Distillery District, Cafe Uno Art on Display

Cafe Uno and Restaurant in the Distillery District

I like to frequent Cafe Uno because they are one of the casual places with good prices and food in the Distillery.  I noticed one day they were hanging a local artists paintings.  A friend explained to friendly management that I was an artist/painter too.  I shied away about talking or bringing my art work in to show.   However, I was fortunate they checked out my website and told me they would hang my art work when the current Artist took his down.  I was excited.  I had a chance to exhibit in one of my favourite areas, the Distillery District.  It’s not a lot of hanging space because of the walls.  Well, not exactly the walls because they have rules about drilling holes into heritage buildings, so I had some beams and windows to hang my art work on.  I decided on displaying five of my pieces.   My painting style is all over the place but I have been adding computer parts into my paintings and decided to go with my recycled techno series.

Putting a Price on Your Paintings

When I step into my studio space in my spare time, I try to clear my mind of any thoughts of selling my art work.  Fortunately, I actually have a full time job to pay the bills.  I don`t create my art work with the purpose to sell.  However, if I can make money from one of my artistic creations I am on cloud nine.  Exhibiting my art work in public is a great opportunity to gain exposure and gain more confidence.  I know if I want to sell my art rather than accumulate only on the walls of my home, I need to expand my opportunities.

The difficulty can be found in placing a realistic and reasonable price on paintings.  A challenging task for many but necessary.   I factor in the cost of supplies, time and effort I put into my art work. I also consider how difficult it would be to replicate.  Some art might not have taken a long time to paint necessarily but the pieces that were included and found would be difficult to replace.

I have undervalued my art work in the past, and had my art work sell quickly.  However with the temporary excitement came also the regrets. Some of my art pieces might not look like there is a lot of time invested but taking apart the computers was very time consuming and physically demanding. Some of my objects that have been added to my painting collages are very unique. I have also over valued my art work and had interested buyers who were not willing to meet me at my selected high price.  I learned from this mistake as well.  Now, I take into consideration my emotional attachment to the piece as well.

Painting And Photography Mixing Together for More Exposure

While I was installing my paintings on the walls I was pleasantly surprised by the patrons of the cafe and their reactions.  As soon as I put the art work on display they were taking photos. It brought on a mixed set of emotions.  I was grateful for the opportunity to display my art work. However, many artists forget to consider what they might be giving to the viewers with their public displays and the aesthetic appeal to the establishments . We tend to only think of what we might or might not gain by such an action. As I noticed people taking photos of my paintings I was aware of the reciprocal gift giving. I realized that I want to add more of my personal business storytelling to my art displays.  If I want to sell paintings it’s helpful to develop my personal brand more and connect with my viewers.  I want to open up with background stories on each painting.  They may be personal but sharing can help connect with viewers turning them into potential buyers.
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