Lori, I like the way that you are thinking about the issue, but I don’t understand why you would lower your price if you do the same theme many times with full engagement. Artists throughout history have painted the same topic over and over – sometimes out of genuine fascination (Monet and his haystacks, etc.) and sometime to get cash (all those portraits of Washington by Gilbert Stuart). Even if they are easier to do, are they less valuable? By lowering the value, it suggests a half heartedness, and that calls into question how deeply you are working (I expect that you will want to put your whole self into these “copies”). I have giclees made of some of my more popular images and if someone wants my touch and energy put into them, I jump with full engagement into an embellishment. In the embellishing process, some artists have technicians do the work, but I actually like to really get into it and stay creative making each print have something unique of my vision because with each embellishment I really am in a different place and do get different ideas. By doing this over a giclee there is no confusion about the lower value. I also like to do originals of the same subject more than once and believe the results of the later pieces are as valuable as the first of the series. The first time, there is much attention put into understanding the basic structure, rhythms, and composition, but each successive time, I can explore on a deeper level. Thanks for your articles and writing – you are an inspiration to me. Lillian
I like the way that you are thinking about the issue, but I don’t understand why you would lower your price if you do the same theme many times with full engagement. Artists throughout history have painted the same topic over and over – sometimes out of genuine fascination (Monet and his haystacks, etc.) and sometime to get cash (all those portraits of Washington by Gilbert Stuart). Even if they are easier to do, are they less valuable? By lowering the value, it suggests a half heartedness, and that calls into question how deeply you are working (I expect that you will want to put your whole self into these “copies”).
I have giclees made of some of my more popular images and if someone wants my touch and energy put into them, I jump with full engagement into an embellishment. In the embellishing process, some artists have technicians do the work, but I actually like to really get into it and stay creative making each print have something unique of my vision because with each embellishment I really am in a different place and do get different ideas. By doing this over a giclee there is no confusion about the lower value.
I also like to do originals of the same subject more than once and believe the results of the later pieces are as valuable as the first of the series. The first time, there is much attention put into understanding the basic structure, rhythms, and composition, but each successive time, I can explore on a deeper level.
Thanks for your articles and writing – you are an inspiration to me. Lillian