Etsy

Last year, I tested Etsy by listing a 24x30 acrylic on canvas, unframed, priced at $325.

The painting—a minimalist piece featuring a bold red barn beneath expansive skies—was inspired by themes of solitude, stillness, and resilience. In a gallery setting, this size and style would typically be priced closer to $650+, but by selling directly on Etsy I was able to make it accessible at $325.

And I’m happy to say—it sold.

Experiment costs: 20 cent listing fee.

Why Etsy?

I established my Etsy shop back in 2020, and it has since grown to well over 850 sales. Most of those sales have come from my woodworking pieces, which built a strong reputation and a loyal customer base.

Because of that foundation, Etsy felt like the perfect place to test selling my paintings. Unlike Facebook Marketplace or Nextdoor—where buyers are often hunting for bargains—Etsy attracts collectors who are already searching for meaningful, handmade, and original art. That alignment made all the difference in finding the right buyer for this piece.

What I Learned

Credibility matters. Having an established shop with hundreds of positive reviews helped reassure the buyer that they were purchasing from a trusted artist.

Presentation is key. Good photography and clear listing details helped the painting stand out.

There are real costs. Etsy took about 6% in fees, and I also covered $42 in shipping plus $35 for professional wrapping and packing. While the painting sold for $325, those expenses cut into the final earnings—an important reminder that pricing has to reflect not just the art itself but also the logistics of getting it safely to the collector.

The competition is fierce. Etsy is crowded with professional framed reproductions and large companies mass-manufacturing prints at low cost. That makes it harder for original work to stand out—but also makes it more meaningful when a buyer chooses an authentic, one-of-a-kind painting.

Takeaway

This attempt was a reminder that the right buyer will come along when art is placed in the right setting. Etsy connected me with a collector who valued the piece at its true worth, and that success encourages me to continue blending both my woodworking and painting into one creative storefront.