Beetles and Bargains and Duds, Oh, My!

Drawing "Great Egret" pencil

You want to get a good deal – everyone does. You shop around, compare prices, and look for the best buy. If a larger project is needed, you get bids or estimates, at least you should. What you probably don’t do enough of is compare quality.

When I started my family, it was imperative that I save money and shop wisely. Being inexperienced, I sometimes chose an item based on its low price. I discovered sooner than later that my bargain wasn’t so great after all. In fact, it was a dud. Our family started calling these misbegotten finds “bδrgains.” I learned the hard way that you truly “get what you pay for.”

Your purchase may seem sweet at first, especially if you saved money. But if you want something to last, you can’t always take the cheapest product offered. Don’t get me wrong, there are quality items frequently on sale. These are the jewels floating on a sea of choices. When you find them, you should eagerly snatch them up if your budget allows.

"Cafe' Costa Rica"  12 x 12 acrylic on canvas (SOLD) prints and giclees available

On that same note, why do people expect quality artwork to sell cheaply? Yes, I’ve seen some beautiful canvases cranked out using spray paint and fingers; a sign that the artist is trying to produce something inexpensive so he can earn money quickly. Will the artwork surpass the buyer’s expectations? Will it last more than a lifetime? Maybe. Will the artist be able to sell enough “street art” to make a living? Debatable.

When we demean our artwork by pricing it alongside other bargain basement items, we reduce not only its current value, but its intrinsic worth. The education of the artist and his or her innate talent and acquired skills are belittled and undervalued; and once the price is set, it may be difficult to ask for more.

"Broken" mixed media on 11 x 14 canvas (SOLD) giclees and prints available

Just as there are graffiti artists who have tremendous talent and an obvious love for creating art. A street artist’s skill may be obvious to any passersby. People may watch and admire. They may be truly amazed at what they see. Some will see star potential and buy, but others will hesitate because of the lowly backdrop the artist has chosen for his demonstration.

In the same way that artwork presents best in a frame, the surroundings you choose to show off your wares may cast doubts on a potential buyer’s mind. Will they see a hidden gem in the midst of nearby muck and mire? Or will the asphalt and concrete be a turnoff?

Once I bought some soup beans on sale and eagerly took them home. I opened the first bag and washed the contents in a colander under running water. All of a sudden the beans came alive! Black beetles scurried to the surface trying to breathe. I was horrified. After examining the bags, I decided that several others contained these creepy crawly insects. I returned them all to the store where I’d purchased them. They gladly gave me my money back rather than allow the hideous bugs to escape.

Realtors have a saying: “It’s all about location – location!” The same is true for fine art. How you present your work says a lot about who you are and how you see yourself as an artist. Do you want to appear cheap or classy; as a professional or a novice? Image counts in dollars and cents.

(Coconut Point Art Gallery) -- Bonita Springs, FL

Holding your own in a Competitive World

"Dainty Diva" 20x24 oil on canvas

 I’m currently reading “Turning Pro” by Steven Pressfield; a quick entertaining read that helps an artist confront his demons. I’m reading it partly for inspiration and partly for needed motivation.

The premise of the book is that most of us find every excuse under the sun to avoid pursuing what we really love. Why? Because of fear: fear of success, fear of work, fear that we’re inadequate and doubts in our own abilities. We “pull the plug” whenever we get close to our dreams, sabotaging our own efforts to achieve success.

Failure becomes a mindset. Negative thinking becomes our mantra: “we’re not good enough, talented enough, smart enough, or hardworking enough to succeed.” When we receive criticism, we fold. When other activities, voices, the “rat pack” of our lives dumps on us, we “pull the plug.” 

"Home at Last" 16x20 acrylic on canvas

We follow after the crowd. We want to fit in. We want to appear normal when actually we’re not. We’re driven by the beat of a different drummer. It calls to us from time to time, but we put it off; feeling guilty that we’re different or that we want something more than just keeping busy and being swallowed up by insignificant trivia.

I’ve been putting off a new painting. I had images and visions in my mind, but I just couldn’t find the right composition to pull things together. I put it off. I didn’t even tone the canvas. I had feelings, but no loud voice telling me what to do. The painting was inspired by a photo of a woman praying in a war torn area of the world. She represented the horrors of war.

"War Torn" 18x24 work-in-progress

A work-in-progress is posted today, but I’m not finished with it yet. I haven’t captured the feeling of pain I want in her eyes or face. Her skin color is not defined and her hands blend in with the background. There is much work left to do.

What propelled me to finally begin? I simply forced myself to put brush and paint to canvas and lay on some color. I wanted texture, and I wanted words. Although we all want peace, we continually involve ourselves or others in confrontation, arguments, war. “History repeats itself” became my theme. Sometimes all you need is action.

Steven Pressfield listed the qualities “that the professional possesses that the amateur doesn’t:

1. The professional shows up every day
2. The professional stays on the job all day
3. The professional is committed over the long haul
4. For the professional, the stakes are high and real”

There were other qualities he listed and countless suggestions and advice. I recommend the book to artists of every stripe.

Featured Artist
Jon McNaughton is probably best known for his political art. As a skilled muralist and painter, Jon began turning political when he saw what he felt was a “downward slide in the American Way of Life, a disregard for the Constitution which has made America great, and a blatant disregard for the rule of law.” You may not agree with McNaughton’s political POV, but it is hard to argue with his skill as an artist.

Love it or leave it, political art is here to stay.