New London — Troy Zaushny felt like he had been flopping around for two decades trying to make a go of his art without much success.

Then last year he decided to get serious. He enrolled in Hygienic Art's Artist Academy, a series of workshops designed to build business skills in the arts community.

"I didn't understand the business end of it," Zaushny said. "I suspected what to do, but I wasn't doing it. ... A lot of it was a kind of fear."

But Zaushny said attending the Artist Academy series, supported again this year by a $5,000 grant from Citizens Bankwriting workshop conducted by Mary Jane Cassidy, gave him the "kick in the pants" he needed to alter his habits, Zushny said.

He went on, he said. to dramatically increase his art sales over the past year. By doing so, the Hygienic artist has been able to spend more time on his studio art and less time on part-time jobs to pay the bills, Zaushny said.

"It's good information, and it's cheap," he said, referring to the fee of $25 for three monthly workshops that this year features California artist Daniel Edwards, a well-known sculptor who formerly taught at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts.

Edwards, known for sculpting celebrities such as Britney Spears and Paris Hilton in controversial and unauthorized poses, will be the second workshop leader May 26, addressing "The Art of Promotion." The series will conclude June 23 with a panel discussion involving local artists Del-Bourree Bach and wife Kristen Bach.

Zaushny, who intends to once again attend the latest series of workshops, said artist Jackie Battenfield last year made the greatest impression on him by urging the use of a spreadsheet to keep an inventory of his artworks. Such organizational advice has made it easier to keep track of where his art is being shown and what kinds of results he gets from each placement.

"She was kind of forceful about 'Just do it,'" Zaushny said of Battenfield, author of "The Artist's Guide." "It does pay off, but it is a lot of time and work."

Zaushny said he had been lucky to sell $1,000 worth of work in previous years, but estimated selling over $10,000 in the past year. He also has begun looking into grants, improving his ability to write artist's statements and polishing his approach to social media, he said.

The artist, who has developed specialized block-printing and plaster-fresco techniques, said he also has started to more seriously consider the importance of pricing his artwork to support himself.

"I had no idea how to price stuff," he admitted, saying he previously had sometimes charged close to the amount he spent on materials.

He is still open to haggling on prices, he said, but now negotiations start at a higher level. Setting a retail price at a consistent level also had the benefit of not confusing buyers.

"I just noticed right away I sold more than I ever had," he said.

l.howard@theday.com

Twitter: @KingstonLeeHow

WHAT: Artist Academy @ Hygienic

WHERE: Hygienic Art, 79 Bank St., New London

WHEN: 7 p.m. April 28; 7 p.m. May 26; 7 p.m. June 23

CALL: 860-443-8001

EMAIL: hygacademy@gmail.com

WEBSITE: www.hygienic.org