Sunday 20 November 2016

A picture is worth...


A week today, I set up H.I.'s exhibition. Every day I sort out one or two little details so that I can just move into the gallery ready to go. The actual venue is not far from our compact but adorable city apartment, but it (deliberately) cooincides with, and is set within the Bath Christmas Market, so I need a pass to drive through jam-packed set of huts, thronging with people.

We have yet to work out if the Market will work for us or against us. It could deter people from trying to get into Bath and find a parking place on the opening night, but then again it could bring in people who would not normally come during the week. If only three or four of the 250,000 Welsh women who cross the bridge every year want to buy a paintng or drawing, then it will have worked in our favour, and we close the gallery at the same time as the market closes - 7.00pm.

I have set up the printing of the wall cards showing titles and prices as templates, because we still have to settle on a pricing structure.

The pricing of paintings is extremely difficult - once the expenses of setting up the show have been covered, how do you work out the intrinsic value? If it was by time spent on each thing, then nobody would buy anything - unless H.I.'s name was Frank Auerbach and the gallery was taking 70%. Then they would be starting at six figures.

By the square inch presents the same problems. Somehow a balance has to be made for time, experience, time spent on gaining the experience, how good they are and what people would be prepared to pay if they agree with the afforementioned.

Her last show netted quite a lot and that was some years ago. The prices have to go up, but by how much? If she sold less but netted more, then that would work. If she stayed inexpensive and sold lots, that could work as well, even though most people say she is too cheap. Somewhere between the two is the way to go, and this is going to mean careful assessment of the situation. This time, I have gone to town with the advertising - within a limited budget.

Tricky.

32 comments:

  1. You are right to advertise. It pays off more to the future. Someone will cut it out and throw it in a drawer to follow up when not so busy. A friend used to say, half his advertising dollars were wasted, but which half?

    My sister prices her quilts by the square inch, with the intent of covering her overheads AND paying herself. If she doesn't care for the customer, the price quietly escalates when she quotes it.

    My friend who weaves wild and crazy rugs prices by the square inch. She often increases the price by an amount off the top of her head that satisfies interesting criteria. For example, these colors are very popular now and fly off the shelves. They're going to pay half again as much to have them. Linda (her name) really likes this one, they're going to have to pay a lot more to have it.

    All of the above is geared toward customers who already like the artist and her work, or are just knowing it and loving it. It's not for the folks who want to pass the time of day and wonder if you can do something similar in lavender.

    Just take your scheme and apply it.

    Are there similar artists in the Market? If so, they have been there for years and have a clientele. I wonder if it would be worthwhile to join the melee, or stay apart and be perceived "better."

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    1. It will be decided according to intuition. She has a loyal following who always buy stuff.

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  2. It is not easy to price paintings. A lot depends on how much the buyer connects with the painting and how deeply they can reach into their wallets. Fairness towards the artist on time spent at the easel flies out of the window, regardless of the technical skill that has been applied - that I do know!

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    1. Yes, there is no other way but guessing what one can ask.

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  3. Good luck to the missus; hope the show is spectacular. I have never been good at pricing. If it were up to me I'd charge a million billion dollars.

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  4. If you provide enough wine the opening night will be a success whatever

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    1. There will be wine. Last time I ordered about£1000 quids worth, so we had 2 parties and were still drinking it weeks later. This year it is 1.5 % of that.

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    2. Pop an invitation into 26 Queens Square. They've got plenty of money but on second thoughts they are probably philistines if the lot are worked with are anything to go by.

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    3. A bunch of stockbrokers. They think art is a Monet print.

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    4. I thought you meant 26 Queens Square, Bath. It's mainly solicitors there.

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    5. I mean it is a branch office of the stockbrokers I used to work for.

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  5. If anything like the tat that they showed on the TV last night in a film about Christies then that's about the right price.

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    1. I have a Christies account, and I was horrified about all the modern, Russian, soft porn they were selling, but tht may have taied-off somewhat recently.

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  6. I think that the invitation looks brilliant ..... Jackie's paintings are so good ..... if I lived nearby I'd be there in a heartbeat. These things are always a bit of a lottery aren't they ? ...... it all relys on who walks through the door. I wish Jackie a bloody successful exhibition !! XXXX

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  7. What a talented couple you are.
    Wishing H.I. great success!

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    1. Well she is. I am not sure about myself these days. Thanks for your wishes.

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  8. Some years back I had a visit from a couple from Provence who wanted to buy a painting. They looked at several, then decided on one. I quoted a price of a few hundred Euros, and they then said they didn't really want the frame. So I altered the price without the frame to twenty Euros, and they bought it.

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    1. I'm not surprised. Was it a really good frame or a really crap painting?

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  9. I wish H.I. "In bocca al lupo!" (In the wolf's mouth) It is the Italian for Good Luck.
    Greetings Maria x

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    1. Thank you Maria - let's hope it keeps the wolf from the door.

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  10. I hope it all goes well for you both. I have never given a thought to the problems of pricing, having only ever been a purchaser. I can see that you have to take a lot into consideration...good luck.

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    1. Thanks, Libby. It is just short of arbitrary. If she priced them by the same hourly rate as she gets for teaching painting, they would not sell.

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  11. I've always found it odd that larger paintings are priced higher, as though one were buying fabric by the yard. But I get there has to be some sort of algorithm to start with, tempered by one's gut.
    Good luck to Jackie!

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    1. I sort of know what you mean, but there has to be some sort of correlation - unless you do miniatures...

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