Working on a smaller scale has allowed me to make my artwork available to a larger group of art collectors.
A little over a year ago I had a discussion with a buyer of one of my pieces who wanted to know if I had any original artwork under $1000. He understood that my paintings normally sell for more due to the amount of work I put into them, but he wanted to know if I ever worked small-scale.
I love working big. Typically my works range between three to five feet on their longest side, and in the case of public art, they’re usually even larger. His question, however, put me on a path to exploring how I could tackle making original artwork available to more people at a lower price point while still respecting my process and aesthetic style.
Reaching More Art Collectors When You Paint Slowly
When it comes to my private artwork (work not made for public spaces) I tend to work more slowly. The process is an act of meditation and reflection for me, so rushing to get it done is counterintuitive. Figuring out a way to get more original artwork into buyers’ hands without turning my studio into a sweatshop posed a bit of a quandary.
One solution I’ve found that works well is releasing some of my artwork to collectors as limited edition NFTs. The other method that’s been effective is opting to do what I discussed with my art buyer—working smaller.
Initially, this wasn’t as easy as you might think.
If you ever get a chance to talk to a writer of children’s books, you may hear them say that writing for a younger audience is more challenging than writing for adults. It really requires you to flex your ability to say more with less while making sure you get a point across.
I encountered a somewhat similar challenge while working in miniature—less room for dramatic gestures or gratuitous use of canvas space required a different approach to the work to create impact. I had to practice an economy of composition, brushstrokes, and color.
Once I figured out a minimum size that I could work at comfortably (12” x 12”), I also realized working smaller meant I would be able to get more pieces completed. This gave me an opportunity to experiment with a second idea–making limited editions of my paintings–not giclée prints, but actual painted works.
By creating original artwork as limited editions, more art collectors would have access to owning actual works of art instead of digitally created prints. I admit I freaked out just a bit at the start of this idea. The thought of committing to such a highly repetitive task was sidling up dangerously close to sweatshop territory, and I don’t engage in art making to have negative experiences.
But something kind of surprising happened.
To test my endurance for this project I created a short series of 8 paintings, all the same size, all the same image. After the second painting I found I wasn’t thinking about the process so much as just letting my thoughts roam. As I’ve mentioned before, the art making process is meditative for me.
While making this test edition, I think because I worked out the hard stuff with the first piece (choosing a subject, layout, composition, preliminary sketches etc.,) making the rest of the artworks in the edition allowed me to reach a state of flow.
While I was working on these pieces I found that I could relax my mind and let the act of repetition function as a vehicle for opening up deeper contemplation. I started keeping a notebook/sketchbook close while working since ideas for new work came easier while I was painting.
As a result of this test, I realized I could paint a complete limited edition of original artworks (and not go crazy) and I also found a comfortable limit to how many handmade editions I can complete in a single collection.
Below are two WIP examples from this collection of 12” x 12” limited edition original works, all priced under $1000. Click here if you are interested collecting this type of artwork.
Work In Progress: Abyssinian (12 x 12 Limited Edition Artwork)
Abyssinian cats are striking felines. Smart and naturally affectionate, they have a classic build associated with most “Oriental” breeds, though their absolute origin remains unclear. Their short coats make it easy to see their athletic architecture beneath their fur, so I was naturally attracted to using them as a subject of a painting.
Depending on what reference you read, the breed’s lineage can be traced to ancient Egypt, with its ancestors’ likeness sliding along the walls of pharaohs’ tombs. Other writings claim the breed’s origins are more contemporary, with their source genetics coming from felines in Great Britain.
Photo of an Abyssinian cat by Karen Langner Bahmann.
A compromise between these two tales claims a soldier brought the breed’s foundation cat back to Europe from Abyssinia, though modern DNA testing shows the cat’s origins mostly likely coming from Asia. Whatever the case, owners love Abys for their blend of intelligence combined with their refined “wild” look.
In this series of small works I’m focusing on taking a common subject (animal, human, or object) and treating it like a ‘jewel’ set in an intricate bezel of cut wood. This is a deliberate nod to my background in jewelry making and metal working. My artwork is deeply inspired by the natural world and part of my aesthetic is grounded in focusing in on organic subjects, capturing them in amber, and placing them like precious curios in a nest of filigreed wood.
This approach has guided what subjects I’ve chosen to paint at this scale and the Aby’s refined beauty along with its unclear history and possible link to ancient felines made it a perfect fit for this series.
Getting to Work on “Abyssinian”
To start, I made several drawings to decide how I wanted to pose the cat. Seated with its head tipped just so was the winning composition. After refining the master drawing, I attach it to a birch wood panel, seal it and begin applying paint in washes to achieve an amber hue.
While waiting for the painting to dry, I move on to painting and constructing its bezel (frame). For each painting in this 12 x 12 limited edition, I’m designing a frame that compliments the subject’s origin. In this case, I wanted something that was organic and reminiscent of Asian and Egyptian influences.
Once assembled and complete “Abyssinian” is a 12’ x 12” 3-dimensional artwork with about 2 inches of depth, and arrives ready to hang.
Work In Progress: Bantam (12 x 12 Limited Edition Artwork)
The “jewel” in this painting is a Holland Barnevelder rooster. So what’s the significance of a rooster?
Human development has been deeply impacted by our dependence on animals and chickens, even now, remain a keystone species important to world economies and cultures. If you read my artist statement, it provides some insight into my interest in elevating simple subjects like chickens and exploring human / animal relationships. Humanity owes animal kind a great deal of gratitude.
With “Bantam” the design of the artwork’s frame is inspired by patterns found on traditional Dutch ceramics.
Getting to Work on “Bantam”
To begin, I create a series of rough sketches to help me decide the posture and position of the rooster. During this stage I also draw patterns from Dutch ceramics to get familiar with shapes and details. Even though exact replicas of the ceramic patterns won’t be used in the work, knowing how they are formed provides me with enough information to create a pattern inspired by them.
Next, I create the finalized version of the drawing, and the completed drawing is transferred to a small wood panel. After transfer, I seal and sand the drawing, then begin layering in layers of washes.
Once the painting is complete and dry, I move on to constructing the frame for “Bantam”. The pieces of the frame are cut from my design, painted and assembled. Once everything is assembled, the artwork is sprayed with a protective varnish, signed and made ready for shipment to its new owner.
