Introduction
A Moment of False Hope
I remember one seemingly innocent moment during an early afternoon in November 1999.
It was a short-lived moment when I believed that my dream of becoming a successful living as a fine artist was about to come true.
Your moment of false hope could have happened one year, five years, or even decades ago.
My moment happened while visiting Wayne Thiebaud at his art studio at The University of California at Davis.
Perched on a weathered, paint-splattered wooden chair, I leaned in, my hands tightly clasped, eagerly awaiting an art critique from a living legend.
True to his reputation, Wayne Thiebaud offered an insightful artistic perspective. Then he handed me my letter of recommendation.
After reading Wayne's letter, I found the courage to ask him a pressing lifelong question. How can I make a living as a fine artist?
One of Wayne's paintings had just sold on the secondary market for over one million dollars, so I figured he could tell me how to become successful.
I didn't know that when Wayne's painting sold on the secondary art market, he didn’t receive the proceeds; the seller and the art auction house made the money.
Yet, Wayne started scribbling the common failing four-part formula for artistic success into my mind, Work + show + hope + repeat.
I don’t know, he added. I’m not a businessman.
My inside voice said, The Internal Revenue Service sure thinks you're a businessman.
He didn’t intend to become a businessman so he didn’t see himself as one.
Wayne's casual comment pointed out the persistent psychological divide between making art and making money, one which has needlessly crippled artists for too long.
In the United States, if your annual earnings from selling art are $400 or more, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires you to submit a profit and loss statement for your business.
Check with your tax advisor to see where you stand.
Although Wayne Thiebaud was one of the few fine artists to win the rigged lottery run by the art establishment, he had to gamble his entire life for an incredibly slim chance of earning a respectable living from his time and talent.
Most fine artists are following the familiar failing four-part formula and they will do so until they give up or die.
Listen to Her Story
Is it even possible to make a better living as a fine artist?
Absolutely. If you know what you're doing.
If you've sold your art, that's evidence that you could be selling more.
Yet, most professional fine artists are fearfully clutching a confidence-crushing formula.
- (WORK) hard.
- (SHOW) which we know doesn't mean selling your fine art.
- (HOPE) that a better representative will choose you.
- (REPEAT) until your dignity is destroyed and you give up.
No one can guarantee your success, but the same tired formula guarantees failure.
Hint: Build a profitable fine art business instead of building an art career.
Buy The Book
Gillian Ogilvie
Sydney, Australia
Finally!
Someone has articulated the frustration and fears I’ve been carrying around for decades as a fine artist.
Ann Elizabeth Rea’s no-B.S. approach is such a breath of fresh air.
What she is saying stands in stark contrast to all the stuffy, self-involved, snobby conversations that are so common in the art world.
As a bonus, her book is gorgeous so I purchased a journal and all three framed posters.
If you’re ready to flip the script on how to succeed as a professional artist, I highly recommend this book.
Daniel Barrett
Austin, Texas
Ann Elizabeth changed my life as my coach, and she has generously put the principles she taught me into a beautiful book.
I was scraping pennies and scrounging gigs, and now I have a thriving six-figure musical career and a Grammy nomination.
Do not pass go.
Do not listen to the prevailing bitching about art and money.
Run and get this book, and DO what she says.
She is a rare beacon of common sense in a landscape fraught with limiting beliefs.
"Yes, You Can Make a Better Living as a Fine Artist." will be a book that changes many artists' lives.
I'm living and loving proof that Ann Elizabeth is the truth, Ruth.
Isabelle Grahm
Beverly Hills, California
Ann Rea's book is a real revelation!
This beautifully designed book provides a vital pathway to becoming sovereign for the serious artist whose life is about making art.
Finally, the harsh and truthful insights are unmasked that accurately detail what is currently wrong with "The Art World."
Practical steps on how to overcome the tyranny of the gallery systems have been carefully thought out & presented.
These are real remedies, which lamentably are not taught in art schools.
I myself am a professional artist who has experienced firsthand all the complex dynamics of how the art world really works.
For most artists, this is causing detriment and lasting harm.
The 'manifesto' in this book can ignite one onto a liberating path of self-empowerment.
My hope is that all serious Artists will be inspired and motivated by this message and thus take the reins of their own power.
Artists and collectors worldwide would profoundly benefit from such a global revolution!
Ann Elizabeth Rea
Fine Artist & Mentor
Ann has helped thousands of different types of fine artists, photographers, and craftsmen from 23 countries and counting since 2005.
Ann Elizabeth Rea is a fine artist and mentor. She is on a mission to help other fine artists take their power back from the scarcity and permission-based art establishment by teaching them how to sell more of their art and make more money with more dignity.
She founded the Making Art Making Money ® School of Business, where students graduate by selling enough of their fine art to cover their tuition at a minimum.
Ann's mentor, Wayne Thiebaud, an art icon, praised her artistic talent. ABC, HGTV, Creative Live, The Good Life Project, Career Renegade, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Wine Enthusiast, Art Business News, Fortune, and Inc. Magazines have featured her art and business savvy.
Contact us to book Ann Elizabeth Rea for speaking engagements.Â
Art. Money. Power.
A New On-Demand Workshop
-with 3 days of live support
An exclusive invitation for experienced fine artists who are ready to:
- sell more fine art and make more money in 2025
- restore their confidence
- reclaim their power
Start your on-demand workshop the minute you register.
Register now, and you'll receive three days of live support via text or direct message.Â
Please note. Registration will be increasing from $48 to $192 soon.
Coming Soon!
