While setting up LoPressionism Gallery of Fine Art I did and continue to do a lot of research on promoting artists, as I myself am an artist. If you wish to have a successful career as an artist, I highly recommend reading the following literature, and consider these particular excerpts as you submit your work to the LoPressionism Gallery or any other.

From one artist to another, I truly wish you blessings of success if creating art is your passion and selling it is your wish - if not through the LoPressionism Gallery, through any other of the wonderful fine art galleries and art venues across this globe.

-Angela St.Amant, Owner

Cay Lang, author of "Taking the Leap - The Insider's Guide to Exhibiting and Selling Your Art", ChronicleBooks, 1998 explains on page112:
"...There are two ways to price your work. The first method, which I don't recommend, is to decide the amount you want to be paid (the wholesale price), and then let your various dealers add whatever they want when selling to their clients. The second approach is to set a selling price (the retail price), and decide in conjunction with each dealer or client the amount of commission they will receive from the sale of the work. If it is a commercial gallery it will probably be 50 percent, which means you will only receive half of the retail price, so set your prices accordingly. The advantage to the second pricing method lies in the fact that your prices will be consistent across the globe. This is worth considering. You don't want a client who bought a photograph for $2500.00 from your New York Gallery to discover that it could have been purchased for $2000.00 in Los Angeles. The art world is very small; people talk with each other on the phone every day (that is how international galleries do business), and they do find out these things. You run the risk of appearing unprofessional, and worse, it brings into question the intrinsic value of your work."

Constance Smith, author of "Art Marketing 101, A Handbook for the Fine Artist", Art Network, 1997 notes particular points of interest on page76:

* The price you charge from your studio and the price your dealer sells for must be the same. You get to keep the commission when you sell a piece from your studio. Some collectors mistakenly expect your studio price to be 50% less, but it never should be.

* Develop a long-term strategy connected with the pricing of your artwork. As you sell more, your prices will, of course, rise. Soon your pricing will establish itself, rising slowly - no more than 10% per year. As your prices increase, have smaller works or prints available in the lower price range. Keep your work affordable to all your previous clients.

* Always note the retail price on your price list. No net pricing. Net pricing is selling your work at a wholesale/net price, allowing your dealer to charge whatever he wishes at resale. This creates havoc in your pricing. Don't do it.

(There are several other great pricing points as well as a formula for how to calculate the prices of your work - a must-read for artists!)

Alexandria Levin, author of the article "Pricing Consistency" from ArtSource Quarterly, Summer 2004 details pricing and professionalism in these excerpts from the same article: "Consistency is one of the benchmarks of professionalism in the visual arts, especially when it comes to pricing your artwork. Your pricing structure cannot be based on rollercoasters, whims and random pork bellies. Being an artist is too personal a business. It is not just the product you create that interests buyers. Often your reputation and persona are part of the deal. If you want your art to have great value in the eyes of others, then you must behave in a way that demonstrates a high level of value.

If you want to be taken seriously, then you must act seriously. If you're consistent with pricing, potential collectors will know what to expect. There will be no rude surprises and there will be clear justification for the pricing of your work. Never lower the prices on the body of work that you regularly show. If you lower your prices , you will never grow the value of your work. Hold them steady and slowly raise them over time. Meanwhile, improve the quality of your artwork and activley work on your career.

Undercutting former collectors is bad for your reputation. It is also unethical. It does not bode well for future sales. Are you willing to reimburse the difference to former collectors? Neither you nor your actions will be seen as professional. When you are not consistent with prices, you will be perceived as flaky. Once again, if you want to be taken seriously, then act the part. Lowering your prices is very unfair to your earlier collectors. Buying art is a major event - a monetary and emotional investment. You are not selling electronic equipment or last season's clothing or anything that has been manufactured for the masses. What you create and sell does not have to be cleared out so that you can have rack space for this year's fashions.

Your prices should be consistent both in and out of the studio. They should be consistent no matter where your work is exhibited. A $900.00 artwork will be priced the same in the studio, in the gallery on the Internet and at an outdoor art fair. Commissions may vary, depending on where the artwork is sold. The same artwork that retails for $900 may give the artist only 50% commission ($450 when sold by a gallery). This is to be expected. The important thing is that the retail price remains consistent across the board..."

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