Recently I sold seven of my paintings from $30, to $100. I didn’t charge much because I thought I would be a good idea to get my paintings out in the world. In my house no one but myself and husband see them. I also wanted to see if people wanted them enough to buy. I get a lot of positive statements from my friends but, I wanted to see what the public thought. Now I am having seller’s remorse. I miss the paintings. It is like selling part of myself. My question to you is when you first started out did you experience the same thing? Is this just a mother’s not willing to let go her babies?
Susan,
How well I know the feeling…..
This is my BIGGEST problems is selling my paintings.
I’ve been selling paintings for 20 years and I still wish I didn’t sell them. I remember many with great longing.
You just have to let go and know that no matter how much you love your paintings, when someone else purchases that painting, they’re really saying ….
“I love this painting…..
I will take care of this painting …..
I want to have it close, so I can always disappear into this painting…..”
It’s comforting to know our customers will actually develop a relationship with this work…..your work.
They’re also saying they’re potential candidates for future painting sales….
Even with this understanding …..
There’s really only one cure for the painting blues…..
Paint more.
Paint more paintings that you’d hate to part with…..
AND never lose the lost feeling whenever you sell a painting.
This feeling helps drive us to become a better and better artists.
It’s what drove me to develop the Colorado Series I just released this past weekend. I released all 16 paintings and four instructional DVDs on how to four of them. Each month, I’ll release more. My favorite, A Happy Day was the first to go. I’ve sold three of the 16 paintings so far and they all go on display in 2 days at a gallery for a month. I’ll be putting up a page on my website soon where the paintings will be offered on-line. I really hate to do this, but I’ve got 180 paintings hanging in my home and my lovely bride says no more. Each I hang now means its replacing a loved one. If you haven’t seen my Colorado Series, here they are:
Lake Estes, Colorado As I traveled through Colorado's Nor4thern mountains I was transformed by the beauty of the lakes, forests and rugged beauty. So many mountains reaching over 14,000 feet.The Color of Winter is painted in oil on an 18" x 24" canvas.
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Lake Estes, Colorado.A couple hours north of Denver, a six lane highway now replaces the old stagecoach trail as it climbs up the Colorado mountains and yields to a panoramic view of Lake Estes. I spent a day fishing in this lake made famous by Jack Nickolaus' move, The Shining. Not so lonely, but magnificent in beauty and splendor.The Denver Cheyenne Trail is painted in oil on an 18" x 24" canvas
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Colorado Springs, Colorado.Less than a couple hours south of Denver, just outside of Colorado Springs next to Cheyenne Mountain is the picturesque Garden of the Gods. Nestled underneath Pike's Peak this rare natural beauty displays magnificent displays of rock formations that will delight artists for centuries. This scene is looking from Pike's Peak into the Colorado wilderness.The Garden of The Gods is painted in oil on an 12" x 24" canvas.
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Colorado Springs, Colorado.Less than a couple hours south of Denver, just outside of Colorado Springs next to Cheyenne Mountain is the picturesque Garden of the Gods. Nestled underneath Pike's Peak this rare natural beauty displays magnificent displays of rock formations that will delight artists for centuries. This scene is looking from Pike's Peak into the Colorado wilderness.The Garden of The Gods is painted in oil on an 12" x 24" canvas.
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Lake Estes, Colorado.I spent a full day fishing in the Colorado mountains in September, 2012. Bass and trout were plentiful. From a couple of photos I took, I re-arranged the landscapes so I could show off all of the natural beauty surrounding the lake in just one scene.A Happy Day is painted in oil on an 12" x 24" canvas.
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Colorado.One impression that instantly impresses itself onto even the most casual observer in Colorado is the massive heights of the mountains. In this painting, I wanted to capture this impression with passion. I almost added a cowboy or Indian just kneeling at the cliff's edge, but chose to omit them in the end. The sheer elegance of the High Country speaks for itself.High Country is painted in oil on an 18" x 24" canvas
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Colorado.In one of my trips through the Colorado countryside, Paul Franz noted that Colorado has 250 mountains towering over 14,000 feet. One evening as I was sitting around the campfire watching the final lights disappear from the sky, I started to think about how from God's perspective these tall peaks would look poking through a blanket of clouds. Thus Night Peaks was conceived and is an excellent study of majestic mountains at this altitude.Night Peaks is painted in oil on an 16" x 20" canvas.
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Mt. Maroon, Colorado.In a workshop I taught Maroon mountains was voted one of the top ten distinguishing landmarks by the art students. It's world famous for its three peaks being reflected into the mountain lake at the valley's foot.Reflections is painted in oil on an 12" x 24" canvas.
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This painting is the final waterfall in a series of seven Falls cascading down over 1800 feet in the rugged mountain stretch just south of Colorado Springs. As a great lover of waterfalls Darrell couldn't resist capturing the most famous of Colorado's falls
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Cincinnati, Ohio. Sister Shirley is one of my earliest, earliest video students. We've been great friends for over ten years. She's now retired and an art instructor. She touches at the convent other retirees as well and they have a great time with this saint. One year I had an opportunity to visit with Sister Shirl and walk with her for an afternoon. My tribute to a remarkable woman.Sister Shirley's Walk is painted in oil on an 18" x 24" canvas
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Colorado Mountains.To truly experience all that Colorado has to offer necessitates a stroll through its many forests during the summer. In this painting I tried to capture the spiritual uplift I find washing over me each time I enter nature's gallery. I recently gave this painting to Jerry and Anne. They'd lost their son, Michael, to cancer and dedicated this Summer Stroll to their son who is now taking his most dramatic stroll spiritually.Summer Stroll is painted in oil on an 18" x 24" canvas
I’m feeling the remorse of these recent decisions of mine.
joe
