Don't Toy With my HeART

Twice in the past month I have had the experience where I thought that perhaps I had a serious buyer and that a potential sale of a beloved piece was emanate, only to be completely ignored once I mentioned the price that I had felt I wanted to for my piece.  Purely coincidental I believe is that both pieces involved paintings of chickens.  Now I'm not trying to imply that those that feel drawn to colorful paintings of feathered fowl are some how undependable but that was just an observation that I made.

I think I have a fair system of pricing my work and to me that have poured my heart into each of these pieces it is hard for me to access a value.  These are somewhat like little children and how can you put a value on your child?  But then my business mind takes over and for me to measure my success as an artist I must consider the bottom line.  If my work continues to pile up and every square inch of my walls around my home are covered with my artwork, then I can honestly say I have a surplus inventory and I need to move more product to attain my sales goals.  Art is a tricky business.

So the other night I was approached about my newest piece.  Literally the paint is still wet and yet she said she loved it and had to have it.  At this stage I haven't even made up my mind on the name of the piece and am waiting to sign it then photograph it.  I thought about it and decided to respond that I believe I would ask around $125 even though my family was advising me to say $250.  At this stage I base my price structure on canvas size.  I figure the larger the canvas the longer it takes me to paint then the more I can ask.  I'm sure there are many different thoughts on how to establish a price but that is the one I came up with early on and until I find it now longer makes sense, I'm using it.

11x14 Oil- "On the Hunt"

So I have put that price out there on Facebook in black and white for the world to see and you would think I was talking to a block wall.  Not one more conversation followed on that thread.  It was as if I just crossed an invisible cyber-line and committed a serious transgression.  What price was expected for me to quote; $50 or maybe less?  Perhaps she is busy with her holidays and just hasn't had time to respond. Whatever the reason for the silence, I'm pretty sure this little fellow has time to dry and get a coat of varnish.

I saw this little piece on a fellow artist's Facebook page this past week and took some encouragement from it and thought it was a perfect close to my musing this December 20th.