Marisabel Gonzalez in her studio. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Want to Turn Your Passion into Profit? Learn From Former Doctor Turned Artist Marisabel Gonzalez

Marisabel Gonzalez isn't your typical abstract artist.

Before picking up a paintbrush professionally, she was a medical doctor in Venezuela. Specializing in gestural abstract compositions, Gonzalez's work explores the psychological effects of color and how it can be used as a communication tool. Her mixed-media pieces, layered with imagery and words, give a nod to her days in medical imaging.

"All that I am comes through my art," Gonzalez explains. "My background in medicine, my career as an artist, my experiences of motherhood, and my life as an immigrant all blend into my practice."

Her creative process is distinctly personal, drawing clear inspiration from her medical background.

As Gonzalez describes it: "The creation of my work involves a constant back-and-forth question-and-answer process that resembles how I used to interrogate and create medical ultrasound images."

Her art extends beyond pure aesthetics, embracing a deeper purpose. Gonzalez shares her aim: "Through my paintings, I aim to give insight into the emotional aspect of human nature, attempting to inspire conversations on universal matters and concerns."

But creating compelling art is just one part of building a sustainable career as an artist. Gonzalez's success also comes from her savvy approach to the business side of her practice.

Here's how she turned her passion into a thriving art business, including the tools and strategies that helped her along the way.

Marisabel Gonzalez's work on display in Palimpsest Installation. Photo courtesy of the artist.

How immigrant determination drove Gonzalez's art business success

Born and raised in Venezuela, where pursuing art as a career was not considered a viable path to success, Gonzalez initially became a medical doctor. However, upon immigrating, she applied the same strong work ethic and determination to her true passion: art.

When Gonzalez moved to Australia, she faced the challenge of rebuilding her life and career from the ground up. This experience, though difficult, shaped her approach to managing her art business.

"Being an immigrant meant I had to work extra hard to achieve my goals," she explains. "I had to learn about financial management pretty quickly, and it wasn't always easy."

This need for better financial know-how led Gonzalez to search for tools to help manage her art business more effectively. That's when she discovered Artwork Archive, which proved to be a turning point. 

"A friend who's also an artist introduced me to Artwork Archive about ten years ago," Gonzalez recalls. "At the time, I was still using Excel and Word to keep track of everything. My friend was surprised I hadn't found a better system yet."

Gonzalez found that an art inventory platform made a big difference. "Artwork Archive has become essential for me," she says. "It keeps my work organized and simplifies many aspects of running my art business."

As her career progressed, Gonzalez realized that success as an artist wasn't just about creating great work – it also meant getting a handle on the business side of things.

"I've put some good systems in place to stay on top of the business part of my art," she explains. "I use Artwork Archive as my main tool for managing my artwork and handling administrative tasks."

Gonzalez's experience shows how embracing smart business practices can boost an artist's career. It's a reminder that in the art world, creativity and business sense often go hand in hand.

 

 

For Gonzalez, the adoption of Artwork Archive marked a turning point in her business operations.

"Tasks that used to take me hours can now be streamlined and completed even from my phone," she notes.

The platform's versatility has proven invaluable across various aspects of her practice. "I use it to schedule exhibitions, track prizes and opportunities, set deadlines, and prepare reports for collectors and galleries," Gonzalez explains. "I also use it to invite my newsletter subscribers to explore new collections and exclusive releases through private viewing rooms."

The efficiency gains are particularly noticeable during exhibition preparations. "It has greatly improved my productivity before exhibitions as I can easily print labels, room sheets, catalog pages, and more," she says.

 

Like many artists, Gonzalez initially struggled with pricing her work.

"When I first started out, pricing my art was a challenge because I didn't have a clear understanding of how to do it," she admits.

However, she has since developed a more systematic approach using Artwork Archive's tools: "Now, I have a clear idea of the production cost of each painting and have developed a formula to help me calculate its final retail price."

Gonzalez emphasizes the importance of maintaining price consistency.

"I don't treat my art as a commodity and keep my prices consistent across all selling avenues, whether it's on my personal website or through my galleries," she states.

To add value for direct sales, she offers personalized services such as "complimentary delivery and installation, or a complimentary studio visit or consultancy service."

Her use of Artwork Archive extends to financial management as well. "With Artwork Archive, I have been able to calculate the exact profit after participating in the latest art fair," she explains. "By filtering expenses related to the specific event, I can accurately calculate profits generated post art fair sales."

 

Gnarly Moves In The Horizon by Marisabel Gonzalez

Drawing from her experiences, Gonzalez offers valuable advice to artists starting their careers:

"Become organized and systematic as early as possible," she emphasizes. "It'll allow you to plan ahead and stay in control, instead of constantly putting out fires with a 'reactive' approach to your business."

She also acknowledges the ever-changing landscape of an artist's career. "Let's face it," she says, "nowadays, we all become 'artpreneurs', whether we like it or not."

So, what's the takeaway? Mastering the business side of art is just as crucial as honing your creative skills. Taking a page from Gonzalez's book, artists should prioritize building their entrepreneurial skills alongside their artistic skills to ensure long-term success.

 

This is where tools like Artwork Archive come in handy.

By helping artists manage inventory, track sales, and organize exhibitions, Artwork Archive provides the digital backbone for the business side of art. It's the kind of resource that can transform an artist's approach from reactive to proactive.

You can give Artwork Archive a try for free here and learn more about how to use each of the features here.

For artists looking to follow in Gonzalez's footsteps, leveraging such tools can be a game-changer, helping with admin side of an art business, creating a catalog of artworks, buildling an artistic legacy, and freeing up more time for creative pursuits.

 

Take the Next Step in Managing Your Art Business

Ready to take control of your art business? Learn more about the features on Artwork Archive by watching the recorded webinar,  "Feature Spotlight: Track Your Art Income, Invoices and Expenses with Artwork Archive" below. 

From expense tracking to invoice generation, you'll discover tools designed specifically for artists.

Ready to try it out for yourself? Explore how Artwork Archive can help you elevate your art business today.

Begin your 14-day free trial with no credit card required and experience firsthand how our platform can transform your art career management.