Tuesday, July 12, 2011

calling Qatar


Now you may be wondering why my artwork hasn't been jumping off the virtual shelves over at my 'Etsy' shop and to tell the truth so have I. Okay, so you might not know I have a shop at that huge marketplace but I've kept it pretty quiet since reopening the spot a few months ago after a 2 year absence. I don't expect my blog friends to be ready to purchase some of the work I've done these past few years because you provide more than enough happiness for me when you tell me you like the pieces I've shown here. Anyway, I've been selected to be in a large number of circles, favorite lists, and a few treasury lists too but although Etsy sellers may appreciate one another not many have the funds for buying art.

It would be nice to be appreciated at a financial level by those who can afford to collect art and just this morning I discovered that the oil rich nation Qatar is in the market for contemporary work in a big way. Just as some of America's wealthy industrialists built up great collections of art in the 19th century now countries in the Middle East are doing much the same thing. Nobody really knows why and, considering the general Islamic proscription on figurative art, I have to think they are buying as many examples of modern Western art as they can simply because they can. Rothko, deKooning, Lichtenstein, Koons, and Warhol aren't well known as figurative artists anyway but their paintings have been sold recently for up to $73 million dollars each. I mean, what are billionaires supposed to do with all that money once they've stolen it? Invest, of course. The collections now moving to the Middle East and further east once belonged in private collections belonging to former wealthy American industrialists. There have also been rumors that museums have been selling works from public collections.

Anyway, I need to find a way to let those rich sheikhs and sheikhas know about my Etsy shop. Once they've bought a couple of pieces from me they can always go and have a look at some of the shops in my 'favorites' collection. That way everybody gets to make a little money and know their work is being appreciated by a sophisticated international audience. It's not like the artists they're collecting now are around anymore to accept the kudos.

I may have to raise my prices.

25 comments:

  1. i didn't even know you still had your shop on etsy so i went over and was surprised you had so much ON it!! you must put your little button on your blog, my dear, you have been holding out on us who might like to go look once in awhile... like that dakini painting???? ahem...

    anyway, so this is where i need to be focussing my attention, many that they are, for the selling of my art? now i see what's up with the lookie-lous= they aren't from parts far and wide. ah well, i don't produce enough to make much anyway...but let me know if etsy takes off for you...or Qatar. :) xoxoxo

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  2. linda - It turned out that having a shop on etsy is much like having a facebook id - once you make one it's there forever. When I decided to try it again last March I didn't feel like dropping the name and making a new one so it looks as though I've been there since '09 and have hardly sold anything. My plan was to sell some of the little ones to earn enough to have prints made of the others. Ah well.

    I don't have much there at all compared to most but some people have less. If you want to try it yourself I do know that lots of sellers promote their work on fb and twitter. Etsy also advises people to re-post their work often but I've seen new items soon get lost in the general melee.

    I'm hoping for Qatar.

    ps: Dakini is a print I did have made :-)
    xoxo

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  3. me too--qatar i mean... when you get your foot in the door, let me know.

    etsy seems a vast stadium filled with stuff people don't really need but in the mess of grandmas' attic are the gems. problem is how to find them.

    i don't think i will be doing it, twitter and fb i cannot stand doing, tho they do go on into infinity apparently, as i have tried twice to delete 'me', same with blogger i'm afraid.

    anyway, shall we both just take a hike to qatar...perhaps i should go look it up on a map firstly. xxxooo and don't buy an iPad, waste of time and money...glad mine was free.

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  4. I didn't know you're in Etsy either - had a look and what glories! As you say, artists can't afford to buy each other's work, though I wish I could. Good luck with it and Qatar - let me know how it goes. It's been suggested that I should have some kind of selling site but haven't made the plunge yet as I can't decide on where to go.

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  5. linda - I don't participate with fb and twitter either so my stuff is unlikely to be found by potential buyers without the intervention of a miracle. Nevertheless, at least it gives me a spot to offer up some things for sale as well as mutual admiration and there's no harm in that. Moral support is always good.

    No worries about me getting an i-pad. We were happy enough to unplug the i-phone once we got a new home number. I'm no more tech savvy than I need to be :-)

    marja-leena - I'm glad you went over and enjoyed seeing what's there. It's very difficult for artists to find reasonable sales venues. I've thought about a web page but I'd have to pay someone to put something together that would satisfy me and even then actually finding buyers for originals is difficult. Your work is very beautiful and I'd imagined you were already associated with some good galleries in Vancouver. If not, you should be.

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  6. i don't think the rich shop at etsy. you might try sotheby's (sothebys.com) instead. and you're right, you should expect much higher prices because you're a great artist!

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  7. p.s. i love the spermlings with the green hearts on them.

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  8. I didn't realize you had your Etsy shop up and running. I've been thinking about the one you did not long ago with the frog to go with the one I won. I noticed you have prints but not the original for sale. Do you think it would be fine as a print to go with the other one?

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  9. Haha - I just read Linda's comment - she likes the same painting - dakini.

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  10. Yes, DO raise your prices! And can you put tags on your pages to draw people to your shop? I keep meaning to really study Search Engine Optimization, but put it off and off and off.

    Perhaps we could brainstorm here to think of words that draw potential buyers to your site?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkbwDON9XBo

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  11. Either you need some richer friends or I need a rich uncle, 'cause I would totally buy some of those, totally.

    Maybe Qatar is buying all these paintings because they have leftover loot they didn't put into AC for the World Cup stadia.

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  12. I love your work. You should get paid.
    the Ol'Buzzard

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  13. Excellent.. I hope you go down a storm in Qatar... try charging $500k a painting and they will flock to buy!

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  14. there's a little girl in my ReStore RIGHT NOW who looks like she posed for this painting!!!! same irresistable smile... but i think she left her lioness and tadpoles at home. Maestro, who is crazy about little kids, is begging me to take him out to meet her.

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  15. sera - You may be right. I'll email them my portfolio right after finishing my even stroll around the blogosphere. As soon as the money starts rolling in I'll pop by to take you for a cup of coffee - in Maui :-)

    Glad you like the spermlings.

    nancy - Yes, last March when it was cold and grim I thought I'd give it another try fully expecting to take it down again. The other etsiers started dropping by so I've continued.

    I'm not yet ready to sell 'dakini summer' but the print is a very close reproduction of the larger painting (considering it's photo and not giclee). I don't know how much art you have but if those were the only two you'd have in a room I personally wouldn't hang them next to one another because they're so different.

    lisa - Etsy suggests how to tag but I'm not sure I'm very good at it. I'm not sure if they'll allow me to use 'sex', 'porn', 'erotica', or 'big boobs' as tag words.

    Yes, maybe we can talk about options sometime and thanks for the link. You know me - no clue.

    randal - I think we could both use richer friends or some aged wealthy and childless relatives.

    Maybe they're buying up the art to compensate for their country being named after a smoker's cough.

    ol'buzzard - It would be so nice for many of us to be paid what we're worth.

    jams - I think you've got that right. Why sell myself cheap? I hear they're looking for classy photographs as well.

    gfid - How sweet it is to see a child at that age - out of diapers but still convinced um knows best when it comes to fashion. Maestro is a good judge of people.

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  16. I love that animals blue eyes! Good luck with selling your prints. You should try to hit those tourists at home I tell you! :)

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  17. If you can find a way to market to the Filthy Rich, definitely raise your prices. Charge what you need, then find buyers who will pay that. A lot of well-off people won't even look at something which isn't pricey; it's a pride thing, I understand.

    Besides, you really are worth it, though those of us down here in the lower cashosphere like our bargains...

    ;)

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  18. I love the lion...

    And I can't wrap my head around those prices for a single work of art.

    Here's hoping the Western paintings going East will bring an increase in tolerance in both directions.

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  19. liberality - She is lovely, isn't she? Thanks for the good wishes you dear customer you :-)

    cr - The whole thing about the Filthy Rich is that the more there are of them then the less money there is for the rest of us. I'm always glad to know you enjoy seeing my creations.

    steve - I don't think these people love art. Mostly they're just hedging there bets and showing off to one another.

    I love this particular lioness too.

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  20. i feel badly i forgot to mention how much i love this painting and always, the charm of your framing is so perfectly perfect for the piece. your cat's are wonderful and your children are always precious....love this. send it to qatar... maybe you should tell me how to do etsy and is it true, they have lots of stupid rules i'm not good at following? xox

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  21. Well, you show it to us for free here in the blog. I never thought to buy any of it! Just kidding, of course. You are humble and low-keyed about the Etsy Shop. Start a Facebook page with a false name and tewll your friends it's you. Then they can send the link to others and suggest they look. But I'm afraid those rich oil barrons in the Middle East don't use Facebook. They prolly have some staffers that procur their artwork for them. Those are the people you need to meet.
    I will pay for your art and I will e-mail my ideas for that Mermaid Tattoo soon. I'm dead serious about this. Your style would be so unique and one-of-a-kind, not to mention full of class!
    By the way, I have purchased art on line. Each year, there is an auctionof vigar box art shrines for charity. You may have seen it at my blog, one just ended last month. I'll do a post of the pieces I have purchased. (And I'll send folks in your Etsy direction too).

    Peace my friend

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  22. Am I missing something? I can't find a link to your Etsy Shop on your blog!!! Help me out here.

    I remember this guy praying to god every day that he win the lottery. He was discouraged and was losing faith quickly.
    One night during his prayers he actually told god that he thought his master had abandoned him and not even heard his prayers.
    God came down and spoke to him and told him, "Help me out, my son, buy a Lotto ticket!"

    Pur big smile here------->__________________

    And of course, more Peace

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  23. Oh, I'm saving my pennies and then will have a look-see at your shop again. Don't raise the prices too much just yet. I'm saving my pennies and then will have a look-see at your shop again.

    I don't know if it will help or even if you feel comfortable with this but I could put up a link to your shop on my blog and also on fb. Otherwise, I'm such a bad marketer, who has no ideas for how to make your stuff sell like hot cakes, as it should!

    In Amsterdam - "het regent". Having fun in spite of it!

    xxoo,
    G

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  24. linda - You always provide inspiration for me to keep on painting :-) but I don't think Qatar would be very interested in my work. It's enough for me that you and a few others enjoy what I come up with.

    As far as dealing with etsy is concerned I think I may have to send you an email. It's not that complicated but more than I can write here and now.
    xoxo

    spadoman - I'd never turn phantsythat into a sales spot. I've thought about an anonymous FB page to draw more potential buyers to the etsy shop and will continue considering it. I don't have much to sell compared to many but who knows what the future will bring?

    I don't have any experience making tattoo designs but let me know what ideas you have about how she would look and I'll see what I can come up with. A few people encouraged me to get into tattooing some years ago but then I remembered how much erasing I usually do :-)

    The link to etsy is in the post but now that I've confessed to having the shop I'll put a link on the sidebar again soon.

    Good story. Peace and best wishes to you.

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  25. gina! - Your comment arrived while I was writing. Don't worry, I won't be raising my prices just yet and in the unlikely circumstance everything up there sells before you get home I'll save something very special just for you.

    What a generous offer to put a link on your blog and fb page. I would be thrilled but I don't want you to spoil the look of Pagan Sphinx as it is. It's just too nice. I'm a really terrible marketer myself and shy about drum beating for my own parade to boot.

    It's been cold here the past few days and het regenting cats and dogs once or twice. Let a smile be your paraplu.

    xoxo ♡

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