Two 8x10 oil portraits.

[Debra Jones]

I have just finished this little girl for a Mother's Day gift, and the boys are for an anniversary. The size with one head, I am selling for $200. JUST a head. I add 1/2 again for two, and I am selling them (and cats and dogs) like hotcakes.

[Richard Monro]

Debra,
I am not surprised that your paintings are selling like hot cakes. They are way underpriced for the quality of work you are putting out. You have a nice, fresh painterly quality that is distinctly a Debra Jones. Try at least doubling your price. You will be amazed at the result. I wouldn't be surprised if triple the price would be an even a better price point.

[Debra Jones]

This is a debate I have been having with myself, and here is the logic:
I work small. I don't know many painters that do. I can do these teeny guys in 3 to 5 hours. (It is an attention span sort of thing!) They grow in price by size and subject so the minute I start getting larger pieces my 16x20's, same style are still only $800. My speed is about the same, I just use bigger brushes. AND I have resigned myself to my style. I just slow way down when you add background. I like heads, big or small, and the pacing is great. I am finally getting a steady income (well at least for Mother's Day and Christmas so far) that give me hope of having a realistic $2000- $5000 a month if I keep spreading the word.

The income is going up exponentially and fewer and fewer people are passing on the impulse of buying. IF they can bring me a photo from their wallet and I can get the picture done to show them the next day, I have the cash in hand.

My day job is manicuring and my guidelines were always, when I got too busy to do the clients I had, raise my prices so the time spent and income reversed. I would love to raise my prices by the end of the year, but price is only as good as reputation. HOW you find your clients?

Iwas rejected by Portraits Inc last year and have only got one gallery. My word of mouth, charity, and demos are the main means of generating business. It is my preference, desire and sanity to paint 20 to 40 hours a week, so whether I have commissions or not, I am out in the public, letting my work be seen. Just plugging along on work ethic.

Monitary reversals (less and less day job and a sudden eviction from my 13 year home when my landlord died) slowed the momentum way down on the plans I had.

Raising my prices at this point to me seems like yelling in a vacuum. There is nobody to find me so who will hear?

As pet portraits are not shown here, I price them exactly the same. To me there is no difference in difficulty, I pretty much can do anything with eyeballs, I did two 8x10 pastel pets for a woman who is a manager in a manufacturing plant. Two of her friends contacted me within a week, another for two dogs and one for the small oil above. I was plenty happy with $900 this week, still did my day job, still was able to do demos four times and work on other commissions as I went.

It is also great, as I have not got a permanent home right now. I am working out of my suitcase and my computer. I can literally take a digital photo of their snapshot and deliver a painting, wet in a day! When I get a studio and overhead I think a price increase will be a necessity, but earning that business to set up in, is what I am working on now.

Is there a thread to lead me to agents? When I was sending stuff to the Faces of the Fallen, that is what she wrote me back, to get an agent! But who are these guys?

[Chris Saper]

Debra,

I have copied your last post to a new Business topic, where it will likely generate more responses to your questions.

[Debra Jones]

HI CHRIS!

And, come to think of it, how come we are not getting that Arizona Portrait Guild going... huh? Huh?

your pal,
dj*