Gallery representation is an important part of a professional artist‘s portfolio, and being represented by a spread of galleries in a range of locations, perhaps over a long period of time, is a good way to build both your reputation and your self-confidence. But you shouldn’t rely just on galleries to show your work – it will often happen that you’ll meet someone, either at an art fair or other art event, or perhaps in a context that isn’t so closely related to your field, and they’ll express interest in your work. Don’t be embarrassed when this happens, be delighted – it’s a sincere compliment. A good way to follow it up is by suggesting a studio visit to the interested individual.

Of course, this isn’t something you should do all [...]