To get some more direction on my project, I decided to contact an old coworker and friend who is a well-known artist in Prince George. For the past few years, Malena Pillipow has managed to create an incredibly successful business selling her artwork. We had our first short chat about running a business this past weekend and Malena gave me lots to think about in terms of my business goals and budget. I am certain I will come up with many more questions for her very soon and I am super happy she has agreed to help me on this journey.
Mini Interview
Malena Pillipow is a 21-year-old artist and outdoor enthusiast from Prince George, BC. She is the founder of Hunnydewmalena which is her rapidly expanding art business.
- Q: When you have a stand at the farmer’s market, how much stock do you typically have with you? Are you selling prints or mostly original pieces?
- A: Mostly prints… Lately more clothing sells than prints. It really depends which market I am at. I have gotten good at estimating how many prints I will need, but I don’t have a professional strategy. Of course, I do print more copies of artwork that have been popular in the past. Usually, I have ten prints of my most popular painting and two or three of the less popular ones. I don’t sell many originals… I price them fairly high because I get quite attached and hope to someday put them up in a gallery. Only some small originals are for sale.
- Q: Do you have any recommendations for where to get art printed?
- A: Right now, I am using Speedee Printers ( ) but I am trying to find a place that does them online so that I can sell them online. My goal is to have a print on demand service to do it all.
- Q: How much does it cost to have your bigger paintings printed?
- A: Scanning the canvas ones costs roughly $200…They have to be photographed because they are to large. The prints themselves vary depending on the size. Small prints can cost as low as a dollar per print and larger ones, up to $50 or so depending on the quality. Honestly canvas prints are annoying to make because they are so expensive.
What’s next?
The next step in my process will be to come up with a marketing plan. This will include finding resources online and in person that will help me to get my name out into the community.
