I painted these years ago. One for my wife and one for my mother's living room. The plane is supposed to be a Caravan. The last one's been on my easel for three years waiting for me to finish. I've just been so busy with customers. Guess that's a good thing.







Taking a chance asking this question but here goes. In your opinion, should I get back to painting and sell them? I've sold some before but the most I've gotten was $500 to a lady in Las Vegas. I'd like to include more aviaton related content in them.

Okay, sock it to me!

I don't know much about art, but I know what I like. Your work looks awfully nice to me.


gb

Very nice paintings, but here's my thoughts:

That looks like a lot of labor for a practically guaranteed low return. America has become the place that buys cheap plastic crap at Walmart. Advertise it on the internet, and you get everyone that compares using price engines and googles for free shipping. To make the BIG bucks, you have to display in an art gallery, preferably in New York or Santa Fe. To get an art gallery to display your work will depend more on what is in fashion at the moment than the strength of your achievement. However, anything less than an art gallery will let someone like me compete against you, and all I would do is take a picture with a point-and-shoot camera and run the picture through an oil-painting digital filter, then have them poster printed at Sam's club.

Do it because you love it. Give them to friends and family. I've lost some close relatives recently, and various things they made and have given to me are truly cherished.

I've noticed that many nice restaurants and cafes can act as a good showcase for paintings and photography (with the price tag attached.) Maybe connect with one that you know displays local artists and see if you can get a run of a few weeks or months. You might get a few bites.

Thanks for the comments. I may try the local restaurant thing and I know some folks at the local tourism bureau. About 20 years ago, I lived in Las Vegas (hated it) and got a space down at the swap meet and sold some paintings. One lady asked me if I could do a huge one for her living room. I got $500 for that one. Started with a 3" brush and a big putty knife and it took me 45 minutes. That one day paid for my move back to Southeast Texas.

If anyone has a scene with a plane in it that would look good as a painting, send it to me and when I get out from under all this work, I'll give 'er a try.

Fisherman
I've got a $1000 bucks and 2 walls on my Hangar , wait a minute the outside of the hangar door would work also , make that $1500, have a bed and will by materials!
OK they are 18x60', does that make it more??
GT
Really looks like you have some great talent. Do it because you like to!! If you can make a buck, Give it Hell.
GOOD ON YA

1SeventyZ wrote:I've noticed that many nice restaurants and cafes can act as a good showcase for paintings and photography (with the price tag attached.) Maybe connect with one that you know displays local artists and see if you can get a run of a few weeks or months. You might get a few bites.

Don't dismiss the idea of hanging them in a high traffic FBO lobby. I have personally witnessed a killionaire sitting in a leather chair at a unnamed FBO look up, like what he saw and phoned the artist right then. Bought a 18X18 or so oil painting for about what I paid to build my plane.

If i had your ability, as much as i love aviation, i would definetly be considering aviation as the theme. Go for it!!!!!!!!!!!

I like the idea of the FBO wall hanging with a price but with a twist. Leave the plane off and under the price put "Your plane here" and a phone number. Put the guys own plane on floats in the picture. Personalize it.

Thanks guys. It's definately a lot of fun but I was also thinking of making some extra bucks from my hobby. I've always been very critical of my art and guess I needed a few opinions (and ego support, heh heh). Thanks BCPers!

Fisherman,
Looking at your avitar(?) picture, makes me think of my annual trip to New Orleans for the jazz fest. Do you go to that? They always have a great Art Dealer section that a 100,000 people go through. It wouldn't be too far from east Texas?

patrol guy wrote:Fisherman,
Looking at your avitar(?) picture, makes me think of my annual trip to New Orleans for the jazz fest. Do you go to that? They always have a great Art Dealer section that a 100,000 people go through. It wouldn't be too far from east Texas?

I haven't been to that in years. A couple of my friends and I went to N.O. and played a few songs. Got enough coin to pay for the gas, food and beer for the trip. We were pretty bad even for high school kids. Fun though. We lived in Lafayette so it wasn't far.

I'm not real fond of New Orleans though (just a big nasty ol' town) and I have a comfortable place to paint when I want to in the back of my office. I designed and built that easel myself. It was almost as fun building it as using it.

Your paintings will be worth a Fortune....... (after yer dead..) at least that's what "they" say...

I own two restaurants in Maine, and artists like you are how I decorate my dining rooms. The artist comes in with the art and I decide where it gets placed. I allow him to place price tags and contact information on the art and if a customer is interested, I will collect the money and wrap the piece. I do not take a percentage, I feel it is what I should pay for quality art. I have worked with a couple of galleries in town and have sold a few paintings for more than $10,000. You never can tell who has money and who doesn't. What I do know is, that people who are willing to pay money for art, seem to be looking all the time. When they see something they like, they buy it right then and there. I would also say, be prepared for some let downs. I've had artists bring in work that I thought was amazing, just to have it sit there for six months and I take it down. I've also had art that I swear to god looks like paint by number stuff you got for christmas when you were 7, that sold for $3000.00 for a 13x15. You just don't know. If it makes your soul feel good to paint, than just keep doing it. If it sells, then that's a plus.

Good Luck,

Mike