Pricing Advice

Pricing artwork seems to be a major concern to most artists. We want the work to sell, but we don't want to give it away. Paul Dorrell is a gallery dealer and blogger who offers good advice. For those starting out, he suggests visiting galleries and checking out what is comparable in terms of type of work, and amount of experience. What I particularly appreciate is the paragraph where he talks to prospective buyers about why the work costs so much. He explains that most of the artists in his gallery have worked for 20 to 40 years . They have gone through a lot of struggle and to use his word "privations" to get to this point. Then he asks the client how much they would charge, and they usually say"more." Then he says he closes the deal. It's a great piece from a thoughtful dealer. pauldorrell.com/blog. Something else I would like to throw in. Don't ever lower your prices. It's too hard to raise them again. People wonder why they were higher in the first place. I have had individuals approach me for a "deal." It's never worth it in the long run to undercut a gallery working to sell your art. The old saying goes "Don't bite the hand that feeds you."