Cataloging Your Artwork

When I began to paint, I looked for ways to keep track of my work as it built up. I came up with a simple spreadsheet that I created in Excel that I can adjust and review as I moved forward. As I created works of art, I came up with a numbering system that I think works really well. Here’s how it goes:

· Name: Name of the painting

· Type: Landscape, Portrait, etc.

· Medium: Oil, Watercolor, etc.

· Size: width x height in inches

· Year: Year completed

· Varnish: Yes or No

· Catalog number: Initials for Type, year, and the number that designates the number of completed work: for example L24330 is Landscape, completed in 2024, and 330th art piece.

· Sold To: If sold, who the buyer was

· Address: Address of the buyer

· Date sold: date of the sale

· Price: Price to be sold or was sold. N/A for donations

· Note: Any additional information on the piece.

I think it’s really important to keep track of your work and your customers. It’s also helpful to be able to look up the names of artwork and when they were created. It’s also a great way to see what size frames you’ve used and which you can swap out. As things change, it’s crucial to keep your system updated. On my canvas or the back of a drawing, I put the name of the artwork, the catalog number, my name and the copyright symbol and year. I try to do this in ink and make it easy to read. I always sign my work in a paint color that is in the painting or in a medium that matches the artwork on the front.