CONCENTATING ON WHAT SELLS!
REMINDER: check out my AVAILABLE PAINTINGS page for some nice gifts!
I received an email recently from OCEAN ART GALLERY who represents my work in Ormond Beach, FL. Seems she was visiting here in St Augustine and went into REMBRANDTZ Gallery on King Street where my art is shown locally. She liked my small mini paintings that sell so well there and asked me to do several for them too!
These mini paintings are 4 x 4, 4 x 6, and 5 x 5 paintings that sit on a mini easel. They are really cute little paintings that are usually a beach or ocean scene. They come in bright sunset colors, soft blues with big puffy clouds, or early morning sunrise scenes always with big palm trees that represent Florida so well! People love to buy them for gifts for friends and family, or for tokens of their visit to our area and they easily pack into luggage for travel! I sell quite a few of these on a monthly basis and look for ways to vary the scenes without losing the feel for Florida life and I try to keep in mind the need to keep costs down so they can stay a lower price.
To that end, I buy the supplies only when on sale and I try to keep these supplies on hand for quick turnaround. I'm glad I do as OAG (Ocean Art Gallery) wanted the paintings within a week! Being able to just reach in my closet and pull out the supplies was so helpful. I was able to fill the order on time and with good quality work!
OAG had sold out of almost all of my 5 x 7 "Ocean Meditations" too so I had to take several of those down, and two of my 8 x 8 waves too. I managed these as well because I had all the supplies on hand. If I hadn't it would have taken a day just to go get all the supplies I needed to paint and frame the larger pieces, and I would have had to pay much higher prices for them if they were not on sale. That cuts into my profits a lot! Something to keep in mind when you contract with a gallery for sure!
Bottom line? Keep supplies on hand and ALWAYS try to purchase them at the best sale prices possible! Michaels will put canvas on sale 3 or 4 times per year at 70% off! For those of us who insist on using only professional quality canvas that represents a HUGE savings!
This is a mini canvas panel that is 4 x 4 and sits on it's own little easel. I do not bother to give these paintings a name. I merely sign the back and add my website name "Dara Dodson Art" without the .com as galleries don't usually like that.
This is also 4 x 4 and is an example of an early sunrise painting. It is done on a black canvas panel. I just like how the colors pop and add drama. It has a black easel to emphasize the darkness.
This is the 4 x 6 size. They come in bright orange, pink, or reddish tones. I keep them fairly simple since the color carries the painting. The black easel goes with the black/green of the trees and coast. I also do this style in the 5 x 5 size. Since these are all so small I sign them with a fine point paint pen.
This is the 5 x 5 size of canvas panel. I use a light or dark easel depending upon the colors in the painting itself. When I have a daylight with natural blues and the beach, then I will use the light easel. The dark easel goes with the bold colors of the sunsets like the 4 x 6 above.
These are fun and easy to do. I tend to assembly-line them when I paint to make it go faster. But each one gets individual attention when it comes to the clouds and how the water hits the beach. In other words, each one has enough individuality that people will study them and decide which they like best. They may be similar but I make sure they are NOT duplicates!
I received an email recently from OCEAN ART GALLERY who represents my work in Ormond Beach, FL. Seems she was visiting here in St Augustine and went into REMBRANDTZ Gallery on King Street where my art is shown locally. She liked my small mini paintings that sell so well there and asked me to do several for them too!
These mini paintings are 4 x 4, 4 x 6, and 5 x 5 paintings that sit on a mini easel. They are really cute little paintings that are usually a beach or ocean scene. They come in bright sunset colors, soft blues with big puffy clouds, or early morning sunrise scenes always with big palm trees that represent Florida so well! People love to buy them for gifts for friends and family, or for tokens of their visit to our area and they easily pack into luggage for travel! I sell quite a few of these on a monthly basis and look for ways to vary the scenes without losing the feel for Florida life and I try to keep in mind the need to keep costs down so they can stay a lower price.
To that end, I buy the supplies only when on sale and I try to keep these supplies on hand for quick turnaround. I'm glad I do as OAG (Ocean Art Gallery) wanted the paintings within a week! Being able to just reach in my closet and pull out the supplies was so helpful. I was able to fill the order on time and with good quality work!
OAG had sold out of almost all of my 5 x 7 "Ocean Meditations" too so I had to take several of those down, and two of my 8 x 8 waves too. I managed these as well because I had all the supplies on hand. If I hadn't it would have taken a day just to go get all the supplies I needed to paint and frame the larger pieces, and I would have had to pay much higher prices for them if they were not on sale. That cuts into my profits a lot! Something to keep in mind when you contract with a gallery for sure!
Bottom line? Keep supplies on hand and ALWAYS try to purchase them at the best sale prices possible! Michaels will put canvas on sale 3 or 4 times per year at 70% off! For those of us who insist on using only professional quality canvas that represents a HUGE savings!
This is also 4 x 4 and is an example of an early sunrise painting. It is done on a black canvas panel. I just like how the colors pop and add drama. It has a black easel to emphasize the darkness.
These are fun and easy to do. I tend to assembly-line them when I paint to make it go faster. But each one gets individual attention when it comes to the clouds and how the water hits the beach. In other words, each one has enough individuality that people will study them and decide which they like best. They may be similar but I make sure they are NOT duplicates!
