Thoughts on the National...

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

Nude Hall of Famers ?

Well that casts the image of a crouching Honus Wagner in a whole new light. Yuck!

[Lordstan]

Originally Posted by thecatspajamas

Well that casts the image of a crouching Honus Wagner in a whole new light. Yuck!

Damn, Lance. You just had to go there. Didn't you.

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by Lordstan

Damn, Lance. You just had to go there. Didn't you.

I figured if I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight, nobody else should either

[Lordstan]

Originally Posted by thecatspajamas

I figured if I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight, nobody else should either

Lance,

If it weren't for my respect for Graig and not wanting to ruin his thread, I would post a picture of John Kruk for you. Plus, there might be children who read the board and I wouldn't want to permanently scar them.
Enjoy that image!
Mark

[Exhibitman]

Nearly 20 years ago I was lucky enough to be in NY during a one-man show of an emerging artist. Really stunning stuff--Old Master caliber work. The gallery had everything from giant oils to small sketches. My wife and I spent two days marveling at the work. We weren't comfortable with a multi-thousand dollar purchase of an oil so we opted for an ink study at $1,000 instead. My point is that when you are offering artwork at a show setting or in a gallery open to the public you are essentially asking a potential customer to start a relationship with you, try out your product, so to speak. What you want is for the shopper to become a customer and that requires an entry level item. A guy like me isn't likely to plunk down several thousand dollars on a big canvas at the show--what if I do it and then my wife vetoes hanging it in the house--but might very well pick up a small, modest piece that only costs a few hundred dollars. If you turn a shopper into a customer with something modest you may find yourself selling something more expensive to the customer later. The key is to start the relationship. I think a modestly priced study or sketch offering is the way to go.

[johnmh71]

Graig:

Speaking as a collector with a typical max of $500, the $599 price point actually makes me a possible collector of your stuff. I give the idea of smaller pieces a thumbs up.

[GoCubsGo32]

Graig has a very special talent. His work speaks for itself. Unfortunately, I'm one of those people that will never be able to purchased a full size painting (thank you student loans..). I love the idea of the studies. I know people could drop the $599 for a study painting I would still have to save up for one.$599 is a lot for a 5x7 but, I'd try to find a way to do it. Of course,I would love a full painting, but having an original study would be the best that I afford at this time. In terms I agree, the studies would help build that bridge for an affordable method of owning an original painting of yours.

I have never been to Nationals, but I hope to one day. When I do go.. I hope to see a booth from Graig set up. Building the relationship is important and to getting your brand out there.

I know you probably do a live painting on a piece when you are there. Have you thought about doing a painting "class" at Nationals for like 45 mins throughout the day? You could charge $5 for kids $10 for adults to cover cost of the oil paints and such. I know it maybe tough, but I think it would be fun, but most important...engaging. It would help build the relationship and it would create a great memory. It wouldn't be a full portrait, it could just be a painting of a baseball bat on grass/or clay. Something easy,fun, and affordable for everyone.It might help cover a little of the expenses for your trip as well. I'm a novice artist myself, but I'd still paid $10 or more for a short class taught by Graig himself. In addition, I'd be able to take home a painting I did, that was taught by you.

[Wynn0013]

I can understand everything that has been voiced by other posters and I agree with most, but I too work from a smaller budget and am thankful that there are other, lower priced, options. Without the paint studies it would be beyond my consideration.

Hopefully this past raffle produces fruit and there is another in the future.

Graig, your work if phenomenal!

After removing my bias, and only in my opinion, it would make sense to take larger pieces that capture the feeling of a consigned piece and the full potential of a work while displaying a few (5-10?) small studies that are portable and more easily purchased on the whim at a convention. It is a bit of splitting the difference.

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by Lordstan

Lance,

If it weren't for my respect for Graig and not wanting to ruin his thread, I would post a picture of John Kruk for you. Plus, there might be children who read the board and I wouldn't want to permanently scar them.
Enjoy that image!
Mark

Ummmm, no thanks Sorry for the sidetrack, Graig. I blame it all on Frank for bringing it up and my proclivity for low-brow humor for carrying it over the line

At the risk of adding something productive, as others have hinted at, I think there is a difference between selling sketches, studies, and such as "by-products" of the fully-realized paintings, and purposely producing those smaller pieces just to fill out that lower price-point category of offerings. I think I'd rather see that time devoted to producing the fully-realized full-size pieces, knowing that is where your desire lies. Now if you were interested in exploring some new technique best applied at the smaller size or exploring working on a smaller scale, I would feel differently, but personally, with my "art for art's sake" hat on, I'm not comfortable with the price point of the end product being the driving force for what direction your art takes. I guess if it came down to where the big pieces just weren't selling and it was the difference between putting food on the table and going hungry, all of us would understand, but I wouldn't let that drive the decision of which side of the table you're standing on at the National either.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by thecatspajamas

At the risk of adding something productive, as others have hinted at, I think there is a difference between selling sketches, studies, and such as "by-products" of the fully-realized paintings, and purposely producing those smaller pieces just to fill out that lower price-point category of offerings. I think I'd rather see that time devoted to producing the fully-realized full-size pieces, knowing that is where your desire lies.

Lance, I think almost everyone who is in the market for the large, more expensive paintings, would agree with you. The problem is that those people generally consign Graig to create a painting for them, and won't be at the national buying his large paintings. Also, Graig's studies don't look like a normal painter's studies - I've shown mine to artists and they were amazed that these were 'only' studies.