October 1, 2015

October 1, 2015

In 9 days all of the work has to be taken to the gallery for installation.  I still have to create the labels for the records which will be the tags for the work.  I have recorded the songs onto the small recorders.  Now I have to figure out how to attach them to the back of the records and to put the button to push in a good spot where it will not be pulled off.  The recording sound is not great, but it is OK.  I keep telling myself that it is just there to jog memories.  If you remember the song, you won’t have to use the recorder.  The entire record with recorder on back has to be attached to the carpeted walls.  I expect that I will use Velcro.  I just hope that they stay up. 

In order to complete the labels I need to have prices for the art.  I think that pricing is one of the most difficult things for most artists to do.  Art is more than the cost of the canvas, paints, brushes and all the other things that I stick in.  There is a tremendous amount of time involved.  That includes thinking time as well as creating time.  We all say that we don’t get anything for our time and that is close to the truth.  We pay membership fees and the gallery takes a percentage of the sale price.  If I have a piece for $100, by the time that I pay the gallery costs, the materials costs, and miscellaneous costs (ie. framing, transporting, etc.), I may net about $30.  How many hours did it take me to make the piece?  At $100 it was probably a small piece which takes 2 or 3 days.  So I am getting $10 or $15 a day.  They may or may not be 8 hour days.  But you get the idea.

Some of my work takes several weeks, most of the pieces that I have in the show are in the range of 2-3 weeks, a couple of the items took over a month.  How do I price that?  In the end, it is just a best guess.  I make up a price.  I don’t have a formula to keep track of my time and charge so much per hour.  I would price myself out of any sales; especially in Springfield where art sales are lukewarm. 

Why do I do this?  Obviously I am not in it for the money.  Yes, it is therapy of a sort.  I enjoy creating.  I enjoy making people laugh and think and look beyond their daily lives.  I feel that it is my calling at this stage of my life.  It makes me happy and I have fun doing it.  (But sales are always good; they validate what I am doing.)