David Bornancin Art Coach

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We challenge the habit of repeating the same subject until it turns into a creative hiding place. We argue for using hard won technique as a springboard into bigger ideas, broader subjects, and richer visual stories. 

• questioning why we repeat the same painting subject 
• respecting mastery while rejecting endless looping 
• expanding from one object to new subjects and materials 
• exploring the full range of fruit and beyond 
• building gardens, landscapes, and story driven scenes 
• pushing skills, vision, and risk tolerance into new work 

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Your art practice can handle critique, revisions, and the occasional creative block. Sticker shock at the paint aisle is a different kind of test. We’re seeing the price of art supplies climb across the board, and it’s not just a small bump. From acrylic paint to quality stretched canvas, the numbers are changing fast enough that artists have to rethink how they stock up, what they buy, and how they price their work.

We walk through what we’re noticing on the ground: visiting multiple stores, comparing the same items, and watching “normal” prices drift upward. We get specific about canvas costs at different sizes and why the cheapest option can be a bad deal when you’re selling a finished piece to the public. If you care about longevity, durability, and a painting that still looks good decades from now, material grade matters, and we talk honestly about where we’re willing to compromise and where we’re not.

Then we zoom out to the bigger forces that may be pushing prices higher: global inflation, supply chain slowdowns, and the fact that many art materials depend on imported pigments, chemicals, and components. Import costs and tariffs can show up in surprisingly direct ways at checkout. We also share practical, no-drama strategies to keep your supply costs fair: shop across three to four retailers, look for real promotions, and avoid getting pulled in by marketing hype that doesn’t improve the final result.

If you’ve been wrestling with rising canvas prices, expensive acrylics, or limited stock, you’ll leave with clearer context and smarter next steps. Subscribe, share this with an artist friend, and leave a review with the biggest price increase you’ve seen lately.

After 18 Years as a local Cleveland Artist my latest adventure is sharing my Artwork, Paintings and providing a voice to the millions of people looking for help and advice all related to the Art Business, Shows, Events, Marketing, Selling Art and all other hot topics that help people find their path and way in the Art World.

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We walk through a simple path from making art to selling it, starting with the questions that clarify your work and your goals. We also map out practical next steps like building a presence, choosing platforms, and using local shows to create real momentum. 

• clarifying what you are making and why 
• setting a quality bar before going to market 
• deciding what to do after you finish five to seven pieces 
• building social media presence to generate interest 
• choosing where to sell based on budget 
• weighing platforms like Amazon, Etsy, and ArtFinder 
• using simple materials like business cards and brochures 
• planning local community shows to connect and sell 

After 18 Years as a local Cleveland Artist my latest adventure is sharing my Artwork, Paintings and providing a voice to the millions of people looking for help and advice all related to the Art Business, Shows, Events, Marketing, Selling Art and all other hot topics that help people find their path and way in the Art World.

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Where you sell your art can matter as much as what you make. If you’ve ever stared at a blank “list your work” page and wondered why buyers aren’t showing up, we get it and we’re breaking down the real-world options that artists actually use to move paintings and prints. 

We walk through popular online art marketplaces and print platforms like Etsy, Artfinder, Artsy, Fine Art America, and Society6, along with the honest downside: you’re often competing with millions of listings, and getting discovered can be tough if you’re not already established. We share how to think about visibility, buyer trust, and what it really takes to attract new collectors online. 

Then we shift to local art galleries, art fairs, art festivals, and community events. Galleries can be fantastic partners and a credibility boost, but the commission structure is real, often 40–50% and sometimes more. That single detail changes your pricing model, your margins, and the way you plan your inventory. We also talk about art studios and open studios as a way to create a physical showroom if you can handle the monthly cost and keep enough work on the walls. 

Finally, we touch on Instagram and Meta Marketplace and why social selling can work, but only when you treat it like consistent, ongoing effort rather than a one-time post. If you want a clear map for where to sell art and how to choose the best channel for your goals, hit play, subscribe, and share this with an artist friend, then leave a review with the one place you want to try next.

After 18 Years as a local Cleveland Artist my latest adventure is sharing my Artwork, Paintings and providing a voice to the millions of people looking for help and advice all related to the Art Business, Shows, Events, Marketing, Selling Art and all other hot topics that help people find their path and way in the Art World.

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Art supplies can get so pricey that it feels like creativity has a cover charge. We push back on that idea and share a simple, grounded way to keep making work even when paint, canvas, and varnish costs are climbing. If you’ve ever stood in front of a wall of materials and thought, “I can’t afford this today,” this conversation is built for you. 

We start with the most overlooked money saver: taking a real inventory of what you already own. How much paint is actually left? How many usable brushes do you have? What tools are sitting in a drawer that could get you through the next few paintings? From there, we get practical about reducing waste and spending, including how a limited color palette can lower costs while improving cohesion and confidence in your mixes. Fewer tubes can still deliver a wide range of color if you mix with intention. 

We also dig into smart compromises like using cheaper canvas when you need to, then protecting your work with better paint choices and varnish when it makes sense. Finally, we talk DIY solutions for tools like scrapers and how to shop around local stores and discount retailers without getting pulled into unnecessary “upgrade” purchases. If you want affordable art supplies, budget art tips, and a clearer plan for stretching your studio dollars, listen through and take notes. 

Subscribe, share this with an artist friend, and leave a review with your best money saving art habit.

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We take a sales question seriously and apply it to creative work: what is the value proposition of art. We break down how artists solve real problems for homes and offices, and how to talk about pricing without reducing art to an hourly wage. 

• framing art sales around the buyer’s problem to solve 
• defining the value proposition of artists as creators and visionaries 
• explaining how artwork transforms a bare wall into a finished space 
• discussing fair pricing versus charging for every hour spent 
• describing why a well displayed piece becomes a statement in a home or business 

Free Art Festival Guide: https://mailchi.mp/aca15a65f111/free-festival-art-guide

Artist: David Bornancin

Media: Acrylic Paintings

Style: Abstracts and Landscapes

https://www.davidbornancinpaintings.com/

https://www.tiktok.com/@intensedjb

https://www.facebook.com/david.bornancin/

https://www.linkein.com/in/dbornancin

Email me at: [email protected]

Subscribe to my Channel as it supports my body of work.

After 18 Years as a local Cleveland Artist my latest adventure is sharing my Artwork, Paintings and providing a voice to the millions of people looking for help and advice all related to the Art Business, Shows, Events, Marketing, Selling Art and all other hot topics that help people find their path and way in the Art World.

Send us Fan Mail

A painting can be technically solid and still feel wrong. That uneasy feeling is what we call a “redoo” moment: the point where you realize the color, balance, or overall design just isn’t working, and the smartest move is to redo the work instead of forcing it to pass.

We talk through a real art show scenario with a small table setup and a focused set of pieces for sale, then a conversation with a neighboring artist whose booth includes a box of paintings that were started, abandoned, or finished but never felt right. It’s a surprisingly common part of the creative process, especially for acrylic painters, but it applies just as much to watercolor and oil painting. Those “almost” canvases become a backlog for repainting, redesigning, and learning what your eye actually wants.

From there, we dig into the practical reasons paintings go off track: uneven composition balance, awkward color combinations, shading that collapses form, brushwork that fights the subject, or texture and palette knife marks that pull attention to the wrong place. We also break down the decision that saves time and stress: when a painting needs a full restart with a rebrushed canvas, and when you’re lucky enough to get away with simple touch ups.

If you’ve got a stack of problem paintings, this is your permission slip to treat them as progress. 

Subscribe, share this with an artist friend, and leave a review with your biggest “redoos” question so we can tackle it next.

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We talk through what to do when you’re stuck staring at a blank canvas, even when you already have the paint, brushes, and a clear desire to start. 

We share a simple way to restart your creative process by laying in a background first and letting the design reveal itself through layers.

• Recognising the moment you freeze before the first mark
• Sketch-first painting versus direct intuitive painting
• Using simple prep and basic principles to lower the stakes
• Painting a sky background with blues and titanium white
• Layering darker tones to make shapes and structure appear
• Choosing a direction like abstract, expressionism, or traditional
• Letting emerging forms guide trees, houses, or buildings

Free Art Festival Guide: https://mailchi.mp/aca15a65f111/free-festival-art-guide

Artist: David Bornancin

Media: Acrylic Paintings

Style: Abstracts and Landscapes

https://www.davidbornancinpaintings.com/

https://www.tiktok.com/@intensedjb

https://www.facebook.com/david.bornancin/

https://www.linkein.com/in/dbornancin

Email me at: [email protected]

Subscribe to my Channel as it supports my body of work.

Send us Fan Mail

Your eyes aren’t broken. A lot of what we’re seeing online really does feel fake, and the art world is right in the middle of it. We dig into why so many images of “paintings” look convincing at first glance, then fall apart the moment you look for the human clues like texture, layering, and the natural movement of oil, acrylic, and watercolor.

We talk about how AI-generated art and heavy digital imaging can produce polished results that mimic realism while skipping the physical truth of paint. We also challenge the loud claims that success is guaranteed if you just use the newest tools. From our perspective as working artists with real business experience, the long game is still built on craft: practicing every day, sharpening your eye, and making work that holds up beyond a screen.

Then we get practical about trust. Selling artwork and buying original art should not feel like navigating a scam, yet many artists run into weird payment moves, shady buyer behavior, and last-minute transaction problems. We share the warning signs to watch for and the mindset that helps you protect your work without getting cynical.

If you care about authenticity in the art business, want to spot manipulation faster, or you’re trying to sell paintings online with confidence, this one’s for you. 

Subscribe, share with an artist friend, and leave a review telling us: what’s the biggest sign that something is fake?

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If you’re creating consistently and still not selling, the problem usually isn’t your motivation. It’s the gap between making something you love and marketing it in a way buyers understand. I’m new to this platform, but I’m bringing decades of high-tech experience plus years of making art to one simple goal: help creators stop guessing and start selling.

We zoom out from “how do I sell a painting” and talk about selling any creation: prints, designs, decor, handmade products, or whatever you make with your own hands and brain. I share a practical checkpoint for creators who’ve made 10, 20, or 30 pieces and feel overwhelmed by what to do next. We also get honest about craft. Creativity can be a gift, but selling requires skill, repetition, and refinement. I talk about the years it takes to perfect work, why early attempts often don’t land, and how improving the product is often the fastest marketing upgrade.

Then we dig into buyer psychology and customer intent. People don’t shop randomly. They’re usually trying to solve a real need: furnishing a new home, finishing a room, buying a gift, or finding a style that matches their identity. When you create content and product listings that speak to what buyers already want, your TikTok marketing and Etsy marketing get clearer, stronger, and easier to repeat. Posting on every platform isn’t a plan. Doing incredible work and putting in consistent marketing work is.

If this helps, subscribe for more creator business advice, share the episode with a friend who’s building their own shop, and leave a review so more artists and makers can find it.

Free Art Festival Guide: https://mailchi.mp/aca15a65f111/free-festival-art-guide

Artist: David Bornancin

Media: Acrylic Paintings

Style: Abstracts and Landscapes

https://www.davidbornancinpaintings.com/

https://www.tiktok.com/@intensedjb

https://www.facebook.com/david.bornancin/

https://www.linkein.com/in/dbornancin

Email me at: [email protected]

Subscribe to my Channel as it supports my body of work.