Art and Survival in the New Economy

When the economy was booming everyone seemed to want large paintings to decorate and fill the large walls of their newly built or purchased homes. Then came the bust. There are still those people out there. They just seem to think a little bit longer before making a big purchase but they do still buy.

How would I continue to maintain income from sales of my art?

My thought process was to create a mixture that included an increased percentage of smaller, lower and moderately priced work, along with larger paintings.

With this in mind, I started doing monotypes using gelatin as the printing plate. Painting directly on the gelatin, using both additive and subtractive methods, tonal areas and areas of visible brushstrokes can be acheived. The printmaking process is thoroughly enjoyable, both playful as well as painterly. My choice to use only black was deliberate. I wanted to keep these prints distinctly separate from my paintings in oil.

The resulting prints have been well received both with sales and awards.

There are always people willing to spend on work they love, including me. I, too, have continued to purchase pieces of art each year that speak to me.

My strategy seems to have worked and I am thankful.