Musing on the market

Today's Color Field
5x7 inches
acrylic on mat board

The scanner does not pick up the top of the sky for some reason. Still waiting for my new memory card for the camera.


I had breakfast with another artist this morning, a well known painter. We mused about the state of the market. Her feeling is that people want to buy art that has a "comfort", nostalgic feel to it. They are hunkered down and need to feel good about happier times. It was an interesting perspective. I wonder if that is a way to market my farms and ranches paintings? The are certainly a slice of the old Florida we natives remember so well. It gives me food for thought on exactly how I will develop the market for this new series for myself. Of course, I always do the paintings before I worry about a market for them, basackwards is me. I suppose if I were a real marketing expert, I would develop a market for them before I started the series, but I never process that way. The series just sort of evolve into themselves as my interest builds.

She told me about friends who are selling well as a team, by loading up their work in a van and calling on clients to show them new work. You know that takes guts that I don't have. It is a nifty way to sell, sort of like the old Fuller Brush Man, going from door to door with his wares, working his route. For some reason, I just don't see my clients appreciating that technique. Perhaps I am missing the boat on this. I think most of my patrons would highly resent this direct, in your face approach, but perhaps I am a fool for not trying it.

Perhaps it could be used in a more subtle way. Why couldn't I put a blurb on my web site and my collector's blog, saying that I would be happy to come to a home to show my latest work so that colletors could actually view the work in their home? Now this I could do as an added service to patrons. Sometimes we can take someone elses idea and modify it into one that we can feel more comfortable with for ourselves.

It is vital that we can bounce ideas off of each other in the art community. My friend was astounded that I am so direct on this blog about my failures and mistakes. She said that most artists would be unwilling to be so revealing about their careers. I feel I have nothng to hide or regret at this stage of the game. I've tried many things that failed and many things that have worked. Sharing them on this blog might save another painter wasted time in trying the same bad idea.

My ego is far too big to worry about what any artist might think of me. I Yam what I Yam says Popeye Blondheim :>)

Then we moved on to my new idea for the larger works in the galleries and smaller works through my studio and web site. She liked this idea and felt it was sound. Evidently you all do too because I got good feedback on yesterday's post on that.

The reviews on giving up framing for galleries were not so positive. I suppose I will have to continue to frame pieces going into galleries, but my intent is to make a frame free studio and web site. Call me stubborn and of course I am. I just want to get out of the framing biz entirely someday. Making the studio frame free is a start.

Summer of 2006, I had my annual hot dog party. For some reason I can no longer remember, I had a lot of paintings that summer which were unframed in the studio. It was not intentional, it just happened. I was surprised to sell well at that party and sold some new paintings unframed. The patrons didn't seem to mind at all. I was able to give them my framer's name and the store where he frames. They took them down to frame them to their own taste. In fact, the latest paintings I sold were unframed because the patron wanted her framer to do them to suit her decor just last month. I think this no frame studio can work, I really do. In fact, I will get my framer to make some 10% off coupons for his shop that I can give to patrons when they buy here at the studio.

Tomorrow I will be away from the studio. I'm taking my Mom, my sister and Studio Dog on a boat cruise to Cedar Key. I'll tell you all about it when we get back. Speaking of Studio Dog, we got him a new big crate for sleeping. He is getting a bit cramped in the old one. I will keep it in the studio for travel and for his nap time. He now has a new master suite, with flat screen, Ipod, a chez lounge,garden tub and other ammenities....SNORE....Snort.....

Today's Recipe

Linda's Sliders

I love little cheeseburgers and they have become popular in restaurants, called Sliders.

2 cans biscuits baked and allowed to cool. Slice in half.
1 pound ground beef
salt/pepper
1/2 can French fried onion rings, toasted lightly.set aside
catsup
mustard
pickles
thinly sliced tomato
lettuce
Whatever cheese you like

Make meatballs press into flat disks. Bake in oven, pour off fat. When almost done top with cheese and bake until it is melted.

Let everyone make their own burgers with condiments. Yummy!! It's the biscuits that make them so good.