My art okay? Price okay?

Question

Just wondering if anyone likes my paintings and the other art I have listed. Also, Do you think that the prices are reasonable?

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http://fadedgrey.boundlessgallery.com/portfolio/index.html

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Answer 1

Hello, fadedgrey,
The question of putting a price on my work has bugged me throughout my life as an artist - and I began in 1947 ! If I am exhibiting in a 'physical' gallery. as opposed to on-line, the geographical location of the gallery, the exact venue within that location and the time of the year all have to be taken into consideration when setting a price. On-line, of course, these considerations don't apply as you have the full breadth of your possible market.
So let's take another tack - The average weekly wage : I live and work in the East Midlands of England where the average weekly wage is round about £500.
At today's rate of exchange the £ sterling is worth $1.90 so your $200 paintings would be priced at around £105 in the UK. (Hope this is right - numbers are not my strong point).
A 5 day working week in the UK means a wage of £100 per day.
SO - if a painting priced at $200 (£105) takes you more than one day to complete, you are doing skilled work, spending your time and paying for materials on the top of this, which brings in less than the national average weekly wage.
A talented artist's work should be valued much higher than this but there is a tradition ( at least in this country) of undervaluing art work and whilst the above suggested pricing would be fair you might not get many takers. I once had an offer for a piece which was less than the cost of the frame.
Think of your work in these terms and If you live in the USA work your (dollar) prices out along these lines. A well-considered and executed painting that takes a week to complete should fetch at least the same as the average weekly wage - but only you can decide whether to go for fairness in pricing or more certain sales.
You ask also for an opinion on your work. Please believe that what I am about to say has nothing to do with the fact that we are a couple of generations apart (I've seen your photograph) - good craftmanship is timeless and I think that at the moment this is what your work lacks. Think of some of the great names, the creative masters, the innovators who have advanced the visual arts by leaps and bounds - take one of these names from any period of painting and every one of them knew how to apply paint so that even a single brushstroke across a canvas had a life and vitality of its own. They were craftsmen as well as painters. I know that for many of today's painters, learning how to mix and apply paint is frowned upon - expressing themselves is their chief concern. A potter can't get away with poor technique as everyone can recognise a failed pot - so why should poor technique in painting be greeted with cries of, "How creative !!" You are striving but you're patently not there yet.
Your greatest asset to-date is that you want to paint - please go on with this desire, it's worth far more than advice from such as I.
To the more pleasant - I liked your Photoshop pieces very much. I felt that here your imagery had a chance to strike a chord and be remembered. Don't be put off by anyone who decries Photoshop - I use it frequently in combination with drawn / painted images to produce stuff which sells well, albeit that the prices have to reflect the fact that they are prints, not originals. Yes they could be copied but the number you could sell from a well organised and well publicised outlet would far outweigh the number of people who know how to cheat and who would even want to.
I hope you don't feel I've been harsh - go on painting for all you're worth and good luck to you for the future.

Answer 2

You want me to be honest here? I shall.

The photographs are pretty damn good. Very refreshing and original. You could easily get much more than you're asking in an art gallery that specialized in photography.

As to the paintings, with the exception of the 'Center Rose' (which I really like), I don't think you show nearly as much originality as with the photos. It's just that what you're showing looks way too much like so much art we've already seen.

As to prices, in a real physical art gallery a painting like 'Center Rose (if it is a painting, but you don't say it is) should easily get ten times what you're asking for it here. But you say many of these are Photoshop. The problem with buying Photoshop art is that the buyer isn't buying an original because you could print out millions of the same image. So these prices (for the computer art) are probably about right. But the problem you'll have is that someone could copy and save your computer art themselves and print it out. They'll have your work without having to pay for it.
You need to set up a 'no copy' restriction so that this can't happen.

Answer 3

I think that sometimes the price is too high. But it's interesting. Good luck with it!

Answer 4

I like three of them, but I couldn't see the prices.

Answer 5

I like "Alone with my stripes" & "USA in bloom" Prices are great & I love your style but SOME of them are a bit boring.

Answer 6

Thyey are awesome if I had enough money I would by them,Keep Painting:)

Answer 7

if it's suitable for you, than it is for me too. price? are you happy with it? justOne

Answer 8

Your photography is beautiful. You should have more of that.