What Are You Doing With The Paintings Not Selling?

I mostly work in acrylic so have been known to paint over them. You should scan them before you do anything. Could you sell them, or turn them into cards?

I wish I Know how to turn them into cards, most of my paintings are 5x7 inch

Rita I get copies ,photographs of my art 4x6 and buy the card stock with envelopes at wal mart and glue them on and sell them at art shows or just use them myself and yes I paint over some art I don't like but photograph it first , acrylic is what I do to , and your story sounds like mine , give lots away and everyone has all they need , it doesn't matter what your painting size is just take the photo of it nice and clear hope this helps

I paint in oils and, for me, the time to prepare an old canvas is time I could spend painting.
My unsold paintings (that I don't like) make good fire-lighters in winter.

This past year I have started hanging some on my front door. Change with the seasons. Also since my potted plant died, I placed a painting of a flower on the top of the pot. Also I am giving one to a charity auction this spring.

Rita, You didn't say how long you hold onto them before deciding they won't sell. I too paint in acrylics and sometimes a painting in progress (WIP) just doesn't make it's way to a frame and I'll paint over it. But the one's that are finished and signed get to stay with me. The reason I brought up the time thing is that I've sold work that was years old and had been put away and, for one reason or another, I decide to show it in an exhibit and it sold. My point is that you only need to get it in front of the right person at the right time and who is going to fall in love with it and want to own it.


Bill Tomsa

billtomsa.blogspot.com/

i keep all my paintings some just take longer to find the buyers. last year, a buyer came to my home after looking at the paintings I had she choose one which was 12 years old. i know another artist she mail her painting to museums all over the world with no return address and added their names on her CV as her works in the collection of those museum LOL

How about giving some to a charity shop? It would get your work seen and help a good cause at the same time.

Alfred
"i know another artist she mail her painting to museums all over the world with no return address and added their names on her CV as her works in the collection of those museum LOL

That's a good one Alfred. :-)

Bill Tomsa

billtomsa.blogspot.com/

I'm digital (mostly) so they just stay on my hard drive.

Many of my canvases are painted before their time. I put them on shows, hang them on my walls and wait for the buyers to catch up.

It would be nice to do trades with other artists - or you could do a FB giveaway.

Can't be called a contest on FB I believe - perhaps you can word it differently.

I already gave a lot of them to charity, I usually keep them for 1 year, than I need to get rid of some, out of storage reasons,

I also tried to make greeting cards out of them, but nobody like them enough to buy it either

I give mine away and the rewards are immense especially after twenty years. The stories that I have of running into my artwork in public and private places are unbelievable to other people but extremely positive for me. Family and friends are your best marketing ever.

1/18

Many times I'll donate paintigs after I photograph them to the Santa Fe Animal Shelter
thrift shop, this way they sell it make money for the cats and dogs, makes me feel
good, I'm a big animal lover, matter fact I have to go their Monday I have a painting I
did titled: " Up Up And Away," Animal ballons...

Cheers.........Joe

Rita your work is lovely. Could you do as Joseph has and donate to a specific animal shelter.

I like your work very much, Rita.

I noticed that on the paintings I viewed you do not offer the originals for sale here.

I have a feeling if you offer them for sale here, sooner of later they are bound to sell.

At the moment I have two giant stacks of watercolors - one pile is of not-super-awesome ones, I'm not sure what I'll eventually do with those, though some are sellable I think; another is a pile of works I think are decent/good, or that reflect my journey over the years. Of the decent/good ones, I do try to sell many of the originals, and I have sold maybe 10 or so originals over the years, but that's just a work in progress -- I have an Etsy shop though haven't sold anything on it for a while, and I also have many here on FAA marked for sale. I also have a set of personal favorites that I don't want to sell at this time.

I hang them in shows and in my house. Sometimes I paint over the acrylic pieces.

I found that bartering pieces worked well. I furnished two homes with extra pieces of art I had. In this economy, people would rather make a trade for a nice piece of art than give their antique hutch away for pennies to a person trying to bargain for half price.

Rita watercolors are not too difficult to store ,,Its a much bigger problem for those of us who paint on stretched canvas, You should hang onto them and find a avenue to sell them , Your artwork is very marketable! Take them to consignment stores etc,

What I do with the "Dogs" (pieces that just hang around at shows)

I make it so they Do Sell.

NEVER reducing it's price....That's a No-NO.

The first method is a bit underhanded:

1. Put a Red Dot on it

Invariably, someone seeing the dot, becomes interested....Asks if you have one similar...Tell them that this piece was being "Held" and that customer finally bought a bigger piece, and you forgot to remove the dot. So this piece is all Yours.....You've just made a Sale!!.

Now, of course, I would never use that method


I have done this though

2. Put the "Dogs" behind the counter.

Eventually someone will want to know if you have any more, than what's showing.....And when you take the "Dog" from behind the counter, there are those that are sure that you were hiding that "Good One" for that "Special" customer and Just Has to Have it..........You've just made a Sale!!...

As long as you don't say anything,..It's not devious, at all.

Marlene Burns9 Hours Ago
"Many of my canvases are painted before their time."

Marlene- I like that....painted before their time.

Bill Tomsa

billtomsa.blogspot.com/

I've got to admit that as much as I love painting with a brush and paint, as I get better painting digitally on my IPad, it sure does solve the problem of storage.

Roger-
"NEVER reducing it's price....That's a No-NO."
I absolutely agree and am glad you said that. Preceived value is a reality artists must come to grips with.



Bill Tomsa
BillTomsa.blogspot.com/

I give some to family but most are kept. I've only Goodwilled two in total.

Definitely keep them for more than a year. I've sold paintings that are ten years old. It just takes the right buyer.

For your watercolors that haven't sold - you can now afford to be more daring with your experimentation.

What techniques haven't you tried - because you thought it best to finish & play it safe ?

Take them back out - spray & splatter them. Try some ink. Add some more color washes, & deepen that saturation.
At this point you have nothing to lose - & have the opportunity to play, create , and push your boundaries..


& yeah, Lol. Put some prices on them !

Do not give away your paintings, because once you started doing it no one would expect to pay when you selling them, also people don't value your work if they are free. Do not give away your lesser works, you wanted people remember your best not worst.
If the works are not up to your standard destroy them.

If not painting for a given commission or established market demand, then every painter eventually reaches a point where the hoard of paintings becomes overwhelming, and tough decisions have to be made, such as which ones you keep, which ones you give away, or even which ones you throw into the garbage.

If you are not actively selling, then the space and storage demands of paintings become driving forces that make you stop painting. If you cannot sell them, and you still want to paint, then you give them away or paint over them or throw them into the dumpster. You can only accommodate so many.

This is the angst of art for art's sake. Been there, done that.

You can gesso over watercolor paintings, and have a fresh start. Might need two or threecoats. The gesso is non absorbent and watercolor lays on top. You can get some interesting textures this way. Also, you can collage them into a new painting, or you can pick a section you like and cut it down to card size.

I've had more paintings and sculpture stolen from galleries and my studio than I've sold. I am attached to all my finished works as it is a valid part of myself weather or not they are sold or for sale or not. Selling my art is not as important as getting it right.

No giving of my away since unqualified owners of art are abusers of art. Qualified buyers are the only way to go and these must love the work enough to want it. Thoose works which are sketches and failed or unfinished I'll have no problem burying. Bronze sculptures can be melted down as well.