Open a savings account especially for the sale of your paintings. This should be in addition to any other bank accounts you hold. You will need a valid identification card and another form of ID in most banks to open a savings account. Find one with a decent interest rate so that your money will make more money the longer it is in the bank.
Do your homework. Look for communities and areas where your types of paintings will be a hit. You can do this by seeking out museums, galleries and talking to people. People are generally willing to give you an opinion on which types of art they like and do not like. If you're an abstract artist, for example, you may wish to look for communities that are more suited to your style. Your abstract art may not sell well where landscape artists have made a niche for themselves.
Promote your work all over your community. This can be done online and offline. Set up a website specifically for promoting your work. Send out flyers to people in your area or hand them out at grocery stores or other places where this is permitted. Host an art exhibit at one of the businesses in the community where you want to sell your paintings. This will help you gain recognition and maybe some sales.
Make sure all of your paintings are framed and ready to hang. This is essential. Most people are more inclined to buy a painting they can hang as soon as they walk through their door than one that will require effort on their part. Having your paintings ready with frames and hanging material will let buyers look at you twice.
Don't let up or get lazy. You must have ambition tempered with patience to get rich selling paintings. You must actively promote your paintings to get a sale, and you must keep up with the latest trends. This will keep your paintings open to the fresh market of new art buyers.
Put the money you recieve into your savings account. Every sold painting should add funds to your savings account. Do not touch this account for any reason. As long as it keeps growing, you can get rich selling your paintings. But it will take time, and you should keep a regular job in the meantime.