Buying art is hard. Believe me, I know. For my 21^st present, my Mum and I went on the hunt for an original artwork. I’m now 22 and still have no art, so let’s just say it wasn’t too successful. I was therefore very happy to stumble upon the Bluethumb Online Art Gallery.

A self-funded Adelaide start-up, Bluethumb makes buying and selling art easy, hosting and promoting an online community where artists can directly display and sell their works. Customers can now buy straight from the artist and no longer need to trawl traditional bricks-and-mortar stores and galleries.

Even more importantly, the public can now support emerging artists, who through this online avenue are more likely to build a career selling their art. “I sell online because it reaches a wider audience, both in Australia and overseas,” says acrylics and mixed media artist Wendy Eriksson. “Different people get to see my work and it’s a non-threatening environment. Selling online also makes my art more affordable. I do not frame so freighting artworks is easy and inexpensive. Selling online definitely boosts my income.”

Gaining momentum exponentially, a week ago Bluethumb listed its 1,000^th Australian artist and the gallery is currently on track to sell $200,000 worth of art for the second year in a row.

For more information.