"So, what's this painting worth?"

I don’t know why I get this question, but a few times a year, I get a call from someone with a painting to sell me. The call goes like this: “Hey, my grandmother has an original signed oil painting and it’s really nice. It’s signed ‘Wilson’ and she said she paid a lot for it. What is it worth, do you know? And would you be interested in it if I sold it to you at a discount?”

So then, I explain to them that I’m not an art appraiser and I don’t run an art auction house. I’m just a painter, and although I understand it’s a “signed” painting, that really doesn’t mean anything to me because heck, when I took my first oil painting class at the age of nine, I signed my paintings when I was done, but I assure you, I painted nothing at the age of nine that was worth anything at all except to my parents.

“ If your grandma enjoyed the painting,

it’s fulfilled it’s mission”

Honestly, you are probably okay just selling the piece at a garage sale. If that just makes you cringe, then here are a couple of things you might try first. You might take it into a reputable art gallery (where they sell the work of many artists) and ask the gallery manager for some advice. They may have much better advice than I have, because I’m just an individual artist and not a gallery manager or art auctioneer. You might also google the artists name just in case there’s something written up about them. That might give you a clue. If there is something written up about the artist, you might try to find a gallery that carries their work and approach the gallery manager. They may (??) actually be willing to purchase the piece if it’s worth it to them.

But again, 95% of the time, it’s probably not worth the time involved in trying to sell grandma’s painting if it requires doing more than what I’ve just suggested. The whole reason to purchase artwork is because it’s something you enjoy. If your grandma enjoyed the painting, it’s fulfilled it’s mission in life and the artist should be happy to hear it brought joy to grandma. That’s awesome. That’s really what art is all about.

What color art would go best in my home?

One of the questions I get asked the most often comes when a client is considering commissioning a painting from me: “What colors would go best in my home?” I usually ask for some photos at that point and make my suggestions. Usually, it’s really easy and so I thought it would be worth going over my my thought process here when answering that question.

The simple answer involves a quick look at the color wheel. Remember that from eighth grade art class? Yes, we professional artists actually do use that tool. Here’s how it works.

1. Look at your current color scheme.Let’s say you have grey green walls, dark wood floor, and a tan couch in the living room with green throw pillows. That’s a lot of warm colors, so what I would recommend would be to use colors that compliment those warm colors.

2. Determine the complimentary color of the main colors you’re already using. Look at the color wheel. What is opposite the green wedge? Red. So depending on the green you’re looking at, the opposite may be more of a tomato soup red or a crimson red, but some sort of red would be considered the complimentary color of the green. If the green you’re looking at is a gray green, then a gray red is the compliment.

3. Consider the size piece you’re looking at purchasing. If my client wants a major piece of art (a statement piece), then I would use mostly greens and earth tones in the piece and just a bit of red. See, for a large piece, I do want to use a bit of the complimentary color of the green they already have, but I don’t want to completely overwhelm the eyes of the viewer. If that piece is a large statement piece, a huge completely red painting would scream at you from across the room You don’t want a painting screaming at you, right? If on the other hand, the painting is just a small piece to be used as an accent, then using mostly the complimentary color would be very effective and dramatic. I might also suggest adding an extra pillow to the couch, or adding a plant or flowers that utilize the complimentary color so that the painting created isn’t the only thing in the room that uses the compliment (red in this case).

It’s that simple. Now you’re an expert. I just saved you a semester at art school. Your welcome! :)

How to deal with criticism as an artist

Beauty or just a big mess?

First off, I love creating art. I pour my whole heart and soul into every single painting I create, and so I have a whole lot of me invested in my work. Most artists I know understand exactly what I’m talking about. Creating art is risky. See, if people love what you create, it feels amazing. If people don’t love what you create, it can be completely devastating. So I say that creating art is risky because with every piece you create, you’re basically putting your soul out there for the whole world to judge.

Or not.

That last sentence describes my way of looking at my own art abilities when I was a grade schooler. I was always the best artist in each of my classes growing up and since I was NOT the top of my class when it came to team sports or academics, I made my artistic abilities my key to feeling accepted by my classmates. That scheme worked great until high school. In tenth grade, I realized that I was no longer the “best artist” in my grade and I kind of fell apart. By my late teens, I realized I was just using art as a tool to get what I really wanted: to feel like I deserved to be here, earning my right to breathe, and I have learned that no ability I could possibly have can give me that kind of inner-soul validation. That’s got to come from somewhere else. Art cannot bear that kind of weight.

And so, over time, I have learned that my art abilities were just given to me to enjoy. That’s it. They are my key to fun. They are not my key to feeling acceptable as a human. And when that weight is taken off of art, creativity can just be enjoyed, so nothing is on the line. If people like my artwork, I’m happy. I like it, and I’m glad when someone else does too. If someone doesn’t like it, that’s got to be okay. Nothing is on the line. So when someone critiques my work, I really try to take a deep breath and listen. Over and over again, I have been able to glean something from every critical comment. Every artist has got to be okay with the idea that they are not perfect; that they make mistakes and that they are still growing. The most difficult people I’ve ever been around are those that are convinced that they never make mistakes. The other group of people that are really difficult to be around are those that think they SHOULD NEVER make mistakes and when they do, they nose dive into depression. Both types of people are arrogant…two sides of the same coin. I don’t want to be like that.

“I have learned that my art abilities were just given to me to enjoy. That’s it.”

The man I want to be informs the artist I want to be. My faith tells me that my Creator loves me and approves of me. That faith says that one day I will stand before him. Him. Only him. That faith teaches me that I am forgiven and loved and approved by him already. And if that is true, then there doesn’t exist anyone whose critique or disapproval can undo the approval my creator promises me I already have.

Honestly, that’s what I remind myself every time I receive a critique. Nothing is on the line. And in every critique, if I listen, there may just be an element or two of wisdom and I can use that wisdom to improve my craft. And because I love my craft, I want it to be constantly improving. Critiques are just part of that.

Question 12: "What do you do when you have a mental block?"

“In the Heart of the Woods”

This question definitely falls into the category of “Last but not Least”: “What do you do when you have a mental block?”. This is such a difficult question to answer, and THAT may baffle non artists. I’ve never heard of a doctor or a car mechanic or an attorney or an insurance salesperson say “I just have no idea where to start. My head isn’t in this at all.” Maybe they say that. Maybe I’m making a huge assumption based on ignorance. I just know that when it comes to creating…creating something out of nothing, it requires inspiration. It really does. Whether that’s writing a song that has never been sung, or writing a poem that’s never been spoken or painting a painting that’s never been seen…creating from nothing requires an almost “spiritual” energy.

If that is an accurate way of looking at it, then because I am not God (the source of unlimited spiritual energy), I have only a bit here and there. I am a rechargeable “AA” battery, and not a cold fusion reactor. And so, a creative person absolutely needs to recharge their AA battery or nothing will happen creatively at all.

So my answer to the question of what to do when I have a “mental block” is a very person answer. I have my own answer, but if YOU were asking me this question, rather than telling you my own answer, I would first have to ask you a question. My question would be “What is ‘life-giving’ to you? What recharges you?” Maybe it’s cooking. Maybe it’s hanging out with friends, or hiking, or traveling, or reading, or singing in the shower, or finger-painting or taking a long drive. Do that. Do whatever recharges your own AA battery. My answer is MY answer and I'm fine sharing MY answer when specifically asked, but I don’t think this is the place to do that. See, your answer to a truly “spiritual question” is also a very deeply “personal answer”. Your answer is as custom fit to you as mine is to me. So I make it a rule of thumb not to give my own answer unless I’m actually asked for it.

The point though is, if you are creative and you have a mental block, you need to figure out how you’re put together so to speak. What is akin to “inhaling”? If you exhale (create), you HAVE to inhale to keep the whole process going. This is very, very difficult in our modern western society, because time does not allow for “luxuries” like taking a walk or savoring a slow, quiet afternoon, or turning the lights out and listening to a Brahms Symphony. The way we look at these “luxuries” is all wrong though. We are humans, not robots. We require real, spiritual input to create beauty. That input is not a luxury. That is real. That is life. And that is deeply, deeply human.

New Goals + Winter Months = "Outside the Box" Creativity

During the winter months, Asheville's River Arts District turns into a ghost town, but I've found the winter months to be an awesome time to think, dream, imagine and plan new work. When it's slow and I have time to catch my breath a bit, that's when I start thinking outside the box. Boredom is something I dreaded as a kid, but now as a full time artist, I’ve recognized boredom is kind of a gift to creativity. Down time is when my creative brain really starts firing and I begin thinking things like “I wonder how I can do THAT” or “What would happen if I tried THIS?” There’s only one way to find out (and then boredom ends, having done it’s job).

Over the years, I've primarily focused on landscapes, but I've had time to develop some really interesting directions as far as abstract pieces go. Ideally, I would like to have a better balance between the two styles (landscapes / abstracts) because they require such a different creative approach, and that keeps life interesting!

And, in addition to working on paintings for my studio in Asheville, I'm also creating several new landscape pieces for Mountain Nest Gallery in Black Mountain, NC and several new abstracts for Revealed Gallery in Charleston, SC. I’m so grateful for how these galleries have exposed more people to my work than otherwise possible with my studio in Asheville.

Oh, also (on a more business note)…I’ve begun to offer payment plans for people who want to purchase my work. Here’s how it works…If you purchase a completed piece or commission a custom piece from me, you can take up to nine months to pay for it at no interest. When the last payment is made, I ship the painting to you (and...shipping costs are on me).  

So, 2024 is shaping out to be a really fun (and hopefully) challenging year, as I continue to develop this technique of mine and see where it goes and what it becomes, and that is incredibly exciting for me. 

Question 11: Where do you get inspiration for your work?

This question, “Where do you get your inspiration?” is one of the most asked questions I get. And it’s funny. It’s actually one of the most difficult questions to answer. It’s like someone asking you, “how do you breath?” Simple question, but how do you answer it? “I…uh…just do?” I don’t know how other artists might answer this question, but since this is my blog, I’ll answer it for myself.

For me personally, I need peace inside my head to create. I need quiet. This may just be because I’m an introvert rather than because peace is intricately connected to creativity. I don’t know. Maybe an extroverted artist would feel different, but that’s not me. And for me, quiet and peace happen best when I’m walking or (preferably) hiking in nature. It can take me a while to walk a few miles because I like to stop and just breathe, listen, take in the essence of the place. Hah! That sounds so “spiritual” but honestly, for me, I guess it really is. I can’t think outside the box and create when life is rushed, loud and crazy. I love rushed, loud and crazy (in bite sized pieces), don’t get me wrong. I just can’t create in that environment.

“…I feel the intense desire to communicate to someone else what I’m feeling at that moment in such a way that they feel it too.”

And usually, walking in that quiet place, taking it all in, I’m with my wife Joy. So it may be quiet around me, but I sometimes talk a lot in that context, expressing myself and processing the emotions the place excites inside my head. Does anyone else do this??? I’m probably really annoying to hike with.

Joy: “Why are we stopping?”

Me: “Listen to that!”

Joy: “What? I don’t hear anything”

Me: “I know. Isn’t it beautiful? Just the wind…that’s all I hear. That’s so beautiful!”

Joy is very patient and is really great at entering with me into that “sacred space”. It’s there I get ideas, and at that point, it’s not just “Oh, I can paint that mountain over there!” It’s more like I feel the intense desire to communicate to someone else what I’m feeling at that moment in such a way that they feel it too. When you look at it that way, it’s actually a very intimate thing — creating a piece of art.

So in a nutshell, I get my inspiration from walking, prayer, breathing and listening in the context of nature. It can take hours, so I can’t rush it at all. But given the time (and the quiet), inspiration comes and at that point, in that quiet moment, it can ironically break in like a hurricane. I love that.

Question 10: "Do you have your work in galleries?"

If you or someone you know is an aspiring full time artist, one really important question that needs an answer is this: Do you have your work in galleries? And then the follow up question, “How do you find the right galleries?”

When I was still a novice at marketing my own artwork, I had absolutely no idea there is actually etiquette involved with getting my work into an art gallery and in the beginning, I unknowingly broke all the rules. I first thought of cool cities with a decent art scene, and then got onto Google and basically emailed every art gallery on the list. My email included photos and my resume.

After well over a hundred emails (all unanswered by the way), I learned that I needed some help and eventually received the advice I needed. Here is that advice:

1) Think of the cities most visited by tourists or art seekers.

2) Google the art galleries on your list and look at every gallery website with this in mind: “Would my work fit well in this gallery? If say, you do minimalist abstract work and the gallery is in Cody, Wyoming and carries all cowboy portraits, uh…pass that one up”. This is really important. You’ll make yourself look like a fool if you don’t do your research. Contact only galleries in which you work would look “at home” in.

“…Would my work fit into this gallery?”

I regularly get people emailing me asking if they can get into my gallery. Had they actually done their homework, they’d see that I do not have a “gallery” at all per se. I have an open art studio (a place where artwork is produced and sold by the artist). Had the inquirer taken just a moment to look at my website, they’d realize this. When an artist doesn’t do proper research, it just makes them look ridiculous. Trust me…this is probably why I received no responses from all the art galleries I emailed back in the day.

3) Ideally, next, you need to take a road trip and actually VISIT the art galleries in one of the towns you’ve selected. Just pick one town/city and work on that one first. You’re not going to be able to fill twenty art galleries with your work, so don’t bother covering the entire country. Look at one city at a time. When you’re visiting, greet the curator/gallery owner and just browse through, taking your time looking at the artwork. At this point, imagine you’re a perspective art buyer, so pay close attention to the vibe you pick up entering and wondering around. Were you completely ignored when you entered? Not good. Are you followed around and hounded? Not good. I wouldn’t bother pursuing the gallery if they don’t treat visitors with respect. But then if all goes well, ask the person at the desk if you could make an appointment to talk to the manager and get info on their policy regarding the addition of new artists. Asking for an appointment immediately communicates that you respect their time. Respect is good. Then when you meet with the owner/manager, ask them what the process is and how you might be considered as one of the artists they represent. Do NOT walk in with your paintings under your arms. Do NOT scroll through the photos on your phone to wow them. Trust me. They have a policy in place. Find out what that policy is and follow it. Again, that shows respect AND it actually gets your work considered.

I had a gallery owner friend in Asheville years ago, and she said she recieved emails from artists wanting gallery representation every day, literally over a hundred emails a week. She said she just deletes them all. That is because there was an intake policy in place (actually stated on her gallery website) and that the policy was not followed. Do you homework.

Follow this advice, and that will at least help. And it will definitely mean you won’t have to email hundreds of art galleries like I did initially. Be smart.

Question 9: "How do you manage the business side of your art business?"

When someone uses their artistic talent as a hobby or for therapy, that is a beautiful thing. Making art is just really good for you. But when art is a hobby, you don’t have to worry at all about the whole business side of it. In fact, just the suggestion of discussing the “business side” of an art career will get a lot of cow-eyed stares from artists. “But I just want to paint and sell my paintings. That’s it. That’s all I want to do”.

“But I just want to paint…”

Okay, brilliant. However, it’s time for that hard talk. Attending to the business side of an art career is like a track and field athlete investing into top notch running shoes. Yes, you can run barefoot but you can go a lot farther with the proper tools (shoes in this case). Without serious thought regarding the business side of an art career, that art career won’t last long. You have to get answers to some very basic questions and then decide which answers will lead to wise practices. Here are some questions I would suggest a “would be professional artist” ask a full time professional artist regarding the business of running an art career:

• Where do you have your art supplies?

• How do you keep track of inventory so you always have what you need?

• How do you keep track of sales tax?

• Do you accept credit cards? What’s involved with that?

Let’s handle these questions one at a time. Regarding art supplies…

Gathering art supplies for your particular craft can take a lot of time and expense. I’m a painter, so my advice won’t be worth much to a ceramic artist or wood sculpture. But if you’re a painter, yes, you can go to Michaels or Hobby Lobby, but don’t go before checking for coupons. Always keep your eye out for a sale. Sign up on art suppliers websites and get all those irritating emails that end up in your promotional email folder. But then LOOK AT THEM and use all the coupons you can. You can save big with coupons. As far as websites on line, my favorites and Cheap Joe’s and Jerry’s Artarama, but there are lots of them.

Regarding inventory…we check once a week on our stock. What I don’t want to happen is to run out of something and then have to WAIT to get more back in stock. Some things I order come from California so I could be waiting several days. For all the main things I use, I always have a duplicate in my studio. When I am done with one paint brush and toss it, I have another just like it and A) begin using it and then immediately (B) order another so I always, always have the next one waiting for me. Think ahead.

Regarding keeping track of sales, we use Quickbooks. And by “we”, I mean my wife Joy uses Quickbooks. We’d be in jail by now if my financial status depended on my math skills. Quickbooks is great because each quarter when it’s time to do sales tax, we just give the files to our accountant and BAM! They do their accounting magic and then tell us what we owe the state of North Carolina.

And lastly, regarding accepting credit cards…Absolutely yes. Hardly anyone uses checks anymore, so I try to make selling artwork as easy as I can for a potential client. There are many, many options for you when you want to enable your clients to use a credit card for a sale. Right now, we use Card Point, but you can use Square and many other credit card readers. Just do some research and ask questions at your favorite stores. Questions like, “How do you like using Square?” or “What credit card software do you use, and how do you like it?” You can also just go the easy route and use PayPal. You can log onto PayPal, write up an invoice, email it to your client and then they pay you all on line through PayPal. That works when you’re making a sale and can your your computer (even if you don’t have a credit card reader) but if you’re selling to someone on the spot, you’d want Square or an alternative.

Sometimes, important things to know are boring. Sorry. This is all info you need to think about though if you want to run full speed into the world of being a full time artist. Good luck!

Question 8: "Do you advertise?"

In my blog list of twelve questions I would suggest an aspiring full time artist ask an already full time artist, we have come to the question of advertising…”Do you advertise? If so, what seems to have worked well for you and what hasn't? What percent of your budget goes to advertising?”

The issue of an artist advertising is so tricky. Here is why…The only way you’ll sell your work is for people to see it, right? How will “Joe Public” see your work and then (maybe) buy your painting? Maybe he’ll scroll through Popular Mechanics magazine and see your ad, and voila! A big sale. Well that was easy.

Except it doesn’t work that way. How many people looking through Popular Mechanics are interested in the latest mechanical gizmos AND maybe fine art. I’m not saying those people aren’t out there, I’m just suggesting that you have to determine who your clients are out there (your demographic) and figure out how to reach them.

“Who is your demographic?”

When I was brand new to the professional artist career, I advertised in local art magazines. It cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars and here’s the thing…No one EVER came into my studio and said, “Oh, I saw your ad in ______ magazine and I just HAD to come and see your artwork for myself.” That literally never happened and SO, I never ever had any clue at all whether or not my career was positively affected by advertising. All I can say is that I’m selling more artwork now (I basically don’t advertise now) than I was back in the day when I felt like my career might crumble if I didn’t advertise.

Ahhhh, so the sage advice is this: DON’T ADVERTISE, right? Wrong. See, because I am part of a collective of hundreds of artists in Asheville, we (as a group) advertise in local magazines around the country in locations where a lot of Asheville tourists are coming from. My dues to the River Arts District Artists goes to help fund that advertising. So the advertising I’m doing doesn’t just affect me, it affects the district. But if people who visit Asheville want to make sure they check out the River Arts District, then I stand to benefit. I do have a listing on an Asheville tourism website (RomanticAsheville.com) but that’s it.

So it’s not that I’m such an awesome artist that I don’t have to advertise. I happen to be a part of an awesome group of artists in an awesome tourist oriented town and WE do the advertising together. That’s one of the very biggest perks of being an artist here, but I would think that same model could be adopted anywhere artists are. If you live in Cincinnati, find the other artists around you and advertise together. It works for us here in Asheville, and although we like to think we are so unique, I doubt that’s the case. We’re just running with a good idea and that same idea could work anywhere I’d think.

The other thing I would totally stay away from is the seemingly kind offers you get from people to display your work in their office space or restaurant. Here’s how that usually goes: “Hey, I have a great opportunity for you Steve! I’m opening a brand new upscale Italian restaurant in town and we would LOVE to display your work there on our walls, free of cost to you, and you can put price tags on all your work so you can sell your work from the restaurant. Think of the exposure!”

Don’t do it.

My experience with this is that if your artwork is simply decor on the wall of a restaurant, coffee shop, dentists office or office space, people don’t notice it at all. Look, when you go out to eat, have you ever asked the waiter, “Hey, I really love this potted ficus you have over here. How much is it??” You have never asked that question, have you? Be honest. No, of course not. You probably didn’t even notice the ficus in the corner because…you were there to eat food. Plain and simple. This way to “get your work out there” is a really nice way to give the restaurant owner free decor for their walls. Suggest he BUY the artwork from you and see what he says. Or tell the owner that you have a cousin who is getting married next month and you would like to suggest that he (the restaurant owner) cater it for free. “I mean, we can put your cards around on all the tables so everyone will know where that amazing food came from! Think of the exposure you’d get!”

That doesn’t work for any other profession, don’t let it happen to you.

Concluding this post, it might be good to remind you that I’d encourage any questions relating to whether to advertise and how/where to do it. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll help you find someone who does.

Question 7: "How do you price your work?"

I am currently in a blog series proposing questions an aspiring full time professional artist ask a current full time professional artist so that they have a better idea of getting from where they are to where they want to be professionally. It’s a really tricky and sometimes difficult thing to make it as an artist. That’s the bad news. The good news is that there are people out there somehow actually doing it, so…don’t reinvent the wheel — TALK to them. Every artist I know personally would be very happy answering questions. So find the artist you’d like to grill, make and appointment and get some advice.

Among the questions I’m proposing is this one I’ve been asked a lot: “How do you price your work?” If you’ve read my blog here, you know I’ve talked about this a lot, so I won’t wax on too long here but some points need to be repeated.

Just last week, I was approached by a gentleman that offered me just over 20% less than my posted price on one of my paintings. This doesn’t bother me at all when people do that. I know a lot of artists set a price for a piece of their work and hope they can get as close to that price as possible. This has trained people to view an art purchase the same way they’d buy a car or a house (i.e. you make a low ball offer, then negotiate). But that means the posted price means nothing and is just there to start the conversation. That is not the way I price my artwork because it feels really arbitrary.

The way I was taught to price my work way back in the day is to let sales themselves dictate the pricing. I price according to the size. So I take the square inches of the work, multiply it by my going rate (and that rate is solely dictated by my sales).

My goal is to sell my work as quickly as I paint it. If I get a big backlog, I know my prices are too high. If my work sells too quickly (I can't have empty studio walls), then my prices are too low. This year, I needed to slow down sales (just slightly) in early spring so I bumped up the price per square inch just slightly. That slowed sales down a bit, but I've actually had to raise prices again in June because they were still selling too quickly.

So that's how I price my work. I don't really take offers because I have a very good idea of what the paintings will sell for. Again, different artists handle pricing different ways, so it’s definitely worth asking around and seeing what works best for you. This works best for me because it’s really easy to defend the prices I have posted when that price is actually based on something concrete like sales rather than something arbitrary like “this is what I’d like to get for this piece”. As a client, I can disagree with what you’d like to get for that piece, but…I can’t disagree with sales.