Pricing of works.

A retrospective post from 2016.
Nothing I make is intended for sale at the time of its creation becoming so only in the fullness of time.
​Pricing is one of the hardest tasks for so many artists in their pursuits. Numbers and money are often thought to require using separate sides of the brain, if so this could explain my claim of being numerically challenged
​Pricing my work is, and always has been however  a but of a breeze. 
My pieces hold a value to me related not only to the emotional input during their creation, but also long afterward—a sentimental value, if you like  I enjoy living with my work after completion, now, many would say they have no sentimental attachment ti their work, I have felt that but, for the most I do. Hung on a wall or as a sculpture placed around my studio and home as if in a gallery setting I sit and look at them.. my pieces bring me joy, happiness, contemplation, and a consideration of both their strengths and shortcomings.
​It is only when I have grown tired of a piece that I consider it to have any monetary value, that value is based entirely on the length of time I have enjoyed it and, more importantly, how much I would need to accept in return for parting with it. 
The time spent on construction, the physical size, or the complexity of the piece plays little real  part in my considerations.
​As I approach a show or a point of sale, finalizing my prices becomes a relaxing process. Some prices rise and some fall, but each holds a value tied not only to its emotional weight, but also to its relationship with similar works. By the time I set a final price, I know in my heart of hearts that it is realistic, honest, and offers true value to a future owner, my only. hope is that the buyer gains as much from their purchase as I lose in parting with it.
​You must be realistic when pricing—not only regarding the intrinsic value of the work, but also considering what you have given to your art over the span of your lifetime and career. What have you sacrificed to bring a piece into the material world?
​Commissioned work is an entirely different concept. It is based on so many variables that it would be too much to cover in a single post. The subject matter, materials, effort, time, complexity, location, even the client themselves are all considerations and only thoughtful consultation with the client will lead to a mutually acceptable agreement.
​With time and experience, your abilities increase and tasks become easier, works are produced more fluidly as you reach a point of maturity and creating art feels more natural. It is for this reason that I reflect upon everything that came before, rather than simply measuring the effort and cost of materials needed for a single piece.
10 years on little has changed regarding my pricing policy. My works remain personal to me excepting as said, commissioned works.

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