Who knew?

Here am I, working away towards the studio tour (Shoreline Studio Tour, I’ll post the ad) and the other shows I’ve committed to in the near future … but, who knew? Who knew that the hardest part is not actually making the art (that is sometimes frustrating, but not hard), not making the poems to go with the work (or actually naming it), not framing the work (which can be an absolute bitch, or VERY expensive), but figuring out the darn pricing! YES, like every artist out there I have a hard time figuring out the worth. Is it the time it takes to actually make a piece? The amount of time it takes to think out how to get an idea onto paper? The cost of the supplies? The years of apprenticeship to the artform (even if you were not an apprentice to someone else, figuring out what your form is, is a sort of apprenticeship of years)? The cost of the frame or backing if it’s not framed (have you framed anything recently? Talk abouts sticker shock!)? DARN! And then you go out and see the price of other people’s work to make some kind of comparison and that’s SO subjective … sometimes I think it might be easier to have a crew of artists come over and give me their best guesses, then take an average!

I must say that pricing pottery was easier. Mugs, bowls, plates, etc., were within a certain range. Some were more expensive because of the technique involved or if they were unusual … but paintings? No average for that!

Anyway, here are some in process. They’ve been framed and I’m working on prices. I have many that I’m not framing but are on backer-board for presentation.