Philosophy on Pricing and Selling Art

I am in a group show in Worthington, OH at the invitation of Christopher Leeper - a multi talented painter, workshop instructor and art enthusiast (also head of Ohio Watercolor Society) The show opens this Sunday, May 4.  Reception is 2-4 at the High Road Gallery- if you're free - come on down! It is located at 12 E Stafford Ave in Worthington, just off High St. and across from the Library. - a beautiful gallery!

                                            -The Painters - Chris Leeper and Students-

Here is my painting "Grandmother" on exhibit with other's work at the gallery.
   Chris Leeper asked us to write about how we advertize, sell and price our artwork.  So - here goes -

 I've been selling my paintings for about 8-9 years. I started by putting work in group shows of art organizations I belong to. I didn't sell very many to begin with but sales have increased over the years. I have brought together an art group that meets once a month (Monday Morning Artist) and have organized group exhibits locally. That helped to boost our recognition in the area as artists. Then I started to put my work in art shows - local only so far. By far the greatest sales I have experienced were when I exhibited my paintings in our home during an 'Artist Studio Tour' here in Yellow Springs. Exhibits in local fine restaurants have also been very worthwhile. In August, I will have a solo exhibit at the Fifth/Third Bank lobby in downtown Dayton. We shall see if it is fruitful but it is nevertheless exciting to have my work displayed there.


I have entered work in completions such as the Artist's Magazine watermedia but often lose track of the submission deadlines and miss out on opportunities! The fees for entering these competitions can be daunting as well but I should be more diligent and endeavor to acquire signature status in the Ohio Watercolor Society, etc. to truly become professional. Teaching classes/workshops in the local schools and Arts Council is helpful for my growth and local recognition.

As far as pricing, I started out very reasonably priced, say $100 for a 16x20 painting. I have attended several workshops, with you and others, that have boosted my painting skills and confidence. As my style of painting has matured and I have won some little prizes, I have increased my prices to more realistically reflect the time, materials and energy required to create a successful painting. I have a relatively standard price structure now, based on the medium and size of the piece. I mostly paint in watercolor but occasionally do mixed media and acrylic. I will continue to explore and learn new methods/materials.

I do have a blog though it mostly gets attention from people selling stuff in India (!) - If you actually read this and you are real!!!! - please respond.   thanks! Libby