At the DayJob one of my coworkers is also an artist. He focuses primarily on printmaking but he also does some painting. He’s a pretty cool dude and I value his opinion and we chat (IM) a lot. A couple of days ago he told me, “So… I really dig the recent work you’ve been doing.”
It was the right thing to “hear” at the right time.
I recently offered to donate a couple of paintings to a family fundraiser for an in law that has cancer for the 3rd go round. My offer was an attempt to be generous and attempt to help the family make some much needed dollars in a tough time. The offer was well received but with a caveat, it may not be the right venue to maximize the dollar amount.
The last thing I want to see is my work go for much less than #1 it’s worth or #2 I can get for it. So after careful consideration and deliberation, as well as discussion with the in laws I decided to not donate my work but to donate something that will go with the “product mix” and crowd. As the in law described it as “not an arty” crowd.
As much as it hurts to know that my work is not right for a certain crowd, after all we all want to be universally loved and accepted, it’s better to know in advance that the work would not go for what it’s worth. I’m just controlling enough to want it to go for a certain amount and know that I can hold it and get the right money.
While selling my art (and craft) is a necessary endeavor for me as it forms a part of my income, my DayJob allows me to be picky enough in my sales that I can tell people to eff off if I don’t like the offer. Selling and offering to sell for charity to a certain extent removes that ability. While I’m bothered that my art isn’t right for a certain venue it’s better to know in advance.
The lesson learned here for me is that I need to learn the venue before I make an offer.