Saturday, November 3, 2012

Price increases and some random thoughts on art

Those of you who have either dealt with me before, or who perhaps check out my blog here well know that I am totally unschooled in art.

The one thing that I have attempted to "study" - albeit on my own and primarily on the internet - is pricing of art.  And I've got to tell you right here and right now, that I don't "get it".  There seems to be very little rhyme or reason to it. 

But, I do know that the time has come that I must raise my prices - I simply cannot afford to sell them so inexpensively any longer.  Ebay/Paypal fees being what they are, plus the shipping costs, and well - that doesn't leave a whole lot leftover.   I love to paint - I really do - but, my urge to paint is not greater than my urge to eat and have a roof overhead.

So - if there is a piece that I currently have available on Ebay that you like, this is the last week that you can get one at the lower prices. 

Painting artwork is sometimes such a contradictory thing...on the one hand it is a joy and a delight, and finishing a painting is always a bittersweet ordeal.  Then comes the decidedly not fun part for me - the photographing of the piece, listing it online, getting it loaded up onto this site or that one so that others can see it. 

And then finally, another bittersweet moment when your work has sold, and the realization that you'll probably never see it again sets in - but also the realization that some other person or people may glean some measure of enjoyment from it.  And you can't help but hope that your creation is headed off to a "good home" - much like sending a child out into the world. 

Other strange contradictions that I've found regarding art - Now I'm the first one to admit that I don't know a lot about art - but I do not understand how it is that some of these pieces sell for the prices that they do.   I've seen pieces that couldn't have taken more than an hour to paint, that consist of very little skill - some literally are just splotches of color - sell for thousands of dollars.  Why?  Am I missing something? 

Which I guess brings me back to the pricing increase (no, it isn't going to be thousands of dollars) - but really, I just can't afford to spend so many hours working on something to sell for $40 or so, though I really wish I could.     

If I actually lived in my perfect little world that floats around in my mind, I'd give them away to whoever wanted one - but unfortunately even us dreamers have to pay the bills in the here-and-now!

So here it is - last call at the lower pricing.  Just click on the "Items for Sale" under my picture here to see all that I have available at the moment.  
http://myworld.ebay.com/ccatonart 

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