Yes. I'm sure there are many full time artists out there who run a solid business without one, but in this day and age it just makes sense. It's especially important if you're looking to expand, or increase public awareness of yourself and your work. However, you don't need to spend thousands of dollars on a fancy all-Flash website. Sites like http://www.weebly.com let you build a template-based site for free.

well... you don't NEED one.... but I'm sure it would help. After all the more people that can see your art, the more people you have who will want to buy it.

The good news is that you don't have to be a techno-computer-wizard type to have a website. In fact Its artistic type people with a good eye for design who have the best websites these days.

The simplest thing you could do is take pictures if your art and upload the pictures to a photo sharing website.. There's a really helpful guide on how to do this here.

The next step up is a simple blog... its a little bit more complicated, but if you can cope with a site like conundrum guide, the you shouldn't have any problems. Just have a look at this step by step guide

And the last step is to tell people about it.... Ask a question in Conundrum Land so we can see what you do :)

No. You can sell art in a variety of different ways.

Typically, studios have a website that they will photograph and promote upcoming shows on. If you exhibit, it's conceivable that you don't need your own site and that people will either purchase through the gallery or view your art online, visit an exhibition and buy there.

That being said, it's a VERY good idea to have your own website.

I think that the best reason for an artist to have their own website isn't for ecommerce. A website provides an invaluable opportunity for you to have a digital, 24x7 portfolio. Many professional artists live and die on "contract" or hired work. Even if you don't plan to accept contract work, having even a few selected works online can show people what you've done and encourage a fan base to form. If you have your contact information easily accessible on the site, folks will call if they're interested in seeing your work and making a purchase.

Check out these portfolio wordpress themes:
http://www.inspiredm.com/2009/09/05/10-fresh-n-cool-photo-and-gallery-wordpress-themes/

Wordpress is free, so for the cost of one of these themes and some time photographing and writing up some short descriptions / titles, you could have a full website. A neighborhood geek should be able to set all of this up for under $50 (plus maybe $5 a month for hosting).

Good luck!

It is not completely necessary...but I think to truly maximize your profits you should start a website or blog. If you know what you are doing you can get a lot more exposure than if you didn't have a site. You could always just pass out cards to people with your web address on it too when you are at shows or other art related events. And don't be intimidated by starting a website or blog...it is actually very easy. Some great resources are:

http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-set-up-a-blog-advice
http://YouCreateWebsite.com

I hope that helped. Good luck!