This is a long post and for that I apologize. I just got home
last night from a lovely art Festival in Las Cruces. The grounds were lovely,
surrounded by pecan orchards (or is it groves?). The venue was convenient for
unloading and loading. Neighbor vendors were friendly and helpful. The music
was live and wonderful. The Franciscan Friars were so very nice. The food was
great. It was wonderful.
 |
Plein Air Painters of Southern New Mexico
My paintings are those in gold frames on the left |
Did I sell anything? No – not a thing. I am analyzing why
not, and I think I have found several reasons why the lack of sales. Of the
5 artists that I showed with, only one sold a very small and not expensive
painting and a few prints, which were extremely moderately priced. Was the
quality of work good? Across the board, we hung very well together. The quality
was excellent from each and every one of us. Our styles are all distinct and
did not overlap to create a competitive situation, and the media we used was
everywhere from oils, to pastels, acrylics to watercolor. We talked up each
other’s work and pointed out evasive qualities to those viewing our work. Each
piece was unique and personal. The reaction we had from passersby was extremely
positive. People walked in with huge smiles on their faces and peered intently
at our work. Comments were so very positive, but sales were dismal.
 |
Bob in his part of our booth at the
Franciscan Art Festival, Las Cruces |
I walked around and talked to artists who said they had made
over a thousand dollars that weekend. I studied what they were doing. Their
sales were a trail of ten to twenty dollar sales, with very few larger items
being bought. The four large pieces that did sell at this festival, were the
result of one artist having a following from years of exposure at this venue,
to some with major reductions in price, to a very lucky stroke of luck in the
last 20 minutes of the two day affair. So what were these artists actually
selling? Small, cheap prints sold well, as did cards and folksy gourds and lots
of little jewelry pieces. Everything was handmade, each booth unique and every
artist was good. Anything that was over fifty dollars did not move easily.
So now I am asking myself – “Should I do prints?” My gut
reaction is an overwhelming no. Why you ask? Well most of my work is plein air, studies providing information for larger works. They are the result of
a moment in time, careful study and observation. I choose to not do prints for
several reasons. I could do a legitimate series of copies even after a sale. But think
of the art. Having a thousand copies devalues the original. Nobody will want to
buy an original at whatever price, if a $35 print is to be found in hundreds of
homes and businesses. Look at the can of worms Kincaid opened up by slightly
retouching giclees (prints) and calling them original art. Think of the
thousands of buyers who felt deceived when these practices were uncovered and
the money they felt tricked out of. All those prints will not accrue in value.
There are simply too many of them. They will become today’s Currier and
Ives prints, found in every home and worth but a few pennies. And those of us that
follow him are now required to be even more honest in our dealing with the
public.
The cons to prints:
- Too many exist, there is no
‘unique’ quality to the piece
- The prints' existence devalue the
original
- Maintaining the inventory is a
cost and is an energy and space drain
- The effort to transport and
display such wares makes the effort to show more heavy
- Too many prints can cause an
opportunity for others to copy an original and further devalue your work,
thereby increasing competition for a finite market
- Maintaining the reproduction
quality is a job in itself
The pros to making and selling prints:
- An artist can sell and resell
his/her work
- The artists can reach a market
that cannot afford the work in its original form
- Proliferation of an artist’s work
can mean greater exposure
So what to do? I personally do not feel I want to make
prints of my plein air paintings. Often the quality of the stroke is an
integral part of the work. Some of the strokes stand out from the canvas. That
is lost in reproduction. There is a quality to an original that simply cannot
be reproduced. When I produce a studio work that is large enough to command a
far greater price, I might consider making a print. I have done just a very few
of my piece “Mother’s Love”, which is pencil and carries quite an impact.
 |
Mother's Love
19x20 Colored Pencil _Available |
But
to do a print of a plein air would destroy the uniqueness of the experience of
the painting itself. I would rather sell one painting at a decent price (and
mine are not overpriced) and have the owner realize that what they own cannot
be bought at Walmart.
Historically, art is not created for the masses that cannot
afford it. This is not elitism, it is fact. What we produce as artists is a
select product. As such it requires a select client base. We can allow a
payment plan or take credit cards that allow payment over time. We need to
respect ourselves and our work. For if we do not, who will?
What are your views?
Fav quote:
A novice painter stays in their comfort zone, a professional painter takes leaps of faith and makes daring choices in every painting.
(Lou Maestas)
