Nearly every successful artist can look back at their career and point to a moment when they finally crossed over and started to actually make money.   For some, it was a big win at a show. For others, it was a sale to an important collector or gift shop.   For many, though, it was finally finding a gallery to show their work.

So, how to get into a gallery?

If there's one thing gallery owners agree on, when asked about new artists coming to sell their work, it's this: Look before you leap.   That means, don't go sauntering into some gallery on Canyon Road in Santa Fe that only sells high-priced and solemn work from dead guys and try to sell them your hot-pink and neon green bead work.

  "Make sure your work is compatible first - go in, look around," said Jeff Tabor, owner of Art Exchange Gallery on the Plaza in Santa Fe.

In other words, study your galleries first. Some galleries carry many artists and are willing to take chances on new ones. Others, meanwhile, only carry a handful of artists and are intensively selective and are only looking for a specific type of work.

Tabor's gallery, he said, "Is nothing like these museum type galleries - we've got art hanging from ceiling to floor.   People walk in and say, 'Wow, you're offering a lot of variety in here,'" he said. "This isn't a museum - it looks like we use it. We sell art here."

About half of his art is from native artists, he said. There are stacks of paintings and prints leaning against walls, where customers can sit down and browse like they would books.

Tabor also suggests that any artist trying to find a gallery to represent his work should spend a lot of time with Southwestern magazines and art magazines looking at trends, advertisements and gallery information.

  "That's a great way to pick and choose - look through the ads in these magazines and you'll see something and say, "Man, I gotta go see that gallery," he said. "So try them. It will save you a lot of walking."

But ultimately, he said, "You end up having to hit the road - humble yourself with your packet and portfolio and walk in."

Which brings up another topic:   Your resume.

  "A lot of galleries talk about your resume or portfolio," Tabor said. "That includes getting into shows, that kind of thing. It's probably less important for the native artists , in my mind. To me the most important thing is that I want to see a body of work together that you can really show me what your passion is, what your likes and dislikes are, artistically speaking."

In other words, the portfolio and list of accomplishments is only important to an extent. It's your work that matters most.

  "I take work on the merit of the pieces alone," he said. For example, he said, a very new artist walked into his shop recently by the name of Gary Humming-bird. "I just liked his work," Tabor said. "He does these Apache dancers, and fine detail work. It's so traditional but it filled a niche that I didn't have. It's tight, controlled, beautiful done paintings, and they were affordable."

Peter Stoessel, director of Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe and Taos - which shows only work from native artists - says new artists also need to be careful on pricing their work. Many young artists, he say, put too high a pricetag on their pieces.

  "They really need to understand pricing," Stoessel said. "They may feel their work is as good or better than another, and it might be. But I'm talking about ego here. Keep your ego in check when you're starting out. Focus on your artwork, not your ego, and price your art work to sell. It's better to be a sell-out artist than not selling out because your prices are too high."

In fact, Tabor says that if art is priced reasonably, he will often buy smaller pieces outright, which means artists don't have to wait for commissions. For those that do get accepted on a commission basis, Art Exchange splits the price at 50/50. In contrast, Blue Rain Gallery gives the artist 60 percent of the sale price - but Blue Rain Gallery carries fewer artists and might be harder to get into.

New artists also need to be aware of the ethical issues in a relationship with a gallery, Stoessel said.

  "Business is business," he noted. Artists shouldn't be too dreamy about that, because some galleries also expect artists to make a commitment to the gallery, if they want the gallery to make a commitment to them.

  "We do ask for a certain ethical consideration," Stoessel said. "If an artist cuts a deal with a client on our floor, we're not going to show with them any more. This happens with a lot of native artists."

Both Stoessel and Tabor also said new artists trying to break into the business should try to put their pride and ask for feedback from show judges, gallery owners and anyone else who will listen.

  "I don't know of any artist that I've refused to see their work," he said. "I think it's a good idea for an artist to bring their work to gallery owners and ask for a critique. You can really get a lot of great input, if you can take it, if you're open to it."

Many gallery owners can critique not only the technique-suggesting drawing lessons, perhaps-but also the overall style.

 "You don't want to end up looking too commercial, or too garish, or too slick - those kinds of things," Tabor said.

For instance, Stoessel said, art with political intent - "what I call angry art" - just doesn't sell.

  "It might be good," he said. "I might appreciate the message. But art like that is hard to sell."

Just the same, don't get all sunset sentimental on him, either.

 "Everyone has beautiful sunsets and landscapes," Stoessel said. "That's hard to sell sometimes, too. So you have to find a niche."

"It's very hard for young artists," he said. "A lot of them are forced to have other jobs - supermarkets or restaurants. From what I've seen, you can't really expect to start making it, financially speaking, until 10 years or more out of art school."

"But they shouldn't give up," he added. "Don't stop painting, don't stop sculpting. I've seen people in the art field hit their stride after 20 years of working at it. These young people, these young artists, they have talent, you know, and they need to pursue that talent."

So his best advice to new artists, Stoessel said, "is keep at it, keep at it, and keep working - your niche will come."