ONE DAY ART SPLASH at Die Meul in Philadelphia on 28 November 2009

Latest Work

L24/2009 Storm Coming 1000 x 300mm

L25/2009 The skies will open 400 x 150mm


O5/2009 Boere-pup 200x 175mm

Feedback on selling through galleries from another artists.

This is a very interesting topic. I, as an artist mainly sell from my Home Gallery and from my personal website. I am also listed on another worldwide website for South African Artists for free, where I forfeit 40% after a sale. During the past year, I have sold ± the same % of paintings through that website as from my home. I gladly accept what comes to me, through those sales, because they are advertising agents, better than I can ever be.
I have paintings at different galleries in and near my hometown. They all operate differently when they sell my paintings. I will not mention their names, but would like to give info regarding their payment to me after a sale. I have a pricelist for all my works, which is available from me, on my personal website and also on the website on which I am listed. I update both websites regularly and my prices are exactly the same on both. When a painting is available at a gallery, I put that info on both websites. There is an automatic markup on the website on which I am listed. On my own website, I cancel the price and insert the words: 'At a Local Gallery'.
@Galleries A + B - I have to lower my price by 50%, so that they can sell it at 100%+. @Galleries C + D - I give them my price and after a sale they take 33.3%commission. @Gallery E - I had to lower my price by 40%, but during the past year, they have not sold any of my 8 paintings. All the galleries add Vat to their prices. Fortunately, I do not have to add Vat, as my total sales per year are not that high yet.
I agree with Leonie that I have the freedom to give a discount for cash, when I sell a painting from my Home Gallery or my personal website.
I am a committed Christian and am thankful to God for each painting that is sold. He is the only One who really knows my needs and therefore he provides a client for a painting at the right time. It is a very exciting time in my life and I give God all the glory for the gift He has given me to be an artist.

Comment from a Gallery owner, Cape Town

As a gallery owner, I find the comments very interesting. There are of course two sides to the story. We for instance, do not add 100% plus VAT to the artist's price. My policy is that the artist should always make more money from the sale of the painting than the gallery - VAT excluded. VAT is money owing to the Government and should not be taken into account. Most galleries spend a huge amount of money in promoting artists. They have expensive rent to pay (in most cases), salaries and all other overheads. We also do not charge artists any fee should we have a specific exhibition. The bill is normally for our account i.e. invites, food and drinks and in some cases we have live music in the background, which is also for our account. On occasions we had to cater for 200 people which amounts to quite a lot of money. I understand that there are also a trend in certain countries where an artist have to pay for wallspace when they exhibit at a gallery - per square metre. It can also be a concern for a gallery owner to represent an artist, who sells off their website at a much lower price. This creates distrust from the view of the gallery client - who believe they have been grossly overcharged. However, I think the concerns raised from the artists, are valid in some cases. GALLERY OWNER, SOUTH AFRICA.

Art for the Heart: To sell through galleries?

http://www.lifeart.co.za

To sell through galleries?

This is a copy of an interesting conversation from my blog to another artist. Three of us is conversing about how to best sell art.

http://www.facebook.com/leonie.e.brown?v=wall#/leonie.e.brown?ref=name

Leonie E. Brown

Do u send it to galleries? or do u sell privately?

Tue at 3:17pm

Bob Zirillo

Now that is a good question for all...Is it better to sell one's artwork privately or use a gallery? I feel that it's a mixed bag answering that question. I would say an artist could sell their prints, giclees better through their own website...orginals...hummm...a gallery perhaps...but you are limited to walk in traffic only but galleries have ... their own websites too. I thnk it depends on one artwork too. I'd like to here other ideas on the best way to sell..I think Leonie brought up a good question...For Sara's work would she do better to find a gallery near the wharf? I paint racehorses...the wharf would not be as good as the racetrack or near a racetrack...I guess it all depends on the artwork and the market for one's work.

Tue at 3:31pm

Sara Winters

Honestly, I questioned my worth for a very long time and found private sales to be a great way to get my feet wet and build my confidence. Once I got to the point where I was ready to go further in my career, I started pushing for acceptance into a choice gallery. I am not a fan of prints or giclees, but that is just a personal opinion. Most ... artists are bad business people, and that is why we have galleries. A good gallery will have a good client base, good advertising, and good sales people whose purpose is to sell your work. It is a win-win situation. I have no problem splitting the sale 60/40 because I know how much work they will put into getting my work out there, and whether we like it or not- art is a business. I found that to get to where I want to be in my career, I need help. Galleries are there to help.

Tue at 4:46pm

Leonie E. Brown

mmmm, 60/40 sounds good. I also mostly sell through galleries, but the good galleries here put on a markup of 100 + tax = 114%. That forces us/the artists to bring our prices down. Lately I have mostly been selling privately as I can charge lower than the gallery but get out more than what I would have, if they sold the work fr me.

Tue at 4:55pm ·

Bob Zirillo

My work is not usually excepted in galleries..my desk drawer is full of letters of rejections...I have sold most of my work over the years at horse venues...racetracks, horse shows, etc. my my work is specialized to the horse client...It depends on the artist, their work and the market..not one size fits all...

Tue at 6:11pm

Sara Winters

Bob, I think a letter of rejection is a good learning experience. It means you are not applying to the right places. The key is to find the right fit. Be honest with yourself when you look at the work in a gallery and ask yourself if you fit in there. Your work sells. It just needs to be seen and sold by the right people. You are very right- it is ... not one size fits all.
Leonie- Where are you? Somehow I was thinking you were one of the South African Artists. Why on earth do they charge so stinking much!?! That seems to me to kill the art economy more than promote it! Is it economical to work with a gallery elsewhere who doesn't charge out the nose? In your case- private sales are definitely better.

Tue at 7:19pm

Bob Zirillo

There isn't any easy way to sell artwork...we all know that...It looks like artist may have to specialize in some of there work to earn some money...and paint for arts' sake when they can...may would disagree with that...but look back to the old masters. Look at how many commercial artist later became well know fine artist...It's a fine line where... Read More and what an artist will do to market work and still remain honest with herself/himself as far as painting for money or painting for arts sake and there is a difference in how one feels about that.

Tue at 9:13pm

Bob Zirillo

I agree with Sara...Location, Location, Location...I have grown with letters of rejection...still everyone has an ego...When I first started out f40+ years ago...I took reject personal but as I painted more I realized like you say Sara...Every artist knows when they sign a piece of art if it is good enough to be sold...the only problem is finding the buyer...I've been told for every piece of art there is a buyer...I tend to believe that...it's just finding that buyer is the hard part.

Exhibition at DIE MEUL, PHILADELPHIA ON 28 November 2009

News:
Exhibition at DIE MEUL, PHILADELPHIA ON
28 November 2009.

I started doing bigger work again after almost a year of only small paintings. I love the freedom of expression that comes with working on larger canvass. There is something of the emotion and movement involved with painting that you cannot capture in a small canvass.

It makes economical sense to keep on painting small, but yet my heart yearns for the freedom of more space. Maybe it is a personal thing. I do think my paintings reflect what I/we are going through, so I see them as quite prophetic.

Life has been difficult the last 5 weeks. I broke my shoulder falling of a horse. Thank heavens the horse is OK and didn't break anything when he stepped into a mole hole. (this all happened at a gallop) I would have been devastated if they had to put him down. ( not my horse and also a VERY valuable)

God has been gracious and Ive been selling well since July this year. Absolutely not my doing, just the grace of God.

Ive been frustrated because I want to paint, but cannot move my arm. I have a few new idea. At the moment my art seems to naturally go towards landscapes. I have hardly done anything else in the last year.

I met a wonderful old painting master which I call 'Oom Jo'. He has been an artist for 60 years. He is 81 years old and fit as a fiddle. Very funny and a brilliant artist. His work is valued from R70 000.00 upwards. Even a small piece of 40 x 40cm goes for R10 000.00.

For some reason he loves my work and thinks that it is very professional. I am just glad that he likes it....I need all the encouragement I can get. As a teacher I am always encouraging and giving input to others. However, it is hard to find someone that will give input to me. So....I enjoy his attention. It gives me hope.

I would love to get some marketing exposure on a program like KWELA or ARTJAR or such. I saw the benefits of it when my friend Donna was given exposure on Top Billing. It just opens doors in places you cant get to....anyone out there willing to help?

For those of you that love exhibitions: I might agree to an exhibition in Philadelphia the end of the year. Ill probably have to exhibit some older work as I don't think I will be able to make enough work, due to my arm being in a sling.

I look forward to getting some emails from all of u out there.