Home

Emma's Flower Garden
Photography Still Life :-)
Craft Hour at Grandma and Grandpa's on Emma Tuesdays
2-19-13

Some of you may remember reading recently that I have given up my studio in Golden.  While it was a joy to have for the last two years, I think during that time I have learned the discipline of painting most everyday. I have now set up my painting "studio" at home in the dining room right next to the bank of north facing windows.  North light being the best, you know.  I remember watching a video demonstration by master oil painter David Leffel.  He was talking about painting with the natural north light, someone in the crowd asked, "What if you don't have windows that face north?" David replied, "You move." His point being, painting is either your priority or its not.  My old studio had windows in every direction except north...so maybe this move "home" was to accomodate the priority of painting.  If you are serious about painting, you will paint at home.  Did I mention it's also cheaper?

I've also been experimenting again with selling paintings on ebay, the online auction site (like I needed to explain that.) A Facebook friend recommended I check it out, so I did.  I've sold 16 paintings since Feb 5th on ebay...and one on Etsy.  (Etsy has been dead for me since Christmas.)
The first week of February I watched the paintings that received bids, the ones that didn't and how much a painting like mine might go for.  The paintings that receive bids start VERY low, like $.01 or $.99....the first few auctions under my belt I thought I would choke when the bidding was at $5 until the last minute when they end up selling for a whole bunch more.  It's funny how much ownership you feel when you've bid $.99 on something. You don't want to relinquish your possession, so you keep bidding.  But if you were asked to bid $50 right out of the shute, you wouldn't...even if  your $.99 bid grew to $50...the psychology of bidding!  The final prices I was receiving wasn't much different, on average, than what I get on Etsy, probably a bit more. It's' just I have more control over when a particular painting goes out the door and when the money comes in.  I've also had the pleasure of "meeting" collectors from hither and yon parts of the US and Canada.  Two wonderful folks bought 4 and 5 paintings apiece.  The highest price for a 6 x 6" so far has been $71 plus $5 shipping. That's the highest price I've received for a 6 x 6, unless it was framed and on exhibition in a gallery setting.

So if you are in the market for a painting, please check out the Daily Painting widget in the upper right corner....bidding starts at 99 cents!