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| Winter Bouquet #2. Watercolor, 7" x 7" |
ETSY NOTE:
After exploring Zibbit and ArtFind--and thoroughly going through the art category of Etsy--I've concluded I've made a mistake. Etsy is really more suitable to crafts. When I compared art sales with craft sales and jewelry sales, crafts and jewelry came out way ahead of the artists. Prices were inexpensive. Many was artists competed with the craft people via inexpensive reproductions, albeits Glicee prints. Original art really didn't belong at Etsy. So, after a brief run on Broadway, this broad is closing the play. It needs to be thought. It needs to go out on the road.
FYI: Here's a formula I read along the way for pricing original work: T + M + S x 2. Time plus material plus shipping (consumers, who don't paint and do buy art, love free shipping) multiplied by two. When I did it. It tallied up where I was selling an acid-free matted, original watercolor painting with an acid-free backing ready for framing for less than half of what it cost me to make. I didn't care for that at all. It's wasn't acceptable in the design/build business; it's not acceptable in the art business. Thanks Chris for giving me a heads up.
Wonderful painting.
ReplyDeleteInteresting about the formula, pricing, etsy. All news to me.
All I know about shipping is that, for a large work, it can be prohibitive, especially out of the country.
Thanks, the style was always there and visible in my acrylic paintings. In this medium, it may or may not transfer? I am having a fine time finding out. Watercolor is good, because I am comfortable with keeping them small. And small does ship relatively inexpensively--about 6.00 anywhere in the US. About 9.00 overseas.
DeleteNow paintings of size on gallery stretcher bars--that's another shipping story. We paid about 150 to ship a 36 x 36 canvas to Seattle--that included packaging, insurance and shipping. We paid less, the second one we sent out that way. The difference was who did the shipping. The Mail Box, a private franchise, shipped the first. The US Postal Department shipped the second. It's no wonder everybody paints small. and on nothing heavier than canvas board. It's the way to go with online sales--with framing if you carry finish that far.
All is about taste and personally I rather take a photo than paint to close to reality. I like this froral abstraction, and I like how those black lines defines some forms and give it some punch. Lovely.
ReplyDeleteFor me there is a thin line (that I do cross) that I try to avoid, when I get too illustrative. It is a long journey... =)
well, should be "floral" and not "froral", is that a given? ;)
DeleteFlowers for me are never the intricate anatomy of the blossom. No studied drawing is necessary, the riot of color gets me excited. I have painted one iris precisely to see if I could. It's a boring painting. It looks like an illustration for a botanical book with colored plates. I like to paint how the flowers make me feel. --Additionally, how I am feeling about whatever is going on in my life also shows up in the character of the lines, the temperament of the palette. I can't separate myself from the painting. Thanks Roger. "Lovely" coming from you has made my day. :-))
DeleteLovely painting Linda! I like your loose style in this one, kind of an explosion of colors that you managed to bring all together. Very nice!.
ReplyDeleteThat's how I see mixed bouquets. I think all of us painting flowers shows how harsh this winter has been. We are so fortunate to have the ability to balance out our lives through our art.
DeleteThis one seems a little bit different for you design wise, but as always, very pleasing to the eye. I love color so this hit the spot.
ReplyDeleteI was very interested in the info you shared about Etsy. I have been looking into several sites and all have their drawbacks for fine art artists.
Fine Art America sounds good but my computer security will not go on their site. Too many security problems apparently.
I latched on to Etsy because a gal I met at a dinner party was introduced to me as an artist who had a shop on Etsy. The fact was intended to impress. Over the evening I tried to talk art with her, but she was a snob, actually a schmuck. Not friendly at all. Later, I did go online to see if I could find her work. I could not. Anyway, the host's enthusiasm planted the idea in my head. He was so impressed with her having a shop on line, I thought maybe I should get one to impress other know-nothing laymen. Now I have one and now I will close it. Online sales of art may just be a way for some artists to avoid going out into the real world of galleries? I am a bit lazy and definitely not sure of myself in this arena.
DeleteI TOTALLY agree with you on etsy!
ReplyDeleteZibbit did look better, a lot better. You're the one who turned me onto it. Art Find hasn't grabbed my interest yet. More poking. Meanwhile, you are really hot. Over the last year, your hard work has really produced some great stuff. I tip my hat to you and wish you the best. Inspirational.
DeleteI've heard this...(that Etsy is definitely better for the craft people). I love this painting--plenty of gorgeous shapes to look at...and so much fresh color...!
ReplyDeleteAll you have to do to confirm that is to open the site. The list of categories tells the story and the photograph display of the art category is really a poor example--very cutesy., no sophistication. I should have done more research into the other online markets, but until Katherine Regan mentioned Zibbit, I didn't realize there were any. Duh! Now I have to wait till my credit card company pays them the two dollars so I can withdraw and close.
DeleteI also discovered that online probably isn't for me. I have too many large gallery canvases waiting to be painted. Online is primarily for small, easily and inexpensively shipped pieces. I'm just going to get off my fanny and go local gallery investigating come Spring. I should know them, but I don't being new in this arena. Sounds stupid for someone who has painted for years, but never thought of making it into a business, till I had more painting lying around than I have wall space. :-)).
All the beautiful darks in this painting brings forward your flowers, Linda. I love this bouquet...so loose and full of gorgeous colors. I am SO looking forward to Springtime but until then I will enjoy the artists who paint flowers...
ReplyDeleteI've noticed quite a few artists are painting flowers. I suspect all of them live where the weather is snowy, drab and bitter cold. Flowers are heart-warming AND excellent subject matter for going beyond wet into wet with watercolors for this admirer of the medium.
DeleteLinda, I LOVE this painting! It vibrates with excitement - all flowers competing for their own identity in the field. Love it!
ReplyDelete