What Is Your Creative Art Worth - How Good Are You?

What is your creative art worth? In November 2006, a work by US abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock was sold in a private sale for around 140 million dollars, at the time the highest sum ever paid for a painting, according to reports.

I have been to hundreds of art shows, galleries and sales and I haven’t seen any work of art that had an asking price anywhere near that amount.

I have however, seen numerous paintings and works of art with asking prices of thousands, and tens of thousands of dollars. I have seen prints, signed and numbered with price tags well into the thousands. There are prints out there without a mark (signature) that have thousand dollar plus price tags on them.

So what is your creative art worth?

Have you ever been strolling through an art gallery, store, or an arts-and-crafts fair with a friend or family member and heard the person you’re with say something like, “You should really sell your art. It’s way better than that.” Or, “Your work is much better, you could sell it for a lot more than they’re asking.”

Oh, really? There are things to consider before pricing your work.

• Are you an established artist in your community? Established artists generally command higher prices than newbies just breaking into the public arena. Have you done one man shows or special exhibits in your area? What’s your reputation? Go easy if you’re just starting out. On the other hand,
• Don’t under price your work. How will the public view your work if it appears you don’t think much of it?
• If you live in a small town, don’t expect to charge as much as if you live in the big city. Big city prices for art are higher than small town prices. You can’t go to an art show in Los Angeles to get an idea of pricing for artwork, and then go home to Mayberry and charge similar prices. Aunt Bea would be appalled.
• Realize that the prices you see in galleries are not the price the artist receives for his/her work. The galleries charge the artist a commission to display the work. If you plan to sell in your area, it will pay to find out how much the galleries are charging.
• It is fair to take into account your overhead. How much did the supplies cost? You can consider your space, utilities, etc. but starting out, don’t count all your time just yet. Although you should keep track of your time, it’s probably not worth as much as you think, unless you’re already established. As you grow in popularity and exposure, time then becomes a consideration because you are in demand.
• Research has shown that oil paintings typically sell for higher prices than other mediums. If your main objective is to make money and you don’t do oils, consider switching or at least adding oil painting to your lineup.
• Lastly, don’t try to sell work that you don’t like. Most of my best work is in other peoples’ homes. I don’t want my bad stuff out there. I have given away some work I wasn’t entirely happy with and I later regretted it. It’s your reputation, and you should only want your best in the public eye. Conversely, don’t sell anything (or give it away) that you are totally in love with. You’ll regret it later.

Ultimately, the more you get out there, the better idea you’ll have of what to charge for your creative work. Make adjustments as you go to determine the worth of your creative art. If everything sells in one outing, you likely under priced your work. Adjust accordingly the next time. Besides, it’s likely that at one time Aunt Bea probably said, “Practice makes perfect!”

Les Anderson is a Telecommunications Engineer, a freelance writer and artist. He is a former student of the late great Hollywood portraitist, Alexander Rosenfeld, and Southern California watercolorist Margaret Hunter.

http://www.canvasandpen.com