When choosing what to paint and post I find myself constantly tormented. I have to decide, do I paint something because I want to, or do I paint something because I want to sell it? An odd question? Not really.
Who wants to pay $30 for a painting of a banana peels' untimely demise? Not very many people, that's who. But, that was a photo that I had taken about two years ago and it meant a lot to me. It was a learning experience, in that you should NEVER but banana peels down the garbage disposal. It was taken back when Dena and I were still friends. It was while I was still in college, paying rent off student loans. (Life was GREAT back then.)
Now I don't really like radishes. They smell funny, they taste weird, and they look a little awkward. However, every single time I have painted radishes, people have gone CRAZY for them. Why? Because a dainty painting of radishes brings life to your otherwise mundane kitchen. And all your friends may have a print from the store, but now yours is an original artwork.
So, what should I paint? How do I walk the line between what means something to me and what will help pay the rent. To sell, or not to sell... that is the question.
-Rachel
Sunday, July 15, 2007
To Sell, or Not to Sell
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2 comments:
has the ann arbor art/craft show happened yet? I suggest you do a survey, go the crowded booths and do what they're doing--like the Komar & Melamid paintings done in response to surveys:
http://www.diacenter.org/km/usa/usa.html
I think the ann arbor art fair was my earliest art education: hand colored black and white photos of programmatic architecture and wooden toys, but i guess it didn't impact me enough because i'm sure i couldn't sell my cartoons about how school is a racist/ classist institution with kids skin melting off drawn on the back of bratz coloring book pages.
Or get an MFA and teach so you can do ish like this
http://www.lombard-freid.com/exhibition_images.php?id=96
Remember the 90-93 art strike?
GIVE UP ART
SAVE THE STARVING
http://stewarthomesociety.org/artstrik.htm
Be practical. Paint some to sell - so you can buy more paint. Paint what you love so you always WANT to paint and NEVER quit. As for the painting you LOVE that someone else wants to BUY, put a HIGH price on it and BE SURE YOUR SIGNATURE shows up clearly. Then, when you're FAMOUS, that beloved picture will show up all over the place and EVERYONE will know it is yours! ALWAYS, ALWAYS be sure to keep your GRANDMA well supplied with your work!
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