Day 18 - 30 in 30
GEISHA
ORIGINAL ART ACEO
3.5" x 2.5"
Ask about larger Originals in the same series or Prints of this ACEO. To view my Gallery please visit Daily Paintworks.
This painting is SOLD but I'm happy to take a commission for a similar work. Contact me to inquire about prints and rt cards.
I know I'm going to be asked why "Geisha" is not for auction, so here you go. Firstly, this painting took far more time than a regular ACEO miniature. Portraits and especially ones in a detailed deco/realistic style, are very time consuming. So "Geisha" may be purchased for $25 on Daily Paintworks. Read on and see why that is still a bargain.
Artists are arguably the lowest paid people on the planet, especially in this slow down. With all the expenses a modern Artist has, a professional miniature painting like this should sell for $100. If you aren't an Artist or you're just starting out, see what goes into that calculation below.
Years of costly education
Cost of paint, canvas, other supplies.
Time and cost of purchasing supplies.
Research/Photographing the subject
Preparatory sketches
Preparing the canvas/substrate
Painting
Varnishing
Protective Packaging for storage
Framing (if required)
Packaging and Mailing to purchaser (plus postage overages)
Marketing copy on multiple websites
Posting photo of painting on multiple websites
Submissions for exhibitions
Time for hanging/tear down of exhibitions and PR evenings.
Cost of maintaining websites
Commission on sales up to 50%
Paypal costs
Workshops to upgrade skills and stay current
Gas/Petrol to visit shops, Galleries and Exhibitions
Travel and accommodation for research and workshops
Accounting and Accounting expenses
Income tax (not many artists even cover expenses so this isn't often a factor)
Add the expenses to the number of hours spent on the business of Art calculated at minimum wage, then divide by the number of paintings created in a year and you have a figure. Then add the number of hours it took to paint, also at minimum wage and you will end up with a figure which is the cost of that particular painting. For GEISHA this would easily be $100.
Famous Artist's Birthday: Paul Cezanne 19 January
I welcome comments below. If you have a challenge posting use Anonymous but please put your byline.
LINKS TO BLOG ARCHIVE
How many paintings does it take to become a professional Artist?
The importance of Statistics
"Every Painting should have a hint of red"
Where will your painting find a home?
A fascination for Miniatures - ATC, ACEO, OOAK etc
"I would rather die of passion than of boredom"
(Cat # 13020 - posted as # 29 on Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30)
Wow, this is seriously on an ACEO?! You've got so much detail in there it's amazing! Great job on that! And man, do I ever agree with your post here! I just recently put up all my pricing (I'm doing the 30 in 30 challenge too and it's really helped get me more organized as an artist) and I can totally tell people are actually quite a bit uncomfortable with how high I priced my work (friends that is). But it takes time and money and a ton of effort, and it's worth every penny if you ask me. So stick strong to your pricing, your work is beautiful and is quite the steal for what you're selling it for!
ReplyDeleteThank you Melissa. Above all I think it's important to feel personally comfortable with your pricing. The internet has devalued our work and thrown us into a world of commercial competition. I think we must fight to regain respect and demand at least a living wage for the beauty we bring to the world. How dull life would be without original Art.
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