Congratulations, Jennifer! :-)
I'm doing very few 'real world' shows these days, but agree that it's about 95% easier to sell art face-to-face. People react differently when they can see the work up close and personal.
They're more able to visualize size, for instance.
Even if you're showing your work in a room setting, and have the sizes clearly listed, most online viewers still have an incredibly difficult time converting what they see on a small screen, to their real world. Go ask a furniture store how many pieces are returned because of size issues -- even though customers come in with tape measure in hand!
There's also the question of color. Any consumer who's bought an article of clothing, bedspread, etc. online, has already learned that what they see on their computer is not necessarily what they receive. Unfortunately, artists can't run in and out of peoples' homes calibrating their computer monitors! (Even though I volunteer to do just that, nearly every time I visit someone's home or office.) ;-)
Also, buyers can really be influenced by the artist -- especially by how the artist can speak about their work. The passion, joy, and excitement of a human voice can never fully be replicated by words on the page; no matter how competent the writer.
Selling art online will always be an uphill battle, for many, many reasons; it simply can't compare to 'being there'!
Congratulations, again!
