I am currently in a transition phase; I am staying with a friend to organize a few personal things before I will go to a more permanent location elsewhere. Today, as my friend was driving me around, we stopped at a stationery store and I was thinking of buying a little watercolour (travel) set and a sketch pad, just to make a few playful sketches of the flowers in his garden. I was puzzled by the cost of the tiniest travel set and I decided to forget the “floral mission”. My country does not manufacture artists’ quality art materials and with our weak currency, the prices just seem a bit steep. Fortunately, my friend found a little set in his cupboard which he bought in the United Kingdom decades ago and he said I could borrow it. So, I will see if I have any time to do a few illustrations.
Often, ordinary (art loving) people are baffled by the “average” high price artists sell their works for. I think all art buyers should do themselves a favour and visit the art supply stores occasionally, and see what artists are paying for the basic materials they need. It is a pretty penny the artists have to budget for and let us keep the cost of the frame out of the picture; you will believe you have been “framed”. Just to keep you in the frame … The usual formula us “ordinary” artists use to price our works, if there is a frame involved, is: two and half times the price of the frame, which is actually “theft”, because the frame may sell the work, but it devalues the work itself to an extent, which is my personal opinion.
Anyway, that formula was given to me years ago by a good art friend and perhaps it should be three or four times the price of the frame now. There are many issues at stake and costs on all fronts can dim our artistic flames if we are not careful. Just remember, artists may seem like “crazy” people, but there could be few reasons behind their “madness” and price of the art materials and equipment could be one.
A few months ago, a friend posted a little statement about what happens when someone buys art from an artist. I think I must use it here to paint the view from the artists’ perspective. “When you buy something from an artist, you’re buying more than an object. You’re buying hundreds of hours of errors and experimentation. You’re buying years of frustration and moments of pure joy. You’re not buying just one thing, you are buying a piece of heart, a piece of soul … a small piece of someone else’s life.” (This quote can be located by using the link at the bottom of the page.)
I included a segment of a large oil colour on canvas, abstract piece, entitled “Ceremony”. Have a great day with pomp and ceremony; be creative regardless of the cost. If you have a few tricks to minimize the impact of the cost, go ahead along the more “affordable” way. (However, please share your cost cutting tips and tricks with the rest of us.)
Well, you do absolutely stunning work and I wish all success for you.
Hello "wilhelm", unfortunately I am not a successful seller, but the passion I do possess . Be blessed. We each have a measure of interest or passion for a craft God placed in our hands.
What a lovely work of art! I just hope that all your masterpieces ( and that means everything you've created thus far) go to the correct buyer at the right price... someone who can "feel" your passion and soul, someone who can "read" the feelings that went into every line and every colour...