Even when you see an image you like it can be hard to work out if it would be a good fit for your home or workplace. So how do you decide? 

 That’s actually a challenge whether you’re a buyer or a seller, and one that can be easily addressed in a number of ways. For people looking for artwork of any sort and in any price range, the key things that come into play are questions like:

 What do I like? Who do I like? Do I have any favourite pieces, artists or subjects? What do I like to see and look at? Where will I put it? Does it have to fit in with the décor or other pictures/items? Who is it for? What can I afford? 

 I ask these questions of myself quite often, but for the most part, I see something I really like then I ask the questions, rather than asking them beforehand. I’m restricted by the fact that we’ve built up enough paintings, prints, photos, etc by now that we have little room for more, so that’s usually a controlling factor for me. I do love to discover things that really engage me though, and I’m always on the lookout for new works and experiences. 

 From my point of view as a photographer selling work, I need to be able to reach people with my messages of what my work is about, and also why it might be of interest, or important to them. It's also important that I understand their needs. As with most things, communication is paramount, and the key to understanding. 

 You’re reading a blog post right now, and this is one method I use to get across information about me and my work. Luckily, I like writing, though in this form it’s still quite stilted after years of writing in a more formal way. I hope I’m getting there, though! 

 I also send out a newsletter every few weeks (trying to make it once a week…..), and I post regularly on social media. Mainly Facebook, Instagram, and to a slightly lesser degree, LinkedIn and Twitter. The aim is to connect with people, show what I’m up to, explain the background to what I’m doing (and some of it does need explanation!) but also to build a community where people can access what l’m doing and to some extent, feel a part of it. 

 I’ll leave this here, but in my next post I’ll dig a little deeper into how I try to support people in making decisions about their art and décor, and finding what really expresses their interests and life experience.