For the past few days I've been reviewing the year and working out ways to make 2011 better than 2010. I could feasibly continue doing as I am for many years, making steady progress in my art, improving the technical aspects of my work and exhibiting locally with one or two sales, but that's beginning to sound like a long slog. I want work out if there are any other options.
Today I've started to change my painting pricing formula. At the moment it's based on days work, but things like frames and expenses like gold leaf are also worked out in days. That makes the prices rather strange because they unnaturally vary with my daily rate. I've now set expenses like that as one-offs, but still charging a rate for my time, things like custom made frames. At the moment I charge £20 or £30 a day (less for older paintings). I think I'm worth more than that so I'll increase prices soon when the formula is worked out.
I intend to make a list of all of the things I do and all of the effects/results of those things, then I should be able to get more of the desired effects by knowing what things to do more of. I can also insert experimental things to see what might happen! Such fun.
One thing I have done today though was to index my sculptures and have added those to my website. Here is an example, Dream Note which I made today in a deliberate attempt to recycle unwanted Christmas presents...
Look, you can put any dream, any note, any word, any photograph in there! Now my unwanted gift is useful and desirable. I'll put it on eBay soon and you might choose to bid on it because you'll have something inspirational for a tiny cost.
I've also submitted my resignation as press officer for my art group. It was quite a lot of work and I couldn't cut corners and do a good job. At the moment I value the flexibility of my time more than any benefits of the position, which mostly came at the start by way of how to write press releases and other such knowledge.
Onward!
