Has your art business cracked the "starving artist" myth?

[chewie]

I've not had too many flat out rude ppl, thankfully. one that I did get was really making a fuss over the price of one painting. 18x24 of a horse head, and if I say it myself, it was good. $400. she went off, "OH! for THAT??!" UH, yeah. she acted almost offended. by then, eh, pretty clear she ain't buying and I just asked her, "hmm, what do YOU make for a week's work?" she just shrugged and then left. I think she got my point but wasn't going to go back on her words. eh, no loss.

I have had plenty that seem interested but yet don't buy. I'm giong to offer linda's payment plan for a while, see what that gets me.

also branching out into other areas, (as per my artistic scruple thread) and make some smaller priced things that I find rather fun to do anyhow. such as doing small color studies, the size of a notecard. in fact, I bought this packet of little cards with a 'frame' front, you slip an aceo sized painting into a little plastic sleeve, into the 'frame'. comes with envelopes even. hobby lobby had them for a few bucks. I cut some w/c paper to do the work on, which is actually the color study for a 'real' painting. if it turns out, it makes a great card. if not, so what.

I have a few other ideas I'm going to work on, as well. nothing gallery-worthy, but if it pays the bills, with art, I'm game.

[blondheim12]

Chewie,
I sell lots and lots of tiny acrylic paintings I do on the paper canvas. I don't frame them. I slip them into a little plastic sleeve and sell them as is. People love them. I do hundreds of them every year as studies to learn about subjects I want to know more about.

[chewie]

very interesting, and nice work! that is just like the small ones I do for the glass worker making boxes, and the same idea of my little note cards. I find them very enjoyable to do, they go fast both selling and making. nice too that if its a study that didn't turn out so hot, no loss!

[blondheim12]

indeed!!

[Joshua_Miller]

Don't get me wrong, I respect starving artists. I however, am lucky because I have never been starving. My "art" business only started because my wife said if I wanted beer money I had to paint for it.

The ability not to have to paint for profit has what I feel made me so sucsessful. My attitude to my work is what people enjoy and respect. I may come off as cocky, however, In real life I'm not. I really couldn't care less what people have to say about my work. I do not accept commissions, change works, or care if my work matches peoples couches. I produce what I want, and if it sits around for years - it sits around. I have been lucky that my work has hit a nerve in an art market saturated with modernity.

Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of critics who call my work garish, raw and not worthy of the canvas they are painted on. However for everyone who hates my work, two people line up to buy one. It's all relative.

I wish more people could have my attitude. I have seen too many talented artists change who and what they do for money, and the loss of thoes future works to art is unfortunate

[online art]

very interestign thread Crista.

I looked at your 1st link. The paintings there are astounding, really from the best of the best in that genre, that is, in my opinion, how they sell for those prices, I could only ever dream of being that good one day.