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| Bluff Face 8x10 |
Good natured outspokeness? I'm betting you are wondering where I'm going with this one.
Over 45 years ago I was introduced to the bluffs of the Coulee Region. These geological expressions were new to me and they captured my heart. Many artists are passionate about the area we live in and you can get a closer look at their efforts and studios through this upcoming country tour from Winona to Lanesboro and beyond in eastern Minnesota. Plus it's free.
It's exciting to see what other artists are doing and I hope to go to at least a few. Check it out at https://bluffcountrystudioarttour.org. They even have an app to download.
One of the closest to me is Mississippi Mornings Art Studio at 40341 Lamoille Drive, Minn. 8 miles south of Winona. I had the pleasure of meeting artist/gallery owner Linda Klabo last fall at Kinstone. She'll be hosting several artists for Bluff Country Studio Art Tour (the image on the poster is from one of the artists at her location, Kathy Kovala). Plus mark your calender's for an Artist Rummage Sale May 6-9 (more details in my May 2 blog plus I'll be participating).
Note to my followers:
I also need to speak out about my own pricing of art. As I first started oil painting just a little over 2 years ago the goal was to be able to paint everything and anything to begin to understand the new medium I was working with. My goal was to paint, not necessarily to sell, but after a year I had a collection of paintings and the need to spend money for more and better art supplies and take workshops to improve my art. I thought keep the prices low enough just to cover my costs. I wanted to sustain my pursuit to paint. It worked, no one thought less of the art because of the low price and I found many new homes that would be enjoying them. I was even able to donate to some very good causes. Making art became rewarding to me in so many ways. I want to express my gratitude to so many.
Many artists can not sell at cost, they need to make a living from their art, so I hope to not offend others when my pricing seems to contradict what the market pricing should be for art. Expenses needed to cover the years of dedication, education, materials and of course the time it takes create, not to mention the cost of food, shelter and healthcare. Which now leads me to the pricing of some of my art will begin to reflect to cost of selling through venues such as galleries and events.
I plan on still doing some direct sales through my blog and commissions but have decided I need a wider audience for my art and have will to partner up with others who operate and support artists with selling their art. They can offer things like credit card transactions, coordinated events, lots of traffic to new collectors through advertising and activities. The pricing of my artwork at these new venues will need to reflect the percentage and fees these locations need to collect to continue their hard work plus I'm going to be framing many of the items for display and adding some packaging. I also have to consider the the mileage and time it takes to set up. You can bet these costs start adding up. I'm not bluffing when I tell you I'm not making anymore on my artwork than before.
I still value those that follow my blog. As I post new works please understand the price you see for new releases may change when marketed. So if you see it and want it, buy it right away. Thanks for understanding.
Colleen
