Totem: Wylde Women Dancing, one of a kind clay sculpture with yarn, beads, charms and amethyst, 24"t x 6"w, hand made, one of a kind, by Tammy Vitale
I’m running behind on "good pictures" because they take time to frame. So here we have returned to the basement floor (and I will retake this later).
You may remember that this is my reframing month – and you know how that goes. I’m not doing anything in the usual order and I’m adding new things in and thus things tend to get scrambled. I’m trying to get my posts done before noon, but didn’t manage today. I am multi-tasking, typing as I listen to One Coach mindset phone call (I don’t have to talk – just listen…lucky me I can type and do that at the same time).
Yesterday I picked up my torso from Joie de Vivre. It is a raku torso and had "pinged" that is, exploded where a piece had been fired, and flaked off. The temperature in that window must have been amazing. Apparently this is something you have to watch with raku, and now I will have to advise folks to put it somewhere where the temperature doesn’t fluctuate much. I may lose this shop, as they don’t feel they can sell torsos at $1,000. They do have a price point there. Which brings me to: if your shop owner doesn’t believe in you and your price level, your work isn’t going to sell. Joy started with me at $185 torso and I have built up to $450 with her. Which means that I may lose many of my current folks (1) because I’m not selling via commission anymore, and (2) they don’t yet believe in my work’s value (which I do – but I’ve been working o
n it). So here we go down a brand new path. I’m not willing to back off the value I put on my work and my life and feel like following this path gives me both in a balanced manner. On the phone John Assaraf is saying: be in total awe and gratitude for transitions (I LOVE this course). So I’m in total awe and gratitude for this transition, I’m allowing the time it takes, and oh, by the way, tomorrow I will hear about the Philadelphia’s Buyer’s Market (which I’m not attached to, but it sure looks right from here, and I’m having faith that the whole process is moving me in the right direction, whatever and however that direction turns out).
I have other things to celebrate. Lookie what arrived in my mail yesterday from lovely Leah, goddess of Art Every Day: Woman with Birds, which after her Subway series (I own 3)(including the original from her banner – which she made last Art Every Day year/2006), is my favorite of all her work (which I would buy in bulk if I had the $$). Leah knows that, and she gifted me with this exquisite picture as a thank you (as thank you!). There is nothing like this blogging community!
I also want to encourage you to click over to C’est Andrea Design and Textile Art blog – Paris, and check out her mask drawings. I love her fabrice work, and it is no surprise to me that her drawings are also amazing. Enjoy yourself!
Finally, here is my art piece for the day, a colored-in version of Mandala II, crayon on multi-media paper. Even when I draw it, I find I don’t like to color in the lines. =]
thought for the day: Logical proof does not give rise to faith. Faith comes from the quiet space inside your soul that knows. It’s that space that speaks to your of greatness and fuller expression and understanding. It comes from looking around and really seeing and listening. It comes from watching, a child’s innocence, love, and beauty, It comes from love and loving. May you always be blessed with these in your life, for this is the essence of having it all. John Assaraf, The Street Kid’s Guide to Having It All
10 Comments
I love Leah's Bird Woman painting. Nice! Good for you, Tammy–you are making a huge leap forward. Don't be discouraged by your current dealers' reluctance to hop on board the Tammy Express…you may have to find new outlets, but what you are asking in terms of raising your prices is totally reasonable! And your self worth and self confidence will bring in new people who love your work & want to support it.
Christine
http://passionforpainting.blogspot.com
WOW. I am seriously in awe as I watch how your artistic life/business is transforming!!!
Ooohhhhhhh a new work by Leah??? That one is definately my new favorite of her works!
Did your inner child enjoy the crayon time?? Mine is impatiently asking if it's time yet for her to color too! LOL
Hi Tammy, my day brightens, lightens up looking at your mandala! Beautiful universe, lovely colours, movement and love. AThe wymen totem is great, funny I can see the wymen swaying to and fro.
Your thoughts about prices: I think it is good not to be "shy" when it comes to fixing prices of your art. There is so much in your art pieces. No money can pay what you put into those torsos so 1000 $ for now seems perfectly ok. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about all this, it helps me (and others, I suppose) to get focused.
It is getting dark here already at 16h16 and the headcold is freezing my brains, not that I want to wine about it but my spelling is likely to get bad with frozen brains
Thanks for mentioning my blog, it feels good to be in this blogartistic community:)
Very very nice. I'm so glad I stumbled on the art every day site. I will be inspired to at least do it next year. I personally like the ugly fish…but gotta look some more around.
Love your wyld women totem! And your mandla art piece is so full of colour (which of course I love!)and would look great on ceramics.
Hey, "when HP closes a door, HP opens a window" … you know what I mean. You are beginning a whole new way of looking at your work and where you will be selling it. Good things will surely happen! I LOVE what Leah sent you – she's such a fantastic artist – I love ALL of her work! Think I'm going to move my/your torso away from the fireplace. Don't want to lose her!
I think sometimes that we artists get so much joy from doing what we do that we don't honestly believe that anyone will pay us for it — let alone pay us what it is worth. I'm so glad that you're following this leading in increasing your prices and in refining what you will make and who will receive your work.
P.S. Just love your Wild Women Dancing (and that you don't colour inside the lines). Oh and also, wow, isn't Leah fab! Beautiful picture 🙂
Tam your work is VERY EASILY worth the new asking price, if not more. YES! Give up the galleries that aren't behind you 100%. Just wait til they see you on Oprah 😉
so many exciting transitions! i feel like i'm in the middle of a big one as well. this year has been a whirlwind of transitioning! wee!
i'm excited for all the leaps you are making. i'm curious as to how you're planning to work with galleries now instead of working with a commission. is your ideal situation to have them buy your work wholesale from you? would they pay half-price?