Pastels - out of business?

[David Draime]

I hear you Mary...

However, I would flip it around and look at it as - how fortunate you are to have these great skills and confidence with pastels. You said the commissions keep rolling in (I wish I were where you are - last week I offered my Yulia pastel as a sample for a charity funraiser - they said "thanks, but no thanks"...I can't even give 'em away!!!)

Mike is right. As an artist, I think that a pastel is every bit as "legitimate" as an oil painting - and it may take just as long to complete. The main thing is quality. But the market says pastels should be cheaper. So be it. Part of me is glad...if I can offer different media at a more tiered price structure, I figure I will get more commissions. As long as I enjoy doing pastels, and I'm not giving them away (someday I'll reach that "plateau!"))...I enjoy looking at artist's websites that show work in two or three different media. I think it reveals more of where the artist's head and heart are.

I just try to separate what the art really is, what it means - and the pure business/marketing end of it. There are inevitably contradictions. And we all just have to decide for ourselves if it is worth it.

[Mary Sparrow]

DAVID! You can give her to me!

Oh my heck, If I could paint anything remotely as wonderful as your "Yulia" I would be raking it in!.

I think I am just in a fortunate spot here, I'm in the south, have small children therefore know lots of other people with small children and am fortunate that most of my friends and their friends, etc are the type of young professionals that can afford to have portraits done. Or at the very least assume their parents will pay to have the grandchildren done simply because it is what "NEEDS" to be done in their opinions.