Many Galleries with a physical address really do work hard at generating sales for their artists and for themselves.

Some Online Galleries  link to Physical Galleries and really do work hard at generating sales for their artists and for themselves.

Many Artists who operate their own Online Gallery really work ‘very’ hard at generating sales for themselves.

Now, Let’s take a look at how each determines their ‘Pricing Policies’

Physical galleries charge a 50% commission for two dimensional art (paintings). they charge 30% to 40% for three dimensional art and photographs. This is a fairly standard commission rate across the board. When a gallery takes on an artist they price for profit. Wall space and floor space is real-estate. Prices have to pay for their space and generate income for the artist and the gallery! Worth is determined by how many works are selling. Prices are adjusted yearly in an upward direction if sales are consistent … artists are dropped if their sales do not generate profit. It’s a fair market plan that has a bottom line: No sales means no commission!

The Pricing Game For the Physical Gallery is a real game with rules and procedures. To be a player you have to play by the rules and there will be no whimpering and whining if you feel you are losing as the artist involved. Here are the basic rules of engagement that the artist must comply to if they are to be represented by a physical gallery as well as the rules for clients purchasing a piece of art.

• A consistent ‘style’ in an artists work sells better than a ‘style’ that is developing or changing. The artist’s work must be recognizable as their own or of a popular genre.
• Standard sizes are easier to price and frame. Most pricing is calculated by the square inch which makes ‘size’ and not ‘preference’ the bottom line for worth. The Mona Lisa is 30 in. by 20 in. An expensive piece of real-estate even if it’s just a little piece of property. The Game runs smoothly when pricing has no sentiment or preference .. just size.
• Established ‘money makers’ rarely  sell studies, sketches, pencil drawings, or rough drafts of their work while they are alive. Prices usually start at at $300 for an 8 in. by 10 in. painting at an established mid to high end physical gallery. To sell at anything lower than $300 will not cover the cost of the ‘real-estate’ factor
• Lots to look at and lots to choose from. Inventory needs storage and storage is real-estate,which has to be paid for. A typical physical gallery will have a few paintings on display for each artist they are representing and the back room will carry the bulk of the inventory. They also will have a virtual gallery that can display their artists right in the physical gallery if additional work is to be seen that they don’t have on hand.
• The most important rule in the price game is that the gallery representatives are the rule setters and the major players. Sales are generated by their knowledge and expertise. Consumers listen to the sales representative and in most cases are directed to a choice that will fit their understanding of what is good and fine in the work they purchase. It is easier to trust someone else when purchasing art than to trust yourself, given most people’s limited knowledge on the subject of art. After all, that is why you visit several physical galleries … to find someone you can trust and let them lead you to a safe and satisfying purchase.

Older established artists are easier to sell than mid career or new artists and the prices are always higher for the former. It’s a simple fact and rule of marketing; Cut off the supply and the demand is greater …  and the price escalates. Canadian painter, Emily Carr died in 1945. Heffel’s Online Auction  sold Carr’s, “The Crazy Stair” (the Crooked Staircase)  43 3/8 x 26in circa 1928 – 30,  for $3,393,000. I know that Emily got very little per square inch for her efforts 84 years ago. This is the Hidden Rule – The art that is rejected becomes the cornerstone of commerce. 

The Pricing Game For Online ‘Virtual’ Galleries  is taking shape and in some cases is taking it’s lion’s share and establishing  a set of ‘new rules’. One example is that it is not wise to charge less for art sold online than for what it would be sold for in a physical gallery. That would be against the ‘new rules’ that are being established worldwide with the advances in technology and consumer confidence for online art sales. Let’s take a look at some of the new rules.

• Original and creative art is allowed to be represented by the online market. The old rule of ‘conformity and ‘sellable style’ is not as important as personal  artistic growth and experimentation beyond the borders of conformity. That is the new horizon that is in front of us as creative people. Of course you will find the same old, same old on many sites, as is the case in physical galleries also. The potential of online art sales is definitely being carefully considered by those adhering to the old rules.
• The guiding rule of online success is ‘Educate, Educate. and Educate.  Answering the questions that clients need answering is the single most important function of an online gallery. Most of the answers should be provided within the online gallery setting with clear visuals, up front pricing, and a substantial amount of text that addresses the issues at hand when purchasing online. Videos of the artwork and the artist at work build the client / artist relationship,  providing a personal interest in the  material that is being presented. Viewing countless ‘stills of paintings’ is not a pleasant or productive experience. The average time spent looking at a piece of art is 6 seconds in an art gallery. Knowing where the art has come from and understanding what the artist is presenting will encourage more looking instead of clicking to the next image.
• The virtual gallery is a self directed tour. Relax and enjoy the the artwork stress free, with no interuptions or interference. See what the artist sees. Choose your favorites and feel some wonder. It’s art. Its meant to be enjoyed.
• Online art sales must be delivered on time, with return options and insurance in place.  Shipping should be free. The final service rule is the availability of personal contact with the artist or their representative.
•  Artists are allowed to value and sell their own work. This is actually an old rule that is coming back as Claude Monet,1840-1926,  prime mover of the Impressionists, sold out of his home when few dealers would represent him. I believe he would have had a virtual gallery that would have provided him with a steady income from painting, especially during his mid-career when he sold paintings to buy more materials.
• The ‘Hype of Fame’ and the ‘Hall of Shame’ have no place in the ‘Virtual Gallery’. We are here to create art, sell it. and create some more -not to play the get rich and famous game. ‘Unknowing experts’ have invariably chosen the wrong horse to win in the ‘Gallery Game’. Auction houses are full of ‘rejected cornerstones’ that didn’t suit popular taste and now are selling in the millions. Worldwide auction sales are now in the ‘Billions” Steady income … steady work … steady progress…this is what we as committed artists are looking for and this is the rule of industry that we are starting to live by.

Responsibility Rule – Support an artist and feed a culture. Art reflects change. Art develops culture. Art educates. Art inspires ingenuity and invention. Art moves us inside and out. Don’t ‘rule’ out art from your life … bring it into your home and let it do all of the above and more.

Which painting do you think is the $22,000 painting?

       This one …

… or this one

Image size is crucial to choosing art online.

Additional visual information is needed

Let’s help you with some more information about these two paintings. Below is a close up of #1 painting. It shows a detail of  1/12th of the painting at about 75% of actual size on my 36 in. wide screen monitor. As you can see more visual information is the key to fitting the right work of art with the right client. Actual size of this Studio Masterwork is 8 ft. by 2 ft. It’s framed to museum standards and is one of my largest works.

By now you have guessed that painting#1 is the right choice.

View Through the Trees of the Little Slocan River. 8 ft. by 2 ft. Acrylic on panel, Studio Masterwork 2008 – 2011

An 8 foot by 2 foot Painting is impossible to read on your ‘pocket device’. Driving to our gallery is out of the question if you live on the East Coast and we live on the West Coast. You can view it on your big screen and get a decent impression of it’s appeal to you. Colour calibration on your big screen may give you a mis-read on the colour harmony. What you need is a ‘true image’ of the  painting. Here is how we  make your purchase satisfying and stress free. The time is almost upon us when 3-d imaging and 360 degree digital zoom cameras will give you all the information you will need to inspect and approve your purchase.

 A Photographic Print with ‘true colour’ is sent to the prospective buyer which provides for more visual information.

A short film with ‘true colour’ is loaded into ‘Ron Mulvey Vimeo’ for viewing by prospective buyer.

Details on method of payment and insured shipping are worked out and agreed upon.

How much time do I have to purchase a painting that I like before someone else tries to buy it?

First come first serve is our policy. Consideration is always given to the ‘time factor’ involved with making a decision. After 30 years of arranging purchases for clients we will put all our experience to work in keeping you informed about making timely decisions in regards to your purchase.

The following report will give you a thorough education in regards to online art sales and market trends. If you have never purchased online this will settle you down and increase your confidence for purchasing with a click.   http://www.hiscoxgroup.com/~/media/Files/H/Hiscox/reports/The-Hiscox-online-art-trade-report-new-version.pdf  

A frame protects, displays, isolates, and invites.

Consideration #1  Custom framing simply means the frame is assembled by a trained framer. They measure, cut, glue, clamp,assemble,tape, and give it to you ready to hang. Good framers will use acid free materials only! Total cost for let’s say an average 10 in. by 12 in. watercolour, including a mat and frame would be from $120 to $250. Now we might pay $150 for a great little sketch and then add $145 for framing. your total would be under $300. If you choose to go with the custom framing you will be assured that all the criteria will be met as stated in the title of this post.

Consideration #2  Do it yourself is very economical and will meet the criteria for sound framing. We supply acid free tape, free of charge, with our watercolours and sketches on paper. You have to  purchase a small sheet of acid free backing paper at a minimal cost to protect the art work from acid bearing papers in your mat or frame backing. Then you can pick up a ready made frame and mat from your local “out of the box store’ and assemble it yourself at home. Total cost about $25 to $40. Ten minutes on utube will give you all the pointers you will need. I have found that more stores are using acid free mats with their ready made frames. You will still need the acid free backing paper.

Caution: Artwork on paper needs a Mat and Glass. Plexiglass ( a little  pricey ) is the best as it will not damage the artwork if it falls off your wall. Otherwise hang frames with glass ‘securely’ to the wall. Artwork done on 300 lb. or more paper, using full bodied paints, can be varnished and do well without glass.

Simple black frame / no mat, no glass / available at any mall or online / $13

Left is an Ikea acid free mat and pressed wood frame with glass / cost $32 Right is custom wood frame with acid free mat and plexiglass / cost $235

Framing cost / $30 / includes acid free tape and backing paper,                                                                                                       

Why we do not ship our artwork framed ?

Glass breaks. Frames are heavy and double shipping rates. You will enjoy picking out your own frame more than settling with one we pick out. You save money. We save time and shipping headaches.

Why should you contact us when your ready to buy ?

When one of our ‘children’ leave home we do want to know where and to whom they are going. We want everything to go smoothly and have all your questions answered, even if it’s a $40 sketch or drawing. Professional artists keep inventories of where their artwork lives. Many buyers purchase more than once and a friendly professional relationship works to everyone’s benefit. One of my greatest collectors was Don Flood, who left us in 2014, his collection totaled 52 works. His love of all fine art was the mark of his greatness. I was encouraged by his patronage for over a 20 years. This virtual show is dedicated to all true patrons of the arts.  Don Flood Video can be viewed under Thoughts on Landscape Painting.

Arranging shipping does need some particulars answered  to make it all work smoothly. The safest and most cost efficient means will be chosen depending on where you live. Returns rarely occur but rest assured our policy is 100% satisfaction and no questions asked if a return is needed. Work with us before you purchase and all will go well.