This weekend I showed my paintings at an Artist Market in front of the Lafayette Gallery. It was very quiet. I think people are on vacation in mid-July? I was able to work on several paintings for upcoming shows and I was also able to spend time with people. I enjoyed talking to other artists who were showing on Saturday and people just wandering through the show and who expressed an interest in my art. It is always nice to have someone acknowledge your artwork, ask for a quote or your business card and express interest in where, what, why, how something was painted. I tend to be a rather low pressure "salesperson" but I do love to talk with people about their interests - where they have lived, what they do, where they have traveled, etc. Next time you are at an art show, please say "hello" to the artists!
As for my fellow artists, we had an interesting discussion at the end of the day about pricing artwork during this recession. Some have dropped prices and have a "discount" bin. Others have raised their prices and insist that art should always be considered an investment as it just isn't fair to other patrons who have purchased your artwork in the past to see it drop in value. Personally I have kept my pricing fairly consistent but I am painting smaller pieces. It was a great discussion with a lot to think about!
"When my daughter was about seven years old, she asked me one day what I did at work. I told her I worked at the college- that my job was to teach people how to draw. She stared back at me, incredulous, and said, "You mean they forget?"
~ Howard Ikemoto
~ Howard Ikemoto
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