Life as a Sports Painter:
Marketing – It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint.
by AO – February 2026
I have been really grateful these past 10 plus years trying to establish myself as both a painter and a business owner. One reason I believe I have had a small amount of success is by me working with a hand full of quotes running through my head. One of them is “The harder you work – the luckier you get.” And I have to say – I believe it. I consider myself a pretty lucky person at times because my clients, print purchasers, social media followers and the like, for the most part, they are nice genuine people who have always been pretty cool to chat with, they are kind, they are kind with the compliments either in person or on social media, and like the work enough to have purchased it.
I consider myself pretty lucky now because early on (before 2012/2013) I really didn’t focused on the work like I should have and my effort was about a C/C-. My quality of work and my painting techniques were C average but my love for sports and art were A+. But because I didn’t keep at it, my work wouldn’t break through.
After a bit of self reflection and a decision to go all in and focus on the work and give sports art one more shot. I was all in – 100%. If I fail, I fail. Having no art agent, gallery connections or knowledge of the art selling world, I figured social media would be my agent to get my art out to the world and I would communicate with potential clients, fans and media via social with the hope of not falling on my face to often.
Soon after doing a few posts and pieces, I then gathered a couple hundred followers and the work was progressing and the responses were all encouraging and supportive. Then sports art lovers started making inquiries about originals and prices. I also found out that social followers really enjoyed seeing the WIP (work in progress) posts on social.
Then the TV interviews came later and that was an added bonus – not only to my work but to my future marketing ideas and to my confidence. Of course I know that I have no control over the TV spots I am asked to be on and I know that I have been so lucky and grateful to be interviewed. To be honest, those TV interviews were because of my social media presence, the followers and because I kept doing work, trying to get better and posting the work.
My quality of work and my painting techniques were C average but my love for sports and art were A+
Don’t get me wrong, I was not posting because I wanted the positive responses or to be famous – I posted because I was marketing and wanted work. Ask anyone close to me, I never did and still don’t want to be famous. I come from a blue collar family – I just wanted to get commissions, do work and keep the lights on (pay the bills/provide for my family). And most of all, like all artist and non-artists out there – I just do not want to be broke, poor or live paycheck to paycheck again.
In any case, my social media presence is just a small part of my “marketing”. To be honest, for the past 10 plus years, I have had a semi-loose marketing plan. Being in the marketing and communication business (my 9-5 work is in the marketing field) for the past 20+ years and being somewhat observant on how others do stuff (marketing teams, other successful artists, business stories, interviews, biographies, etc.), learning to trust my gut, reading (listening to books) and asking other artists and business people questions – I can honestly say – I have picked up a few things along the way and practice a core set of principles, policies, rules or whatever you want to call them. These simple rules or policies to help me stay in the game and on my path, some might say “a loose path”, but none-the-less, a path. And that path is a path for me is to be better a father, painter, a business person and human being.
Thanks for reading. More soon.
ao
Next article: 5 of AO’s Marketing Principles and 5 Truths/Beliefs on His Art Work