Monday, January 23, 2012

How can you charge so much for a painting???!

A few weeks ago I was excited and delighted to find out I got a piece of art into a show in Oregon.  I live in Virginia.  There's a lot of road between the two.  It took me a while to get up the energy to pack up my 22"x22" framed canvas and take it to the UPS store to be mailed.  Once there, it took me a while to swallow the costs associated with mailing the piece to Oregon and to decide to send the darn thing!  At that point, I thought it might be interesting to blog about why art is so expensive.  I'm guessing that most non-artists don't have a very good idea of all that's involved in getting a painting from concept to gallery, so here goes...

Concept:  I read in Professional Artist ($37/year, 2 hours to read) about a show at the Foundry Gallery in Washington, DC which sounded right up my alley - Celebrating Gay Marriage.  The problem was I didn't have any pictures which would work for a painting about gay marriage.  I wrote an email to my wonderful contact at the Gay Community Center of Richmond (20 min) asking her if she knew anyone she thought might be willing to/interested in modeling for me for this show.  She put out an email to the community and, serendipitously, within 20 minutes I received an email from a woman who said she and her partner would be interested.  I wrote her back immediately to set up a time for them to come over (I was under a huge time constraint since the entry was due in 3 weeks, and I had to paint the darn thing!  (30 min for emailing, organizing).  10 days later, the couple showed up with props and great ideas, and we had a wonderful photography session.  (3 hours).  I gave them a CD of their pictures in exchange for their posing for me.  ($2)  

The next day I spent some time (3 hours) going through the images, sorting out which ones I like best, which ones I could use (no faces), which ones I could do given the time constraints, then cropping and preparing the piece, applying a grid, printing out the prints. ($5)   Then it was Chris's turn - he made me a canvas 18"x18" - small so I could get it done quickly.  ($3 for canvas, $5 sticks and hardware, 3 hours).  I photographed them 11/15.  I started painting them 11/21.  I worked that entire day on the canvas and got mostly finished.  (8 hours)  The next two days I spent a couple of hours/day refining it and finishing it up. (4 hours)  Back to Chris who made a frame for it ($5 wood, 5 hours routing the wood, fitting it to the canvas, me staining it the right color, attaching hardware).  I photographed the piece (20 minutes), worked with the photos to get the perfect version, adjusted the color, cropped it just right, put it in the correct format for this particular contest (each contest has different requirements) (1 hour), put the picture on a CD, wrote my artist statement for this particular show, focused towards Gay Marriage (1.5 hours), filled out all the other application stuff for this show (1 hour), wrote my models to ask them to prepare a statement for me to send along ($35 application fee, 10 min, then 20 min to edit, put in right format, include in application), received their statement, prepared it for application, prepared application for mailing (30 min), put the thing in the mail - finally!

Then came the waiting...  (that doesn't count for the time count!)  A few weeks later I was thrilled to receive notification that my piece had been accepted and would need to be at the Foundry Gallery on a certain day at a certain time.  I drove it up to DC (160 miles R/T @$.40/mile = $64, lunch $15, 6 hours) and dropped it off.  A week later Chris and I went to the opening. ($64 travel, $50 dinner, 9 hours) The models went as well - it was absolutely wonderful to have them there!  A couple of friends came too - it was a great time!   The wonderful thing that happened that night (besides the delight of being with friends seeing terrific art) was that my piece won 2nd prize which came with a $200 check!  That helped balance the costs a bit.

At the end of the show, I had to retrieve the piece ($64 travel, $10 lunch, 6 hours).  

For a time, that was it.  It spent time on my wall being enjoyed by me and my family (and hopefully by visitors to our home as well!)

I put it into a show at Crossroads Art Center - I figured if it won a prize in a National Show, it might have a good chance of winning in a local show.  ($10 entry fee, $6.40 travel, 2 hours).  I won Honorable Mention (no prize money, just glory) ($6.40 travel, 4 hours for reception).  I picked it up two months later.  ($6.40 travel, 2 hours)

Another quiet period.  Then I put it into Not Barbie, but I won't count the costs involved with that because they were so complicated, and so many pieces were involved, but it included the following:
  1. creating and printing and mailing and otherwise distributing postcards  
  2. writing all the copy for the advertising 
  3. creating Beyond Barbie, organizing it
  4. being interviewed by the press
  5. transporting and hanging the show
  6. the opening
  7. each night of Beyond Barbie
  8. taking down and transporting the show back home

If I consider what it cost to put on Not Barbie, it would probably be close to $600, 50 pieces, or about $11/piece.   The time is incalculable, but it took me a solid 5 months of 8-12 hour days painting, marketing, writing, etc.  I don't mean to give the impression that I am sorry about any of this - I loved almost every minute of it!  I'm just trying to give a full and detailed, comprehensive list of what goes into the cost of a painting.

Once the piece was back home from Not Barbie, I heard about a show at Clatsop Community College in Astoria, Oregon called Au Naturel.  (Professional Artist $37/year, 1 hour reading) and decided to apply to it with three pieces:  Susie Kissing Sally, Woman with a Hat, and Che'.  The process of processing the pictures to upload, writing the artist statement, filling out other paperwork took about 1 hour and the application fee was $35.  It was all online so it was a bit less time-consuming than finding an envelop, putting stuff on a CD, going to the P.O., etc.

The administrator there was exceedingly helpful and friendly, so when I applied to have a solo show there with my nudes, it was a delight filling out all that paperwork, etc.  (That show may or may not include Susie Kissing Sally, so I won't include it in the time needed.)

I found out I got in the show with Susie Kissing Sally, but not with the other two.  That was kind of funny, actually - I was checking my email early one morning and saw one was from Au Naturel.  I clicked on it - rejection letter.  Well, that happens.  Here's what I read:
This year’s juror, Bonnie Laing-Malcolmson, The Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Curator of Northwest Art at the Portland Art Museum, was faced with a very difficult task, and after much deliberation, 52 works of art were selected from over 700 images submitted by nearly 200 artists from 35 states plus international submissions from Japan, India, Denmark, Italy, and Canada. The 2012 exhibit will represent 48 artists from 18 states as well as international artists from Canada and Denmark.

Those are high, very high, odds, so I didn't feel so bad.  Then I noticed another email - from the same place.  I thought about deleting it, but went ahead and opened it.  The first paragraph was the same then I read:
Congratulations! We are pleased to inform you that your work specified above has been selected for the exhibit. Please mark these important dates on your calendar:

Wow!  That was exciting!  Glad I opened the email!  (5 minutes - very valuable 5 minutes!)

From there it took a while to post it on Facebook and to email my husband, etc. , but I won't count that time since it wasn't necessary!

Getting the piece ready to ship - I had to find a box, find packing material, modify it, pack the piece in it safely.  My resistance to doing all that definitely took longer than the actually work doing it!  I was very thankful to find a box I could mail it in - one from Dick Blick in which I had received paper.  I also found some foam to protect the painting with on both sides and the edges.  (1.5 hours to pack)  Next step was to take it to UPS to mail it.  That's where I almost had a conniption fit.  I was stunned to find out it cost $19 each way to mail it and $16 to insure it each way, or $70 total to get the piece to Oregon and back.  OUCH.  Double ouch.  Triple ouch.  I have a thing about paying for postage - I don't like to do it - don't know why - it goes back to being a kid - it always seemed outrageous to buy stamps even though I LOVED to write and receive letters.  I swallowed my horror and paid the daggone $70 then left, feeling like I was stomping out of there like a petulant kid.  Hopefully I managed to hide those feelings at least til I got out of the door!

So...  that's the reckoning of costs so far for this one painting.  $304.20, 66.25 hours.

I have chosen to charge $1500 for the painting.  The gallery retains 40% of that or $600.  That means IF it sells, I would receive $900 for the painting.  (The postage and insurance I already paid will go to waste - no way to re-use it.)  

$900 - $304.20 (expenses) = $595.80 profit / 66.25 hours = $8.99/hour

The almost $600 probably sounds like a decent amount to make on a painting until you consider the time that goes into it - 66.25 hours in this case.  Then it's only $8.99/hour!  To make that amount of money, I could work at Target working as a cashier.

Again, I don't mean to complain - I love my work.  I don't want to be doing anything else.  I want to be a full time artist.  I just thought it might be helpful/interesting/fascinating to find out what sort of time and effort goes into creating and selling a painting  and why they cost so much! 

25 comments:

  1. my portrait was worth every last cent!

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    1. Aw, gee, thanks!
      Actually, I mean that quite sincerely. I hope folks feel that way - I put my heart and soul into my work, so it makes me very happy to hear you say that. Thank you.

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  2. I often hear people commenting on the price of works of art or handcrafted items. It doesn't seem to occur to many people that the time of the artist/craftsperson is valuable, or that they have invested years of study/practice in order to hone their skill. It's shocking to receive only $9/hour for what you do!

    What do you think of the issue of the accessibility of art to people from all walks of life? It bothers me sometimes that fine art, skilled photography, and high-quality handcrafts are out of reach of those without much money to spend. How does one balance this kind of idealism with the reality of the cost to the artist of producing the work?

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    1. Jess, thankfully I usually earn a bit more than $8.99/hour for my work. The piece I wrote about above is a little bit unusual because it has been in so many shows, but it is indicative of how much work goes into just one piece!

      As far as accessibility of art to people from all walks of life - I think it's a matter of priorities to some extent. When I was in my 20's and 30's, I set it as a priority that I would buy at least one piece of art/year. I did that by buying from artists' bins (where less expensive work sometimes is), by working out a payment plan with an artist, or perhaps by choosing a smaller piece that was less expensive. Artists want to sell their work and generally will have less expensive options for folks in that situation. Prints can be a good option as well.

      I'm wondering if you're referring to the artists whose prices have hit the stratosphere such as Van Gogh or Lucien Freud. I don't have a response to that except to say that if you want to collect great art, get to know young up-and-coming artists and collect their work early. There's a wonderful documentary called Herb and Dorothy about two normal-income people who collected 1000's of pieces of art from young artists and ended up donating their collection to museums when it got too extensive to keep in their apartment. They were obsessed, perhaps, but I think normal folks can collect art if they choose to.

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  3. This post should be read by artists and buyers everywhere. (organizing numbers and facts for post - unknown hours, typing time - approx. 1 hour, posting and editing -10 minutes, sharing with the world -Priceless!)
    Thank you.

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  4. Wow! I applaud you for two things, 1) being so meticulous with your records AND 2) taking the time to tally it all up and share with the rest of us! I am an artist myself, by hobby, occasionally I sell things but never have I had any kind of formula to figure up the asking price! Basically I just take a stab at what I think sounds reasonable, which I assure you doesn't even cover my COSTS. Thanks again for posting, you are an inspiration!

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    1. Stacy, thanks for your comment.
      I can't exactly claim that I came up with a formula to determine the cost of this particular piece. If I did, it wouldn't leave me earning $8.99/hour! It would accord me a much better wage than that! Instead, like you, I took a stab at what felt right, then determined from there, backwards, what that would leave me with when all was said and done. I'm not happy with this final wage. I strongly believe artists deserve to earn a living wage. But for the present, this is the way it is, and I'm happier doing this than anything else.

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  5. Perfect!! Love this post! It says it all and then some. You are lucky you make a whooping $8.99/hr. Maybe someday I will be so lucky!!! :-)

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    1. Well, I haven't sold it yet! So the bottom line has yet to be determined!

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  6. Perfect post! EXACTLY correct! You are lucky you make a whopping $8.99/hr! I dream of that hourly wage. Thank you for posting this. I am going to SHARE it too!!!

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  7. I think it is deplorable that people don't understand what we artists do to create what we do. We can't wave a magic wand. Do you mind if I link to this on my blog? I think I will write something up about this very topic. We are practically starving and lack of education on society's part is the problem. We need to spread the word about the important role that art plays.

    Amanda @ http://paintundermynails.blogspot.com

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    1. You are welcome to post a link to this post on your blog. Thank you for the compliment.
      Rather than finding it deplorable that people don't understand, I find it frustrating, but understandable - I certainly don't understand what an accountant does, or a jockey, for example. It's equally frustrating to me that it's sometimes difficult to sell my work for the prices I set b/c people don't understand what goes into it. That's why I wrote the blog. Education is a powerful tool. I agree that it's vital to spread the word about the important role that art plays. We have lost sight of that in our society, and it's crucial that we help people understand it. Please let me know if you write something about that. I'd love to read it and to share it.

      I can't exist happily without creating, whether it's paintings or stories or good meals or friendships - it's in my nature. And I believe it's in the nature of each of us, whether we know it or not. It's one of the things which makes us so beautifully human.

      Thanks for writing. Happy creating!

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  8. How many times have you heard THIS one? "Oh, so you're an artist... that must be a really FUN job!!!"

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  9. Thank you Susan,
    Your time spent creating this blog was the best time ever. to me it was priceless! I have read a re-read it. I myself am an emerging artist. I paint portraits for commission. I struggle with pricing and I find that MOST people have no idea what actually goes into a work of art. I stress WORK and did not say piece quite intentionally. I have just gained new strength in my pricing resolve. I have been doing this for 12 years. i say emerging as I took a break from painting for personal reasons, (children) didn't mix with oils....and now I am well I guess I shall say re-emerging. A person straight out of college would expect to make at least $15 dollars an hour for their schooled efforts. I will from now on honour what I do, and see myself as a well educated and experienced worker of my trade. Bravo Susan for taking the TIME to write this wonderful blog!!!
    Sincerely
    Kelli Coulson, Fine Artist

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    1. I'm happy that you got so much out of it. Thank you for letting me know.

      I wish you well in your endeavors and am so glad you will be honoring yourself through your pricing of your artwork. It's so important. I hope you will share your experiences as you have them. I'd love to hear more.

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  10. Fantastic post....thank you for sharing! I think there are other additional costs too, like the cost of studying art (not to mention all the experience leading up to this painting). If I sell art anywhere in Europe I also have to charge 19% VAT in addition to commission and most gallery's commission is excluding the 19% VAT they have to charge (though I can offset that as an expense). We have a small gallery ourselves and we even had someone try to pay us in bath towels. Fortunately there are poeple out there who do know and appreciate what goes into a painting...I hope your painting finds a good home soon :-)
    andrea

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    1. Andrea,
      Thanks for writing. I love the story about someone trying to pay you in bath towels! I think that speaks to how important art is for that person and how desperately they want to have it in their lives. It's awesome! I have had to turn down barters at time, but I always appreciate the fact that it shows that someone appreciates my art enough to be willing to share part of themselves with me as well.

      If you ever are interested in showing my work in your gallery, let's talk! It appears your might be in a German-speaking country, and I am looking for representation overseas (I speak fluent German), so let me know if that sounds good to you!

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    2. Thanks for your reply Susan. We're in Holland...and I'd love to exhibit your work, but we live in a very conservative Calvinist area (women get frowned on for wearing trousers...and have to wear hats to church) so we don't show nudes in paintings...it's a very small village, and we really only show our own work, mostly safe stuff ( www.atelier28.net )! and give art classes. Sorry about that... however there is a gallery by the sea run by a German lady in an area full of Germans in the summer... maybe worth sending her an email? http://www.artaurum.nl/ you never know... ;-)

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  11. I love this post! As a full time artist, I often get asked if I am willing to discount for friends or, in many cases, friends of friends or those who question how I can justify charging what I do (honestly, I still don't charge enough). I have tried to explain exactly what you have written here. There are so many small, hidden costs and so much unpaid time put in to preparation and research. Thanks you for outlining your experience.

    Denise, artist/owner at Internal Bloom
    www.internalbloom.com

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    1. Thanks for your post, Denise. Perhaps I can save you the trouble of explaining! Just send 'em to my blog and wait for them to offer you even more for your fine work once they understand! (Well, we can hope!)

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  12. I love this post! As a full time artist, I often get asked if I am willing to discount for friends or, in many cases, friends of friends or those who question how I can justify charging what I do (honestly, I still don't charge enough). I have tried to explain exactly what you have written here. There are so many small, hidden costs and so much unpaid time put in to preparation and research. Thanks you for outlining your experience.

    Denise, artist/owner at Internal Bloom
    www.internalbloom.com

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  13. Susan,

    This post came to me from a friend who is an artist back home in MI. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that you are local (to me) and I am taking a lost wax class from Daniel Eaves at the Visual Arts Center right now! Great post!

    Karyn

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    1. Karyn,
      Isn't serendipity great?! Perhaps we'll meet at Vis Arts one of these days! I'm teaching there tonight - Pastels. Come say hi if you happen to be there!

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  14. Susan, it was lovely to find your work online tonight. And, it was icing on the cake to find your blog post, too. Thank you for so meticulously detailing the "soft costs" that go into the work of art. It is a topic I address often with my consulting clients . . . both mental health professionals and artists.

    Thank you . . . for your art and for your blog. I will share it with my clients and look forward to following your work.

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