My latest painting, and the first of 2010 that is dry enough to scan! It was a small picture designed for a circular frame that I found cheaply. I didn't go to the lengths of making any models for this one. The butterfly uses iridescent white, a mica based pigment which makes any transparent colour "metallic". Here I used ultramarine violet. I also used cobalt blue for the sky, over an ultramarine acrylic wash, which was applied very evenly with a roller.
Two other new paintings are complete and waiting to be dry enough to scan. Now I'm drawing out many. Today I've done some work on a wax phoenix which is about mortality.
The main business of today though was planning my forthcoming exhibition. I've been typing up a catalogue and am wondering whether to print some out and charge £1 for visitors on the night, or have small single sheet price lists, or both. Opinions would be welcome.
I've also decided to offer paintings on interest free credit. It's relatively easy to spontaneously buy a picture that costs under £100, but anything over £200 is a major purchase and requiring all of the payment in one go would limit sales to people who would otherwise love to own one of my paintings. I've drawn up a simple agreement that makes the process clear and simple. The basic terms are that the buyer pays an initial deposit (which must cover the venue commission) and then regular monthly payments. The artist holds on to the picture until full payment is complete. If the buyer changes their mind later the monthly money is returned but the deposit retained. In the rare event of the picture becoming damaged or something, all of the money would be returned. Without the enforcement of a Direct Debit I think it represents the simplest way for anyone to buy a painting in instalments.
