What’s shakin’ at Rodzart

What’s shakin’ at Rodzart 6-4-2010

June 4, 2010 on 4:36 pm | In Da Newz from Rod | No Comments

What’s shakin’ at Rodzart 06-04-2010.

Hi Folks. Happy Friday! I hope everyone has had a good week.

It’s been a pretty hot week; temperature wise; in the studio this week, and we also had a dangerous snake encounter. However I did manage to finish three paintings for you.

The first Painting is an acrylic on an 8 X 10 inch canvas called:
Composition 1036. This is an abstract geometric; in a style I’m sure you’re familiar with.

The next is a 5 X 7 acrylic on watercolor paper and is called: surprisingly enough;
Expression 1037. This is an abstract expressionist painting using sort of a minimalist technique.

The last is another 5 X 7 acrylic on watercolor paper and is called:
Expression 1038. This is an abstract expressionist painting similar to, but not exactly like Expression 1037.

I’m still working on DarkWorld III, and I hope to have it out next week.

Getting back to the snake encounter. It seems that Jack managed to corner a copperhead rattlesnake right outside our studio door last Wednesday. Fortunately, I was able to yank him into the studio and slam the door before things got ugly. Snake encounters are pretty common around here, but the two black snakes which live by the studio usually try to avoid Jack. Copperheads apparently, don’t believe in détente.

As anyone who has a website or a blog can tell you, the minute the site goes live, you’re besieged by spammers. Each week I have to pry about a hundred spam comments out of my blog. I do my best to keep the spammers at bay, but some does slip through. So, if some spam does make it onto the blog, I’d appreciate an email and I’ll get it deleted. Does anybody actually buy anything from these crooks? I sure hope not.

One of the more mystical things in art is how art work is priced. Now, I don’t speak for anyone else, ever, but I can tell you how I arrive at a price.
Before we start though, I want to mention that, I never compose a painting with the thought of making it commercial. I paint what I paint. I have to sell a painting now and then in order to keep painting, and I’m just vain enough, I guess, to think the world is better if I keep painting.

First, lets consider that outside of the cost of materials, a piece of art really has no intrinsic value. With a few exceptions, a piece of art has no practical use. Art exists to cause some sort of feeling in the people who look at it, but you can’t eat it or hammer nails with it.

Consequently, the only value that attaches to a work of art; or any other good for that matter; is what someone is willing to pay for it. How much I decide to ask for a particular piece starts with the materials involved. If I sell a painting for less than the cost of the canvas and paint, I’m not going to be able to keep painting very long.

After the cost of materials, come other costs like shipping. The bigger the painting, the more I have to get for shipping.

Lastly, and this is the big one, is, how much does having my name on it add to the value of the painting. This, I base on what people have paid for similar paintings (of mine) in the past. If I’m selling a lot of paintings at a given price, I’ll nudge the price up a little. I try very hard, however, not to lower prices. Why? The simple truth is that if I do that, I’m devaluing paintings which I’ve already sold, and that’s very unfair to people who’ve supported my work in the past. My relationship to my collectors is very important to me.

Before we leave this subject I want to make one more point. I don’t paint for money. I paint because something in me compels me to. But, let’s try to remember that: paint costs money, canvas costs money, mortgages cost money, food costs money. Sorry folks, but that’s the ugly truth here, and is just one of the many reasons why I say “reality sucks”.

Before we wrap it up for this week, I was wondering if there were any out there who’d like to have this blog delivered to them each week by email.
If so, just drop me an email. If there’s enough response I’ll put together an email list. In addition, if we do that, I’ll refrain from offering original paintings for sale for a week after I publish the blog in order to give you first shot at them.

Just a reminder that I’ve got six paintings hanging in “The Art of Hair” salon at 10963 Causeway Blvd., in Brandon. So, I hope you’ll drop by and check them out, and maybe get some great hair styling while you’re there.

Here’s some links to remember:

For original paintings, or to inquire about a commissioned painting, just email me at info@rodzart.com
For original paintings sold at auction go to:
http://www.artbyus.com/auctions.php?a=6&b=85

Original works on paper can be purchased at:
http://rodzart.etsy.com

To buy prints on paper or canvas, mouse pads, mugs, refrigerator magnets, etc. check out:
http://www.artwanted.com/rodzart>
http://rodzart2.deviantart.com/gallery/>

For other cool stuff like T-shirts, clocks or travel mugs try my Cafepress site http://www.cafepress.com/rodzart

To obtain fine art prints, framed or unframed:
http://rod-schneider.artistwebsites.com
http://rod-schneider.fineartamerica.com