Gallery Painter

Gallery Painter Career

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As a Gallery Painter you paint pictures that will hang and sell in an art gallery. These pieces are meant for display rather than reproduction—if someone buys from a gallery it’s because they want a one-of-a-kind creation. Generally artists balance putting work in galleries, marketing and selling pieces themselves, and working as a Commission Painter.

So being a Gallery Painter just means you are a practicing artist—"Gallery" only specifies the manner in which you choose to market your artwork. In general this is a good venue to sell your work, as galleries provide a setting of public exposure and you don’t have to handle the selling of the piece—that is their area of expertise.

Downsides of being a Gallery Painter are that galleries take a cut to provide these services, so you might make less than if you sold it yourself. It can also be hard to get your work shown in a gallery: Gallery Owners might be looking for something edgy, something classic, or think that heavy handed texture is coming back into vogue. So your work not only has to be good, it also has to fit the taste and mood of the gallery owner.

How do I become a Gallery Painter?

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Being an artist is a life long development, so get started. If you want help honing your skills, go for a degree at an art school. Once you’ve built up your portfolio of works show them off- be it at student shows, street fairs, or wherever, so you get used to their presentation and reception. Then take them to galleries and talk to the owner about the possibility of getting a show.