Amy Evans Painting Adventures

How Do I Determine my prices?

"Sandscape", oil 9x12" © Amy Evans

Pricing my work is an important part of my business. I am a professional, and have a long resume of awards, etc., as well as a strong history of sales. My prices are in the middle range for oil paintings if you look at my work versus some of those artists at the top of their field as well as those who are just starting out.

I only sell originals, no giclees, prints, etc., so my prices reflect the fact that my paintings are one of a kind.

I begin with the cost of my materials. I believe in using professional grade paints and I use surfaces that are archival. I primarily paint on linen which has been adhered to a hard archival surface.

Overhead such as shipping and travel also is a part of the cost of the painting. I often ship my work to shows and galleries.

Framing is another cost that is a part of the painting. I used to use inexpensive frames to keep my cost down, but found that they don't last. I now use custom frames that are made in Colorado.

My time is also a factor. I struggle with some paintings, others literally paint themselves. I have put years of study into learning how to paint, so that is a part of the price too.

A gallery's commission is also figured into my price. The gallery often takes 50% of the retail cost in return for hanging, promoting and selling my work.

I figure all of these factors into my costs and then average them in order to estimate a price. I paint in standard sizes, so I price according to the size of the painting.

My prices are somewhat consistent no matter where my work is represented. Sometimes the cost of a frame will cause a slight variation in a price. Sometimes galleries will have a sale with my permission.

Above all, my goal is to price my work so that the public will be able to have original art as a part of their world. Original Art should not be a luxury. It provides so much more to your home, office, etc., than a decoration.

Painting IS A Job

Plein Air Study, 6x8"© Amy Evans

I love my outdoor office. I accept no phone calls, don't look at the computer, and rarely have appointments. The only noise comes from birds and the breeze through the trees. I can usually work uninterrupted. I occasionally have curious visitors, depending on where I am painting.

Some friends and family don't consider this work. What could be more fun than painting outdoors on a perfect day?

What you see is the beauty of painting...You don't see the work that goes into every stroke. You don't see the concentration that painting demands as well as the planning. There is a lot of hard work behind every painting: years of learning about light, color, value, composition, brush techniques.

Painting also requires discipline. I must paint regularly, and I must challenge myself so that I don't get complacent.

Being an artist can be a very rewarding job.  I love it when my painting and I are in sync with our subject matter. I am thrilled when a painting is sold and becomes a part of someone's life. It is exciting when someone while looking at my painting experiences the same feelings I had when I painted the piece.

I love my work!

Challenging Myself...or Artist Torture

I am having fun with a challenge I decided to try. I took my plein air painting I did in the fall near Rabbit Ears Pass, CO and painted a small painting from it. It is a 6x8" painting. I had to think abstract shapes as well as color. It was a fun exercise, as well as work...

Near Rabbit Ears Pass, 9x12"

                         " Fall Fantasy", 6x8"

"Near Rabbbit Ears Pass" is my 9x12" plein air piece and "Fall Fantasy"is my 6x8 "mini".

You can see that I simplified and resolved some shapes. I also strengthened the color masses and tried to express distance.

I had so much fun painting small. I then thought what if I painted a large painting from both of these paintings...

"Passing Through", © Amy Evans 24x30"

This is 24x30"...I had to enlarge some of the shapes while trying to keep it all simple as well as remembering what I loved about that place.

It was difficult to keep from getting caught up in the details, which is a form of artist torture.

I was also trying to translate into a very large format. I pushed the color and reintroduced some of the russets that I remembered were so beautiful this time of year.

I am going to try this again...it is interesting to see the subject in different formats.

Challenges keep us from getting complacent about our paintings. They open our eyes to new ways of seeing. They can be frustrating, but I believe that that moves us forward to more interesting work. An artist once told me that when we get frustrated we are trying to continue painting in our comfort zone. Pushing ourselves is scary.

Am I happy with this? Yes...it was a struggle at times, but I learned that minimal brush strokes can express so much...as well as large areas of color, no matter whether large or small.