People Don't Buy Art, They Buy the Artist?

I posted this comment on ArtBizBlog this morning.  

What do you think? People Don't Buy Art, they buy the artist.

I have been a webmaster since before people knew what html was. The first and foremost rule I had was “Make It Easy to Navigate.” The second “suggestion” (people hate rules) was “Tell Them Who You Are.” That includes photos, a bio, a statement of your intention/purpose, anecdotes, anything that will make the visitor to your site feel like you are their neighbor, their soon-to-be new friend, a person they want to know more about, etc. No matter what you are selling, art or belly dance, they truly do want to know the man behind the curtain. And be honest. Tell only what you want the whole world to know, because once it is out there, everyone has access to the information. No matter where in the world you live and make art, your neighbors include everyone who visits your internet presence, be it Facebook, Web Site, Art Blog, whatever. I like chatting with the guy who owns my local vegan health food restaurant. He makes the food, stocks the shelves and serves me my lunch. Be accessible to your fans. I have had my phone number and email on the web for 15 years on all of my sites. So far I have not gotten one obscene phone call. You could be the first. 626 345 1753. Please be sensible and do not put your address out there, unless it’s a PO box, but be reachable via email and telephone. Just my 2 cents. PennyPaints on Facebook.