It may sound poncey but

[ailbhe]

I am loving this whole living-with-art thing. There's a growing, evolving wall of art, limited only by my supply of canvases and paint (I have ordered more red; it isn't here yet; aiee!), and it's glorious. I am beginning to think I need to sell things in order to make space for new things, and fund more canvases, but I haven't figured out a pricing structure. The square ones are 8" x 8". I have no idea how to price them beyond thinking that materials probably cost about a fiver, so they need to be a good bit more than that, because of time, inspiration, using up my supply of geniosity etc. I might charge danger money for the ones I paint with a baby on one hip and Emer standing behind me on a chair, leaning on the shoulder of my paintbrush-holding arm.

Comments

[gool_duck]

You will also be limited by the amount of wall-space, eventually . : - )
Yay for painting.

[sfred]

Not poncey. Brilliant!

[serene]

I don't know what poncey means, but I'm so excited that you're making art, and when I can, I will buy a painting because I LOVE owning the art of my loved ones. Love love love LOVE it. (Hee, danger money!)

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

I think it sounds wonderful. :)

[1ngi.livejournal.com]

The print I did for the St Barnabus exhibition last week was priced at £40 (priced by my mentor not by me). But that is one of an edition of ten. The prices for the mini-prints (10cm x10cm) for the other artists ranged from £25 - £120.

I visited artist Richard Pearce http://rpearce.blogspot.com/ in the Isles of Scilly and his canvases that size were going for over £500 (but he is now getting a big following).

I've seen photographers who print onto that size canvas sell them for £65-100.

I've also seen tiny canvases painted with naive flowers etc go for around £15-£25.

It's tricky - but try very hard not to underprice yourself. Dunno if that helps.

[rachel cotton (from livejournal.com)]

I just think it makes an awful lot of sense that you are enjoying painting so much - you are obviously "supposed" to in way or another. Not sure how to word that so it makes any actual sense.

[ailbhe]

8" x 8" round-the-corner house for £30? £40?

[ailbhe]

It feels very right.

[beckyl.livejournal.com]

£40 definitely. Affordable but enough to be valued. And you can always discount your "list price" but you can't charge more than the list price, so higher is generally better with the proviso that if you go too high, sticker shock can put people off completely.

[the0lady.livejournal.com]

It doesn't sound poncy at all. Living with beauty is a basic and healthy human instinct, and there's no reason other than a deeply conditioned lack of empathy that we would try to limit it to the rich or pretentious.

Sorry for making a political point out of this, but all I'm saying is just don't buy into the notion that love of art and beauty is somethign exclusive or "not for us".

[hitchhiker.livejournal.com]

> I might charge danger money for the ones I paint with a baby on one hip and Emer standing behind me on a chair, leaning on the shoulder of my paintbrush-holding arm.

that sounds like it would make a wonderful photograph :)

[ailbhe]

Politics: not just for Christmas.

[baratron.livejournal.com]

It sounds awesome on so many levels. Firstly, that it's good for your mental health. Secondly, that you're making other people happy when you let us get to see your art. Thirdly, that you can give gifts of art to your loved ones and people will appreciate them (since, being who you are, you would carefully match the design to the person). Fourthly, it can be a "job" that brings more money into your household for luxuries that you absolutely love doing! Fifthly, it's a really good example for your girls - it lets them see that a person can be a full-time parent and have interests of their own too. What's not to like?

[ailbhe]

Rob pointed out that I am entitled to a hobby even if it is not self -funding.