Saturday, November 21, 2009
What is it worth?
I've been painting like a mad woman for weeks now to get ready for our next show at our gallery. We had decided to have a small works show during the holidays thinking that the prices might be a little easier on the wallet. In the past couple months I have lowered my prices and I can do that without pissing to many people off (if any) since I really haven't made a name for myself yet. Now if I was a person selling to a solid client base this would not be good. But little ol me hasn't quite gotten there yet. Some of these small works I've painted lately take longer than a big painting and it hurts to price them low, but that is the only way right now to get your artwork out in the big world. Art simply is not on the top of peoples list to buy. I try to base my prices on the real estate of the canvas, with maybe a slight variance. My last 2 pieces were 6" x 9" and I'm selling them for 175.00 each. The gallery gets half so.......this is a labor of love. I have about 18 - 20 hours in each piece, maybe a little more actually. I can't go by the hour or the difficulty. People think you whip art out in an hour like Bob Ross on TV (PBS). That's pretty rare, and more of a plein air style. Not a bad thing, just not my style. So tomorrow is the hanging and I have 12 pieces that I'm showing. About half are pieces that I already have had. One is a sketch that I did, which is new for me to be exhibiting. Our size requirements for this show was 20 x 20 or smaller. This show will run through Christmas and hopefully give me time to paint some bigger works.
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3 comments:
Since the seeming (teeming?) majority of us are nowhere near your area, could you post up some samples of what you're showing?
Or are they already up at your other site?
Selling my art (when once I did that) was the part I just hated. I felt like such a whore when I reduced the tag on each piece being marketed. It just didn't feel right. That was why I quit the competition and marketing deal associated with my art. It just didn't feel right selling a piece of me for next to nothing. Like people wanted what was hung but at a price close to what it cost to frame each piece. I admire what you do and how you do it. Don't get discouraged when it comes to selling your pictures. Getting low balled happens to all of us. Unfortunately this is is part of being an artist.
Have you thought about eBay? Establish a reserve and get close to your price without splitting half with a gallery.
Marquis, Seemingly I haven't had a lot of extra time to mess with getting them on the computer.
Bob, Have you told me what kind of art you did? I'm thinking photography??? Tell me. I would love to see some of your pieces. I can tell you've been where I'm at and it is a battle of selling yourself short or not. I tell myself all the time, "this is what I do, live with it."
Not sure about Ebay...uhhh. Not sure if that's the kind of route I want to go? I don't know, it feels somehow that it cheapens the art. Does that make sense? I dont know if that makes sense to me, but in some ways in does.
As for the galery, we are 1 of six owners and that is the split we set up for ourselves to insure rent and bills. I'm not saying all, but that is usually a cut for a gallery. Seeing how I basically I run the place, I'm screwing myself. :)
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