Two Pears and a Ginger Jar – Oil on Panel, 5 x 7 inches
Sometimes it’s hard to let go of paintings.
And when that happens with me, I’m not always sure why.
I did this little painting last month, when this season’s pears had first started appearing. Usually, I put a painting up for auction here as soon as its done, but this one…this one I hung on to.
It may be that there was something about it I wanted to figure out, and looking at it every day would help me do that.
Even now, I’m still not sure why I kept it so long. Maybe something that I thought worked out and I wasn’t sure why.
Sometimes I think it would be nice to have all my paintings together at one time, so I could see how they’ve changed over time, pick out the bits I liked the most. I used to do that a lot when I was earlier in my learning journey and produced entirely practice pieces, without selling anything.
But turning professional as a painter inevitably means that the paintings have to find new homes when they’re done, sooner or later.
And there is something nice about that.
If I stop to think about it, it amazes me that little paintings of mine are all over the world now, hopefully giving their owners pleasure. The point of painting then becomes mostly just to be involved in the act of painting, improving and developing – which is really how it should be.
So although I think I’ll miss this little painting if it finds a new home, it’s time for it to move on.
How does that feel for you, when (if?) you sell your work? Do you ever miss your paintings after they’ve gone?
Do you hang on to them sometimes without really knowing why?
Please leave a comment and let me know.
Best wishes and thanks for reading,
Paul
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Yes, and then there are some that I hold onto and later want to kick out the door into the world. But I do think there is much value in living with a new piece for a while.
hah! I know what you mean Deborah, I have a couple of those in here now.
Yes, I have three favorites I intend to keep, since what they still say to me is more significant than what they might say to someone else. Both communicate a quality of separateness and wilderness, which is why I paint in the first place. If another comes along with the same feeling I might do a reshuffle, but some need to stay with me.
I’m so new that I’ve kept everything, either because it’s crap work or I want to keep it for reference (or both, heh). Some of the stuff I’ve exhibited, I’ve put a price on but I price relatively high (compared to other pieces on exhibit). I think folks around here are vastly underpricing their work and I have the luxury of not needing to sell to eat.
But I’ve hit the point where I’m thinking about dropping the price on a few or even giving some away (to a sitter’s mother, for instance).
Coincidentally, this subject was on my mind today because I had to start choosing submissions for an exhibit I had initially been rejected from. It’s a sale-only exhibit, and my two best pieces I don’t want to sell…not to mention it’s a modernist gallery and my work doesn’t fit in at all. I’ve been working with the gallery owner (facilitating figure drawing sessions), and he told me he decided he wanted to have some nudes and remembered some of my sketches.
I may have to erase the time stamps I put on my figure work, as I’m hesitant to price it well and have a ’10 minute’ stamp on it 😀
Hi Paul I haven’t sold a lot of work , some to family mostly , but when I visit and see them hanging there it brings a warm smile to my face and joy to my heart! I think it is good to keep some to study progress but mainly just to enjoy , and try not to be too critical of the imperfections. Your work is beautiful thank you for sharing it and your journey.
Craig
Thanks Craig, and you’re very welcome!
I have the same rule, Paul, but do keep them for a couple of weeks or so until I am completely sure they are done. Many times I make a few changes during that time and I think they are improved but then it is time to go before like Debrah I feel they are not worth the sale price and I might as well just give them away. Perhaps one day I will paint something I want to keep for good but that has not happened so far.
Yes, sometimes you can live with them for too long and start second guessing! That’s the time to let them go I suppose 🙂
I generally dislike my work when I finish it, to the point that I often want to destroy it. Then, over a period of time, I develop a real affection for some of it. I put it up where I can see it and won’t sell it or give it away. I think these reactions are rather stupid and I don’t really understand them. I’m sure a psychologist would have a field day! By the way I love your work, Paul, and find your thoughts and comments really worthwhile.
Thanks Philippa. If it makes you feel any better, I often feel that way about my own work too – and, like you, generally when I’ve just finished it.
there are more rare occasions when I think I’ve doe something good only to look askance at it later on. I guess we should not trust our own judgement until we’ve got some distance from our creations!
Hi Paul,
This jar with apples you should keep! It is a beautiful peace of art with a mysterious fibe. You made one like this in the past. Little chinese bowl with a sort of grass lying in it. Almost touching impressionism.
Thanks for sharing.
Pia
This painting has the charm and immediacy of a watercolor!
Where do you find an auction, & how easy is it to get your stuff into one?
I auction my work on my own site here, I use the wpauctions wordpress pug in. But you could try https://www.dailypaintworks.com/
As a beginner I immediately was asked by friends to paint their pets. Which I have happily done, and I gave them to my friends when done. I only have two paintings I have kept, one still life from my first weeklong class and one of my own dog. I feel maybe I need to paint some for a collection to put in a show, but as I am new to the art world I’m not sure how to go about putting paintings for sale. I have had 2 commissions so that was nice. I love your lessons and am new only since last week to your website. Thanks so much for your kind generosity and teaching.
You’re very welcome Barbara, and thanks for sharing your thoughts. As for selling work, you’re no longer limited to selling through galleries. You can sell your work from your own site, although it takes a while and some know how to set up – then you also need an audience of people following you of course.
You might want to try out one of the online gallery sites like Daily Paintworks to get your feet wet. There’s a lot of noise on them though, so it’s not easy to stand out I would think.
It’s infrequent that I want to hold onto a painting. Mostly I paint them for the purpose of letting them go and the enjoyment I get is in the creation. I have five paintings that I’ve intentionally indicated as Not for Sale – but everything else is for the market. Those five represent places or times in my life that I want to keep and remember. Also, I know I can always paint one of the sold ones again if I want to keep it, so it’s not like it’s gone forever. Once a painting became available as part of an estate sale (the collector passed on). I loved it and was able to buy it back. That’s one of the NFS ones.