I'm 75 and have been painting for a long time, mostly watercolors. I've sold to friends and family, but I don't know how to start getting my art out there more broadly. Where do I even begin?

Start by recognizing that you don’t need to become a computer expert or master every marketing trick overnight. Focus on doing the foundational work consistently. Get your art on a website where people can see it and purchase it. Learn to capture email addresses from interested visitors. Start writing regular emails to those subscribers. Begin posting on social media, not just your art, but also content that helps people get to know you as a person. It sounds like a lot upfront, but it’s less about being savvy and more about putting in the work daily. If you do that consistently, you’ll start getting traction and the business will grow. You’re already open to commissions with pet portraits, and you’ve made sales to friends and family—that’s how it starts. Work at it earnestly for a couple of years, and you’ll wake up with a real business. Think of it like exercise: you don’t need to spend eight hours a day, but those consistent small steps every day make all the difference.

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Asked by a 75-year-old watercolor painter from California · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-07-17