[Lordstan]

Wow Graig,
That is a really interesting question.
For me personally, I would rather save up to get a bigger one than spend $599 for the small ones. For that reason the smaller ones wouldn't likely be something I would buy.

In a more general sense, I think the problem is that, in my experience, most people have a plan for the national. What I mean is this. They have saved up a set sum of money and come in with a specific set of items they are looking for. Unfortunately for you, fine art isn't likely to high on the list of things that people come looking to buy. A painting of your caliber is a large enough purchase that I think only the wealthy would be able to do as a spur of the moment thing. Most of us need to budget for it ahead of time.

The small paintings are a very different thing. I think that there definitely would be more of a market for the $599 paintings than the big ones in that setting. I could see where $600 would be an amount that a much higher percentage of attendees could justify taking out of their budget for a spur of the moment buy.
Having the larger paintings there serve 2 purposes. First is to create future commissions. The second is to create buzz that would make someone who can't afford the larger purchase excited about the opportunity to purchase a smaller one at a much more modest price.

Mark