5 Lessons I Learned From Selling All 3 Paintings at Incognito Art Show

A few months ago, I submitted three paintings to my first Incognito Art Show, including a protea piece that sold on the final day in Townsville. All three found homes.

I didn't take home a single dollar. Every cent went to charity. And it might be the most meaningful sale I've ever had.

But first... What is the Incognito Art Show all about?

For anyone unfamiliar, Incognito Art Show is exactly what it sounds like. It's an Australian art show where artworks go up anonymously, and buyers don't know whose piece they're taking home until after they've bought it. Every submission is sold at the same price, artists work alongside each other rather than in competition, and 100% of proceeds go to charity.

No names, no egos, just the work speaking for itself.

I decided to take part mostly for the fun of it, and for the community. It felt like a low-pressure way to put my work out into a room full of other artists and collectors, support a good cause, and see how my art stood up without my name attached to sell it. No expectations, just showing up and seeing what happened.

Here's what it taught me, even if I didn't recieve a single dollar from the sale.

1. My art is good enough to collect

As a newer artist, that's not something you know... It's something you hope. My website is just over a year old, sales have been slow, and it's easy to wonder if the work is actually good, or just something I like.

Watching all three pieces sell, one by one, answered that question in a way no amount of self-belief could. People chose to take my work home. That's proof, not a compliment.

2. There is a buyer out there

It's tempting to think collectors only exist for artists with a big following or a long history. Incognito reminded me that's not true! You just have to put the work in front of people. The buyer doesn't always find you first. Sometimes you have to show up.

3. The connection matters more than the money

Every dollar from this show went to charity! I didn't earn anything from these sales. And yet it still felt like the biggest win of my year.

That surprised me. I expected the money to matter more than it did. What actually mattered was the moment someone looked at a piece and decided it belonged in their home. That connection is the whole point. The money is just what usually follows it.

4. People love small originals because they're affordable

Not everyone can spend four figures on a painting, and they shouldn't have to, to own something original. Smaller works open the door for collectors who want the real thing, not a print, without the price tag of a large statement piece.

If you're an artist wondering whether smaller work "counts," this is your sign that it absolutely does. It's often the entry point that turns someone into a lifelong collector.

5. Art is for everyone. Not just people with deep pockets!

This is the lesson I want to shout the loudest. Original art has a reputation for being for a certain kind of buyer. A certain income bracket, a certain kind of home. Incognito proved that wrong. The people who bought my work weren't art-world insiders. They were simply everyday, normal people who saw something they loved and could actually afford to bring it home.

That's the kind of art world I want to be part of.

To everyone who collected a piece at Incognito, thank you! You have no idea what it means to have my work chosen, especially knowing every dollar went to a cause bigger than either of us.

If you loved this collection, I still have original paintings and prints waiting for a home. You can browse them here. With love and gratitude, Carolyn