Spend at least 20-30% of your time marketing. You have to pay for this either way. Either you pay a gallery to do this for you , or you put your time and effort into it. Unless people see the great art you're making, they'll never buy it.

Create quality art.... meaningful, passionate and high quality work! If it's not meaningful to you, how can you expect it to be meaningful to anyone else?

As I look back on my fondness for the outdoors, and specifically the elements in nature that I find visually stimulating, I am surprised at how often the theme of dead trees arise. I guess it's that each one seems to have a story of its own, representing many years of living through everything that nature could throw at them.

Rather than listening to music while you paint, listen to the sort of wisdom that can help grow your career.

Nothing quite delivers the full experience of being out there like floating around soaking up the warmth of the early morning rays with a brush in hand.

Find a business mentor. Connect with others who are successful in other lines of business. Bounce ideas off them, pick their brains. Maybe they can re-write a proposal for you.