I recently participated in the Arts in the Hearts Festival in downtown Augusta Georgia. The event was good, I met alot of interested viewers, and got alot of praise on my technique and art. Over all a good ego boost for me.
Before the event I had to reconsider the pricing of my work, and decided I will no longer be producing dirt cheap prints. Not because I am greedy, but because these are limited prints, and if I kept selling them for 5 bucks a pop, I would run out pretty quickly and would not be allowed to print anymore of that painting in that size, and type. So I am working on a new pricing budget for my prints, and while some pricing will stay similar or the same, I do not foresee any of my prints being marked under 15.00, and the smallest prints I will be producing will be 5"x5" inches in size. The largest I will go on any given print will not exceed the original size of the actual painting.
As the numbers dwindle and I get closer to maxed number of limited prints, the prices will increase once more, so I do advise that interested viewers order sooner, rather than later. I plan to do alot of marketing and gallery research over the next year, and have been happily surprised with the interest in my prints. I really just started doing this on a serious level (making the limited prints) this past October, so far things are doing well. I was lucky to find a very good company in downtown Atlanta where I can get my paintings professionally scanned. The images produced from the scans are of the highest quality, very clear, and you can see all the detail that used to get lost in the prints I made from digital photos.
But back to the increase in prices. Again, this isn't cause I am greedy (because in most cases I am not actually making much more than before). I will simply be taking a percentage of the price of the original and applying that to the cost of the prints. I sat down with my husband and brilliant financial consultant about the prints, what's reasonable and how we should maintain the value of the prints. I am lucky to have him, because I am an artist, and don't know much about percentages and pricing. Although I am good with my money, you have to be to survive as an artist, it's very helpful to get advice from someone who knows the quality of your work. I had no problem at the festival selling smaller prints for 15-40 dollars, once people realized these were signed and numbered, the appeal went up. So I will be re-posting a new updated price list very soon.
I will be making Lustre (semi-gloss) and Metallic (a luminous photo paper) Photographic Prints, these prints will be limited in the hundreds and thousands, depending on the popularity of the painting. I will also be taking orders for Giclee prints, but will be limiting those to probably only 100 each. Because Giclee prints are the best quality print one can purchase, and is printed on canvas, so the value of those will significantly increase. All the prints I am currently selling are archival prints. Not poster or note card material. If properly framed and or stored they will last.
I think as an artist it is important not to sell yourself short. I have been showing my work in public venues for fifteen years now, and have a degree in what I do, so I can honestly say I am a professional up and coming artist. It is humbling to know people love, want and enjoy the work I do, and appreciate the time and thought invested in it. But I need to be a little more full of myself from time to time, and realize this is my life, this is my career, it's not just a hobby or something I enjoy anymore, it's a labor of love, something I have devoted my life to. I no longer have to say meagerly, yeah I am an artist. Cause YEAH I am an artist! It's not always an easy life, but I love being one, and I feel I have paid my dues.
Please check back for a full list of sizes and prices, and my love and creativity be with you.
