Monday, January 09, 2012

Decisions, decisions

A new year. Back to work today. I have three commissions to complete. Did a stock-take on business done since opening last November. Have completed 57 commissions and sold 7 paintings off the wall. Portraits of people unknown to the viewer are not easy to sell but I have proved there is a good market for commissions of pets and grandchildren. Problem. I am not charging enough to make a profit. Because I have overheads to meet I am very reluctant to raise my prices. If I price my work at a level where it will return a viable profit I honestly don't think I will get the same number of commissions. So I have options. Return to working from home with only marketing overheads but no shop window. Go into an arrangement with a nearby gallery to preserve my presence and work from there part-time. Or stay put and charge more. I am pretty certain what I will do. But at the same time prevaricating.....I'll pay another months rent and then make my mind up....

Here's a painting from earlier last year. It is a composite. That is, made up from three different photographs.


6 comments:

ZenTiger said...

Nice.

Any chance of expanding your reach? Advertise for commissions in richer circles, and put your prices way up but also advise a waiting list to fufil commissions?

Mark Hubbard said...

For what it's worth, I reckon a combination of (1) - home - and (2) with gallery presence - sounds like the way to go. I've got a friend who was doing a variation on (2) for a while, but has now morphed that into a gift/knick/knack type shop.

I'm way behind on work, so given you don't mind doing pets, I'll get a commission to you by at least mid year :) Need to get the protagonist to pose, first.

Nick K said...

Ask Creative NZ for a grant!!

James said...

Use the net and Facebook more.

Manolo said...

Whatever you choose, please keep painting!

Tanya Stebbing said...

Fame should be yours.