09/28/2017
What's the difference between an original and a print, besides price? When you buy an original, no one else will have a painting to match yours. An artist who does prints is looking to make as much money as possible on his or her's creation. It's not a bad thing. If a painting sells a lot of prints, the artist knows that style or subject matter is attractive to buyers and the artist will likely sell more similar pieces. It's good business.
An artist who sells originals is one who enjoys painting, but is seldom interested in doing similar works. These artists sell their works to buy more paint to expand their creativity. For them, it's the creative process more than profit that motivates them.
I fall into the latter category. I enjoy learning new techniques and experimenting with different styles of painting. My goal is to get better, and to get better, I need to sell what I've already painted to finance my growth as a artist.
I didn't start painting until I was 64 years old. I'm a beginner, not an amateur. As an artist, I seek out other artists who have more experience. When I've asked them how they determine how much to sell their original art for, they are pretty much in agreement that beginners like myself should reasonably expect to sell our paintings at thirty-five to fifty cents per square inch. My friends with 20-30 years of experience regularly earn $5-7 per square inch. I wish that I had started painting 20 years ago. My 16x40" paintings are going for $150- $175 each, well below $0.35 per square inch.
I hope that if you like my paintings, you'll buy them so I can keep getting better. Some of my works can be found in restaurants and corporate offices. Others, in the homes of collectors. I hope you will invest in me. Someday I might become famous and be able to charge thousands for a painting you only paid $150 for. Thanks for appreciating my art. Please share with your friends.
