Fur In The Paint

So I was talking on the phone the other day with a new artist friend, Olga Krasovska, whom I met at the Owatonna Art Festival. Olga is a painter originally from Russia, who has been in the US for about 4 years now. (I think I got that right, as I said we are newly acquainted. Olga, if you’re out there, feel free to correct me on anything.) Her paintings are beautiful and if only she had a website, (it’s on her to do list) I would point you to her.

Anywho, she and I were exchanging information about art fairs. She’s looking to do more in Iowa and I’m looking to do more in Minnesota (her home state.) So the line of questioning was about what events we thought were good and that possibly the other should try. Since we’re both painters thats about as close to a guesstimate of how you’ll do at an unknown event, as you can get.

“. . .explain to me why photographers get to sell multiples of their images, when no (other 2-D artist) can?”

Then came several art events where my answer was all the same.

Olga: Have you done Madison Wisconsin?
Me: Nope, I hear it’s an excellent show but it’s originals only and so I have never even applied.

Olga: Have you done College Hill, in Cedar Falls, Iowa?
Me: Nope, I hear it’s an excellent show but it’s originals only and so I have never even applied.

Olga: Have you done . . . Okay, you get the point.

Originals Only Art Fairs . . . Answer Me This
Both she and I have quality giclee prints of our work. And for both of us that often makes up the bulk of our sales. We are at a point and quality level where our originals command a higher price.

“. . .how can I compete with jewelers, potters and photographers . . . who have $20-$50 items . . . while my originals have a much higher sticker price?”

I mean sure, I have a handful of small originals that sell for $200-$300 but most of my work has a far higher sticker price. How can I compete against potters, jewelers and photographers when I am only allowed to sell originals. I mean those guys can have $20-$50 items, which make up a huge part of their over all sales.

Here I sit, with my thousand dollar paintings next to them, praying for at least one sale to make my expenses. But hoping for two, so I actually show a profit.

I know many art fairs claim “originals only” as some sort of quality control thing. What that leaves you for 2-D artists is corporate art (which I am not) or artists whose price range is low enough that perhaps it calls into question their skill level, (and that seems to me to contradict the whole quality intention,) or photographers.

Also, explain to me why photographers get to sell multiples of their images, when no one else can? Seriously, do they think all of them are in the dark room. Of course most photographers have gone digital now. But then my question is, why are giclee photos prints allowed when giclee art prints not?

“. . .why are giclee photo prints allowed when giclee art prints not?”

Facing Extinction
I know quite a few art fairs that are struggling to get enough 2-D artists, because 2-D artists are struggling to make it. People have only so much wall space, but there is always room for another pot or necklace. If you take away our ability to make sufficient sales by marketing reproductions, then we may not be able to compete. And there’s getting to be fewer of us all the time.

In my In This Economy post, I mentioned two artists who quit their long time art gig for “real” jobs, guess what type of artist they were? Yup, painters both.