Selling stuff
It’s that time of year again, when everyone and their dog is trying to cash in on the franticness of the Christmas Holidays. This year we had a postal strike that threatened some online merchants bottom line. These people were freaking out and wondering what they were going to do.
Paper People Day is a celebration of diversity. What happens in Paper People Land stays in Paper People Land.
Me! I make a living creating, exhibiting, and selling art and it is that very idea of making a living that funnels down to understanding peoples frantic disposition around Christmas. I don’t buy into it, because having loyal patrons comes from time, trust and and developing relationships. I have a connection to those who own my work—after all, my work is about people.
Expediting a project because it’s Christmas seems ludicrous to me because each one of my projects takes on a sort of sacred value which transcends a moment like Christmas—existing throughout the year.
People should have my art, and on terms they can afford but from a personal perspective and not an economically generated perspective. Don’t get me wrong, art is art and different people have different reasons to own a piece but ultimately that piece of art will hang somewhere for people to simply ponder and enjoy.
This is kind of weird but ask a piece of art a question, for example, why are their so many lines or why does the sky have green and pink in it and your imagination and creativity will open you up and provide you with unlimited possibilities and all it takes is a question.
A friend and client who owns several of my paintings, had been trying for years to get me to part with a particular painting. After several yearly meetups and dinners and copious amounts of alcohol, I gave in and he became the very proud owner of a very special Grud painting.
Years past, life’s trials and tribulations had found us both at opposite ends of the continent—him in Mexico and me in Calgary. We hadn’t talked for a long time until one day I got a call with a familiar voice reverberating on the other end of the phone.
Hey Grud! “Why did you put that bit of yellow on the left side of this painting”? I had no idea who this was or what he was talking about.
It was my buddy from Mexico and he preceded to explain—after he acquired the fore-mentioned painting , so many years ago, he would lay on his couch, looking at it and analyzing it, imagining what I was feeling and thinking as I painted it. To be honest, I couldn’t recall my process but I was very sure that the bit of yellow he was talking about was a colour element I used to balance the piece.
After that, it was very clear to me that great art is indelibly connected to its creator and it makes its way into the world through the patrons eyes. That day I really understood what was so important about my art.
I am in the business of relationships and I care about who owns my work.
Selling stuff is simply an exercise in arbitrage.
Take a chance and take a look at some art, right now, and let me know what you think.