"Making art is one thing; making a living at art is another," asserts visual artist and artist advisor Liron Sissman. Sissman, the author of "Getting Your Art into Corporate Collections," who is conducting a Sunday workshop for anyone in the arts from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the New Jersey Arts Incubator (NJAI) at Essex Green in West Orange.

Sissman and the NJAI are a natural match; the nonprofit's mission includes helping artists succeed as entrepreneurs. Sissman heard about the NJAI from the New Jersey Plein Air Society: "That's how we got in touch," she said.

Sissman has led similar workshops at the Montclair and Newark museums and the Visual Arts Center in Summit. Sissman knows first hand how to succeed in business and in art; she has accomplished both. Sissman's first love was art. Born in the U.S. to Israeli parents, Sissman grew up in Israel and studied art there before moving to the New York City area. She later continued her art studies at the New York Academy of Art and elsewhere. 

After surveying the U.S. economy, Sissman earned a Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, then an MBA from New York University. While continuing to paint, Sissman entered the pharmaceutical industry, rising to chief financial officer of Taro Pharmaceuticals in Westchester County.

When still fairly young, Sissman was able to leave her day job to paint full time and to advise other artists.

"I want to share with other artists how to have their art seen, and seen properly, and how to sell their art," Sissman said. "An artist has to articulate what their art is and create desire for their art in people's minds. You have to make the right verbal, written and visual presentations. These include how you present your work on the web while protecting your images from unauthorized reproduction."

Her work has been exhibited at major hospitals, including Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, near her Bergen County home. She is represented by many galleries, has exhibited in New York City and nationwide and worldwide and is in more than 100 private collections in the U.S. and abroad. 

Sissman's painting, "Hudson River at Boscobel," will be seen by a nationwide audience when it shows in a 2011 major film, "Something Borrowed," starring Kate Hudson.