Why is Art so very...very..expensive?
As an artist I do not really consider it a hobby. My hobby is reading novels, making wreaths, cooking, traveling to beautiful places and meeting other new artists or learning about a new culture. I do know that the following costs should be considered when you are anticipating becoming an artist. I never even really thought much about it . I went into it with a zen-like mind set. Yes, that was about 3 decades ago. Time flies when you are having so much fun. I started at the kitchen table and counter. My friend started in a closet! We Artist’s will start anywhere.
It all started in the 5th grade when my Art teacher scribbled all over my self portrait. I did not like that very much , she never asked my permission. I really did not like the outcome , it made me feel awful inside. It was not my creation but now marked up and hers. So I went home and re-created it again and turned that one in. Subsequently, that year was a tough year for me due to this experience. This is how I learned to persevere and become resilient. I was sort of stuck in my art during that year. I also learned that each person see’s a piece of art like they want to see it and not by what you want them to see. It’s all very personal for the viewer. But as for the Artist it is like a piece of their genetic code that we are laying down on each brushstroke. And yet, it’s all very personal and soul searching for the artist who created it. My secret is don’t give it all away. Let the viewer decide what they want to see. People will buy your passion and not always your skill set they are buying you as an Artist.
As you progress along in school and in your career you will obtain more business information. And information changes constantly . Keeping up to date is the success key. I just started creating and then came the learning curve about running a on-line gallery, getting into a gallery, business, marketing and trying to stay competitive. My favorite part is research and development. That is checking out other great artists that I admire and this also includes traveling to stay inspired to paint/ create. Some Artist’s say its not about the money, but I have yet to meet an artist that refused their art pay check! My creations/artwork are like little children to me and so I have to learn to divorce them from myself when they are completed. This is essential in order to let go of them to sell them to a prospective buyer. I need to create and paint and it’s just how I breathe on a daily basis. This is how I roll in my world and what I need as a person. If the day should come when I can no longer paint well , I am not really looking forward to that at all. So take care of your hands, shoulders, fingers, wrists and eyes.
Most artist’s need a space to create in - sometimes this is the kitchen table, studio or a paid rental studio, or a purchased she-shed.
You will need a landline or cell phone
Website design and upkeep - hiring consultants
Lighting is a huge consideration if you don’t have natural north face lighting. I purchased lamps from Home Depot. These can make the studio warm. So you will need a ventilation system (air-conditioning, floor fans, room air purifiers, face masks and over head fans, gloves, aprons)
Shelving or cabinets for all you supplies, including individual drawer systems, art file folders, table and plastic to cover your table. A tripod holder for your cell phone, ring light and/or microphone for photos and videos
The cost of supplies is not limited to just paint (which is very costly) , paper, canvas’s, specialty papers, handmade papers, boards, gator board, foam core boards, this includes, tables, easels, chairs, brushes, tools of the trade, paper towels etc…the list goes on and on.
Shipping supplies (tubes, boxes, packing tapes, labels, printer, foam wrap, postage fees, weight scales).
If you show at fairs, entry fees, tents, hangers, portable payment machine, business cards, advertising, plastic sleeves protectors for your art, bags, receipt book, etc…and the time to do it!
Advertising is necessary, online or in the paper, card mailers, or at galleries or with professional marketing companies. Ordering of table flags etc, or boards with your business name on them and logo, business cards, stamps, thank you notes, notes for sale, stamps, stickers, shipping and mailing supplies, postage, envelops, pens, weight scale, paper, pencils.
Items for sale with your trademark on them (hats, custom t-shirts, aprons, pillows, phone cases, shower-curtains, scarves, clothing …etc) if you choose to do this.
Fees for on-line galleries to post your work, and updates
Fees for website developers
Fees for on-line stores for processing money
Fees for mail boxes
Fees for taxes and business fees
Fees for email service and storage fees and mailboxes
Art Apps fees
Mixed media products (glues, all mediums (crackle, textured) foils, wood panels, glitter, glass, stones, resin supplies, cold wax supplies, etc…and tools to put them on your canvas or paper with.
Web site design, social media plug ins, (Facebook, twitter, pinterest, Instagram) updates daily, online shopping carts - monitoring, all fees involved in web-site development
Taxes, Financial adviser, or tax consultant, banking fees
Service Fees if you teach online - and the time to create the class, and monitor it, and answer daily questions
Creation of blogs and email lists management
Creation of classes, workshops and destinations, travel costs, supplies for class.
Loading of your Art onto the computer! This all takes TIME , time away from creating. Time is money.
Continued education and training, workshop attendance, workshops fees, gas, mileage, and airplane fares, food, and hotels. Each instructor has a complete list of products needed to attend their workshop. I have spent anywhere from $150.00 to $500.00 in supplies. My first workshops cost me $300.00 for supplies and $300.00 for the workshop (2 day , hotel and food, gas etc.).
Fees for specialty Apps to feature your art
Purchasing new books, dvd, watching and reading these new books, always learning new techniques so you don’t get stale.
Making of on-line videos of instructions. Yes, filming you in action. (Lights, Camera, tripods, Action), then uploading it all online.
Fees for printing or purchasing Giclee’s of your work (setup and costs and shipping).
Responding to text messages, daily emails, customer and gallery inquiries, phone calls, instant messaging on a daily basis - these all take time. Reviewing comments and nasty comments that you need to delete.
Framing supplies, frames, mats, wires, hangers, tools, mat backing, glass etc….or hiring a framing company
Sealing costs of all artwork (sprays, fixatives, varnish, brushes). Art does not end when the painting is finished. You have to seal your work for it’s longevity and archival worth.
Let’s not forget the percentage that the gallery takes when you sell a piece of your art. They also have overhead costs, utilities, taxes etc…. = more FEES.
The cost of gas and car maintenance driving all over to take your art for galleries or to deliver to buyers, etc…
I may have forgotten a few things, but you get the general idea. You don’t have to do all of that. You can just paint. But eventually you will want to sell something or leave a huge mess for your loved ones to give away and take care of when you are gone.
Someone once asked me this question at a workshop - Why is Art so expensive? When I told them all it takes to be an artist, they froze up just over the process of making a web page. That my friend, is only a little bit of the beginning. It’s not even the tip of the ice-berg. You have to love doing this or pay someone to run your business for you. It all costs MONEY AND TIME.
Since we don’t own time we need to be proficient in time management!
Being an artist is very expensive. Again, It’s not a hobby for me (http://www.artbytsh.com) . I take it all really seriously. Sometimes you have sales and sometimes you don’t but you still have to invest in yourself. I love the creation process. Most of all it takes hours of practice, design, failures and an endless supply of new creative ideas for all your creations. It’s daily warm-ups and sketching to keep those ideas flowing. It is custom made original art and not factory made. This is why original art my dear friends is so expensive. Even if the Artist’s only used 4 tubes of paint on your canvas.
Next lesson, staying competitive in a very saturated on line social media market. That in itself can be a nightmare.
Stay Creative,
/tshubbard - professional artist
https://www.artbytsh.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/artstudio222tsh
https://www.facebook.com/tdshubbard