primary top-seller, followed by white or heather gray, with navy taking the next spot in the “staple colors” category.

Verdict:
Black is definitively more popular in terms of raw sales volume and mass appeal. Navy is a fantastic alternative for specific brands that want to cultivate a “quieter” or more classic look, but it is rarely the choice if your goal is to maximize the broadest possible market reach. If you are launching a brand, black is the safer bet, while navy is the choice for a more curated, aesthetic-driven collection.

9:42 AM

GAB.AI

Which ink colors pop best on navy?

How does charcoal compare to black?

A few months ago I started keeping a “Marketing Index” for my paintings, and it’s been one of the most helpful systems I’ve put in place.

It tracks the content I’ve created for each piece such as blogs, video tours, timelapses, and mockups and also shows what’s still missing. I realized I already had years of content that I wasn’t fully using, and this helped me organize and reuse it.

It’s also made content creation much faster. Instead of wondering what to post, I can quickly see which paintings don’t have a video tour yet and film one, or pull the blog and product links when I need them.

It’s a simple system, but it’s made everything feel much more clear and manageable.

Looking at combining Mother's Day, with Graduations and Weddings. Using music in the background, like on the first one I had Eva Cassidy's version of "True Colors".

I described it as the true colors of my Spring Collection for Mother's Day. I live around a park, so in the local FB groups, where this is from the Children's Playground in the neighborhood, I captioned it as the true colors of Inwood Park shining through.

📎 New Episode: A Greek Warship, a Horse Named Sally, and the Mother's Day Sale You're About to Run

⏱ Duration: 40:44

You guys, artists miss obvious sales because they keep acting like holidays only matter if they're selling something cheesy and seasonal. They matter. Patrick breaks down the art-selling holiday calendar, why Mother's Day is a live selling moment whether you planned for it or not, and how to stop leaving money on the table by ignoring the buying behavior that's already sitting right in front of you.

Key Takeaways:

• Why attention in 2026 is 15 tiny flashes, not one long read

• The Trireme: why coordinated oars beat more oars every time

• The 20+ marketing surfaces you already own (and the 3 you actually use)

• The Sale Equation: Incentive + Scarcity × Attention

• The 3-4 week calendar: warm-up, launch, reminders, 24-hour push, extend day, follow-up

• Why humor and memes charge the battery for the sale push

• The Mustang Sally walkthrough: one message, 8 coordinated channels

Notable Quote:

"At the end of the last episode, I promised you a refreshed anatomy of a properly run sale."

Do you actually have a Mother's Day offer ready, or are you still hoping people figure it out on their own?

https://artmarketingpodcast.libsyn.com/a-greek-warship-a-horse-named-sally-and-the-mothers-day-sale-youre-about-to-run

Hello All,

I looked up an AI App called "gab.ai" which gathers information from web search integration, that pulls real time data from across the web. Access to current events. primary sources and latest information happening.

I would be curious to hear your thoughts on their information Patrick.

Thanks, Len

Based on current 2026 data, the best times to post artwork in the evenings on weekdays are generally between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. local time.

This window effectively captures the “wind-down” period when users have finished school or work, are relaxed, and are actively scrolling for entertainment and visual inspiration.

Here is a breakdown of how you should approach your strategy based on the platform:

1. The “Golden Window” for Engagement

Across most social media platforms, the 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. block on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday is consistently identified as the highest-performing window. By mid-week, users are settled into their routines and are more receptive to visual content and artistic posts.

2. Platform-Specific Evening Nuances

While the 6–9 p.m. range is a reliable rule of thumb, different platforms have slight variations:

Instagram: This is a visual-first platform where evening engagement (post-dinner) is exceptionally high. Reels and carousel posts of artwork perform particularly well during the 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. slot, as these formats are optimized for discovery when users are in “entertainment mode.”

TikTok: If you are sharing process videos or high-energy artistic reveals, lean toward the later side of the evening. Data suggests the strongest window for TikTok is 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., as the algorithm favors fast-paced content that gains immediate traction from night-owl scrollers.

Pinterest: Unlike social networks used for quick scrolling, Pinterest is a planning and inspiration engine. While daytime is strong for traffic, evening hours (particularly 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) are when people sit down to intentionally curate ideas and plan projects, making it a great time to pin finished artwork.

Facebook: While Facebook sees significant activity during the workday, the 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. window is better for community talk. If you must post art in the evening, stick to the earlier side (6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.), as later night engagement declines compared to other platforms.

Strategic Tips for Artists

The “Wednesday Rule”: If you only post once or twice during the week, choose Wednesday. It is almost universally cited by research as the peak day for social media engagement across all platforms.

Check Your Own Insights: Use the built-in analytics tools (Instagram Insights, etc.) to see specifically when your followers are online. If your audience is concentrated in a specific timezone, prioritize that region’s 7:00 p.m. slot.

Post for “Discovery” vs. “Connection”: If you are posting Reels to reach new people, the 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. window is perfect. If you are posting for existing followers, consider earlier in the day or lunch breaks, as they are likely to engage throughout the day.

Test and Refine: Use these evening windows as your baseline. If you notice your engagement remains flat after two weeks, shift your posting time 30–60 minutes earlier or later, as your specific art niche may have a slightly different sub-community rhythm.

Some people cannot be helped...

I had decided to combine all 3 events with Mother's Day, Graduation and Weddings, but start with a Mother's Day posting. In the evening I can do a carousel with just the full images rotating. I'm leaving the details on sale info and deadline on my Announcement Bar, so the focus for the first day is on the art and events. Would love to see some of the posts that you're working on. Best, Len

How do I organize my instagram account for it to make sense to my viewers?

I was doing the ArtHelper for "What is my collection missing?" The prompts and responses were quite interesting. It was a little disillusioning that Artie thought my favorite photographs were not in the High Market column. The bigger question for me is the list of what I should photograph next. I have found, in the past, when I focus my photography on what will sell, I seem to lose my vision. I do not see the interesting compositions that normally I would see. I feel like I lose my art. Do others feel this way? Am I making a mountain out of a molehill? Does making money on art compromise why I want to take photographs? Am I selling my soul? Thanks for your input.

Okay, Patrick, so I have been - despite the fact I have not yet DONE it - pondering over a live reel per your suggestions (aka persistent beating-over-the-head insistence) So today I finally get nerve enough to try doing at least a video to make sure I don’t end up looking completely ridiculous. The video ends up looking pretty okay so I think, “hey, why don’t I just post this video. It’s not live but it is good practice and a warm-up for me to dive deeper into the frigid waters of social media, right?” Well, it is 5:28 minutes long so I don’t know if I can even post it as a reel in IG. Any guidance? And, oh, yeah, I attempted to include the video but don’t see how I can. It was recorded on my iphone.

I saw this on FB and thought it was a clever idea with "Pirate Chest Collectibles,"

I'm going to work with creating a package where I can use ASF "collectibles " like pillowcases, T-Shirts, Prints and other mediums, as options for all these events that are coming up around now at this time of year.

Include staged art that would be great especially as wedding gifts for homes. Take canva with an interesting flyer that can display these images and make people think how they can take these as gifts for friends and family now.

It would be interesting to see if we can share some of those marketing packgage ideas on here. What do you think Patrick?? We all have our own niches and customers so it would just be more tools for us to use in getting the word out there. Happy Friday all! Len

📎 New Episode: Art-Selling Holidays You're Sitting Out (Mother's Day Is First)

⏱ Duration: 28:05

You guys, artists miss obvious sales because they keep acting like holidays only matter if they're selling something cheesy and seasonal. They matter. Patrick breaks down the art-selling holiday calendar, why Mother's Day is a live selling moment whether you planned for it or not, and how to stop leaving money on the table by ignoring the buying behavior that's already sitting right in front of you.

Key Takeaways:

• Why "nothing new under the sun" is the most important business lesson artists ignore

• The difference between being an artist and having an art business

• The art-selling holiday calendar and why every holiday applies to you

• How Target's end-cap strategy is your playbook for selling art year-round

• Why Mother's Day matters even if you don't sell "mom art"

• The fishing analogy, the blackjack analogy, and the self-excuse trap

• The Next Big Art Selling Holiday: Mother's Day

Notable Quote:

"Sold two pieces for $65,000."

Do you actually have a Mother's Day offer ready, or are you still hoping people figure it out on their own?

https://artmarketingpodcast.libsyn.com/art-selling-holidays-youre-sitting-out-mothers-day-is-first

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXGPe09jENA/

Hello, thank you for creating this group, I still have a lot to learn about selling online. I will follow this group with great interest 🫶

Let me introduce myself. Line Desjardins, painter artist

Im writing to you as staff member, as I do not know how to find other staff member. On my profile - artwork a new message has turned up "This image has been flagged as potentially violating ArtHelper's policies and is pending review by a staffe member." I would like to be part of the review if possible. Could you direct me to the right staff member? Best regards Susanne Buch