After musing about pricing with my old friend, fabulous painter,Deborah Paris HERE, I have come up with a plan of sorts. I will only place paintings 12x16 and up in galleries from now on and market my smaller, lower priced,my plein air studies and my experiments through my web site and studio. I wish I had thought of this years ago.
It makes perfect sense to me. Most patrons who are willing to frequent art galleries can afford larger, more expensive paintings. I can still give the galleries my little miniatures which I sell as Mail Art. That is an impulse item which sells well up on the counter at the register in galleries and shops. Everything else will be 12x16 or larger in the galleries. This would allow me to adjust my pricing on smaller work, since the galleries will no longer handle the small sizes. It will take me a bit of time to rotate the smaller work out of the brick and mortars, but within 6 or 8 months, I should be able to do that successfully. Of course, I will sell larger works in the studio and web site too, but they will have to retail at the same price as the gallery is selling them.
I am tending to do most of my serious work in the 12x16 and larger sizes anyway, saving the small format for more studies these days, so that will work out nicely for me.
The other issue I have been grappling with for this year is framing. I am moving toward doing more of the birch panels which I wire on the back with mirror hangers and hang unframed. I am thinking that all of my work sold in the studio could be unframed and the gallery work I do could be framed if they are on Masonite or canvas.
Every year I look at my receipts in January and am horrified by the amount of money I spend on framing. Not to mention how banged up the frames get during transport to exhibitions and galleries. Then there is the storage issue as well. I think a major goal for me in 2009 is to switch all of my painting over to the birch panels, except for the large paintings I do, which I do on deep gallery wrap. I am completely smitten with the wood panels as a painting surface and don't want to go back to Masonite, though there is nothing wrong with it. If I never had to deal with framing again, I would be delighted and much richer.
I'm thinking I am gradually going to sell all of my Masonite paintings in frames as I gradually change over to the wood panels. It will be a slow process but worth the transition. I will put the framed paintings in the galleries As easy as it is now days for folks to purchase ready made frames, I can charge a bit less for the paintings and let them buy their own frame. I always paint on standard sizes for that reason. My custom framer is always very happy to help my clients frame their paintings if they prefer an upgraded frame. I always love a good plan!!!
Events:
Ice House Gallery
"New Beginnings"
30 artists
December 5, 2009
US 441 McIntosh, Florida (Hope to see my friends from Ocala and Gainesville there)
Open Studio
Linda's regular monthly class
December 7, 2008
2-6 PM
Linda's Studio
20.00 studio fee
Drawing Divas and Pencil Pimps
December 14, 2008
3-?PM
Linda's Studio
Refreshments will be served
No fees.
Today's Recipe
Baked Spiced Shrimp
5 pounds large shrimp shelled and deveined, leave tails on.
1 pound butter
juice of four lemons
bottle of Italian dressing
2 oz coarse ground black pepper
Make sauce with butter, dressing,lemon juice and pepper
Put shrimp in a deep pan, cover with 1/2 sauce. Bake covered with foil 30-45 minutes
Serve hot with remaining sauce for dipping.
Henry the Studio Dog
Studio Dog Goes on Tour
9 comments:
Thank you for the mention, Linda! I too have been thinking about our exchange on this topic and I think what you have come up with makes perfect sense. As I mentioned, I really have struggled with how to price smaller more affordable art but respect the price structure I have in place with galleries. Most of my galleries really don't want smaller pieces anyway, and by the time they take commission its hardly worth the effort. So selling those exclusively thru the studio and online at lower price points should suit everyone. I also set up a separate blog as my online gallery- so visitors can see everything that's available thru my studio rather than scrolling thru pages on my regular blog. I have an idea for something a bit different as far as the work goes to show there too-although I haven't sorted it out well enough to talk about it yet. Anyway, thanks for helping to clarify those issues with me!
Linda and Deborah,
This is a very interesting topic for discussion today. I too grapple with framing and spend a lot of money on mats, frames, glass etc, as my watercolours, gouache and pastels have to go under glass. I have really been seriously thinking about changing my main painting medium, but really don’t paint that well in acrylic so it may have to be oil! I recently bought a lot of frames and now keep moving them from pillar to post….and they DO get damaged.
Linda, when you present your birch panels with a hook on the back….and no frame…do galleries accept these OK? Also how do you deal with the edges/sides and obviously you have to prime the back to stop warpage…. or maybe you have covered this in a previous post...and I have missed it.
Deborah, I Love your new blog just for selling…makes perfect sense. I’ve separating my technique and painting tips blogs into categories of watercolour, gouache and pastel so that readers wont have to scroll through loads of stuff to see a particular technique in a particular medium.
Maggie
Wow! Fantastic comments from Deborah and Maggie today. Lots to consider here. I have just remade my Landscapes of the South into a collector oriented blog rather than oriented to artists. I think with time it will attract collectors. I don't know about having one with only paintings for sale. I don't see the advantage of that over my web sites where I sell my work with paypal buttons. It seems to me that collectors would like to read something interesting and have a reason to come besides look at work. I have been wrong many times of course, so I will be anxious to see how this works for you Deborah.
Maggie,
I've not actually put any of the unframed panels in galleries yet. I know my local dealer is fine with it. I paint them a solid color on the sides and I have also thought of putting plain matt ribbon around the edge for a finished look. That might work too. My thought at this point is to hang most of the panel works in the studio and turn the studio and web site sales into no frame sales, putting framed work in the galleries. We will see.
Love,
Linda
Hi Linda, I just started experimenting with those panels, and I love them! The textured surface is more than adequate for me and I love the finished appearance. I use a water-down acrylic to paint the sides in a color that complements the piece. I haven't yet started to sell any, so I'll be checking back with you to monitor your experience with them.
hi, Linda-
I think your idea to only market your larger sizes in galleries, etc, is a good one. As for sending the panels unframed to galleries....I dunno about that one. To me, a painting is an expensive item. It should LOOK expensive, which only a frame can do. Just my humble opinion.
Had you considered having some empty frames in your studio to sell to people if they buy a painting? Mark them up 30%, and they'd still be cheaper than a frame shop.
I'm loving looking at your "my yard" series- It is really terrific.
An excellent post! Your pricing ideas are spot on and I'm going to follow your lead I think. I do have a few galleries that only want my small canvases, and it's easier for me to sell them myself. Most galleries do want the larger work anyway.
Anne has a very good point about the framing, and I'm tempted to agree. At a certain level good framing is expected by the customer. It's psychological. Every year I consider if I should be framing for certain galleries even though I hate how it looks on my work. It all depends on the gallery though, so if you have one happy to take them unframed then I'd trust them. They know their clients. :)
Sharon,
Glad you like the panels too. There is nothing like them. We will both see how they do in the market.
Anne and Tina,
I do see your point. I may put framed in galleries and keep unframed in the studio, though I would like to try to move out of frames entirely in the future. Most of my high end clients like to buy unframed and have their framers do that. If I were high end, that's what I would do. I just ant to get out of the raming end of art. Hopefully I will eventually.
Thank for good advice all.
Love,
Linda
Hi Linda and Everyone,
This certainly is a lively discussion.
Maggie, I actually did change my medium to get away from glass and mats. You might want to try the new "open acrylics" by Golden. Google "open acrylic reviews."
Linda, every time someone mentions frames getting beat up, I cringe because without them, the paintings are more likely to get beat up. That said, I too embrace leaving frames behind. It offers the choices you mention plus gives a painting a more contemporary look.
Sharon, thanks for the watered down acrylic on the edges idea.
Deborah, I like your online gallery blog for collectors because of its few, very well-chosen words.
Carol Marine does same very successfully with a link to ebay for bidding and an ebay store for paintings under the reserved bid.
Together, we can make it through this economy!
Together, we can make it through this economy!
Great words Nancy. Yes, we have to be careful of the paintings unframed. Who knows what is the best way? It is always a delimma. Thanks for the great comments.
Love,
Linda
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