While I reckon most of us would love to find one similar in our own attic… how does a picture command such a high price… ??
I think it’s because some arty farty types decided it was lovely, luvvy !
I have seen some amazing work in local art shows, but then it’s not what you know but rather who you know 
Yep… me to…
Sadly, I know one or two really talented youngsters who have been totally discouraged… because their art did not conform with what their Art Teacher wanted… 
Because some people are willing to pay it.
I think it is a wonderful painting.
He is now using his I Pad to help him start his landscapes.
1 Like
I have my own thoughts on such “masterpieces”. As is always said, it is in the beholders eyes.
If the people bidding on it were informed no one was was going to buy any art over £5000 till whenever, it would probably drop like a stone. In these cases i think it it greed that buys it… knowing they will gain a few million more in a couple of years.
Personally i don’t like it. The hillsides are too uniformally rectangular in shape ( background as well as foreground. The colours aren’t right either - I guess it is supposedly part abstract, but then …it is either abstract or it is not. The technique…if that was a students work, would probably get slaughtered.
I would have preferred it if he had painted an apple & orange in a bowl.
To answer your question Stella ( a tongue in cheek question )… i was trying to find articles on the very same thing last week. Apparently ( for normal paintings ( oils / acrylics), use the dimensions of the painting ( in inches) ie 10 * 8 = 80, then multiply it from between 1 to 5 … depending on skill level and how well known the artist is.
An example my work would probably have a multiplier between 0.5 & 1; so a 10 * 8 would ( or should be) approximately be between £40 and £80
1 Like
Hi Glenn…
I have a young friend who does sell her artwork from time to time…
At first she would simply say… oh £50… then add “is that OK”. Of course it was OK and at that price her pieces were snapped up.
Nowadays, she works out the material costs and how long a particular piece has taken (x hourly rate) and comes up with a price. A client can accept or decline…
It’s obvious you love what you do… but, if the income is “necessary” don’t sell yourself short… 
2 Likes
Thank you Stella, sound advice as usual. I don’t really actively sell at present, I usually post pics of them on FB, and a handful of people have asked if i would sell to them.
I am starting to “up” my price/ re-evaluate, as I can definitely see improvement or quality in the majority. Was also this week thinking of various ways to promote…ie my own website, FB or ebay.
The parameter for pricing on the “hours put in”; is a difficult one, as you may say in a given circumstance of identical pricing, that it is not as good as someone else’s of a similar size, but who put in half the time by a more skillful and faster artist. It’s just not the same as putting in 10 hours at the office, therefore i want to be paid x euros.
1 Like
I would struggle to paint anything convincingly and admire anyone who can. Personally I don’t like Hockney’s style but if someone wants to pay $millions for it that’s their prerogative. I just don’t get it…
1 Like
Each artist decides for themselves, their pricing… it’s a sometimes painful period, discovering what the market will bear.
My friend does a lot of private commissions. Each work may take several weeks or months to complete, depending … and when an artist expends so much energy, the reward should be appropriate.
Totally agree on all your points there Stella. Your friend I think is also pretty good 
Not my cup of tea at all…something about it I find quite disturbing…(I’ll not go into the reasons why…)
It baffles me what gets passed off as art nowadays…I’d not want that on my wall for all the tea in China…
I have a friend in the U.S who (amongst the many artistic mediums she uses such as papier-mâché sculptures ) has been focusing on acrylic pourings…she has gathered enough interest that she’s been involved with holding small classes…
I find her work fascinating…the intention she puts into each one and then the physical outcome of her intention…
I love yours Glenn…soothing…and I love the 3D plus depth you have achieved in a 2 dimensional medium…x
David Hockney is brilliant.
Art is incredibly subjective to create.
The problem is not so much choosing at what price to sell my work. Although that is important to take time and consider and do some research, the most difficult thing is not to let what others ‘see’ in my work, nor to let judgment(s) by others affect what I originally intended. Once I started to exhibit and sell my work, I was faced with a whole new set of circumstances since other eyes and hearts and minds were looking at my work, and within a commercial environment.
Arguably the biggest threshold, therefore, for an artist is the one we cross when we start to show our work to others.
So, with regard to this painting. It’s not ‘What price?’; rather, it’s “What genius!”
By the way, if anyone’s interested in a historical read that’s pretty fascinating, short and really well-written, consider Calvin Tomkins’ Merchants and Masterpieces. The story focuses on the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, which may sound a bit tangential to what we’re discussing on this thread; however, it’s lively and readable and comments on what artists and art owners/collectors go through.
That said, I feel the urge to repeat David Hockney is brilliant; he is one of the greatest artists of his age. Get to know more about his oeuvre, if/when you have time.
Cheers.
4 Likes
Thank you Helen. Does your friend use something called PowerTex ?? I have seen examples, and looks very interesting.
1 Like
There are many talented artists.
Some, with the right combination of natural talent, hard work, personality, connections and/or luck, get to be elevated to the world stage - sometimes even while they are still alive
It is the same in music - many talented chanteurs/euses but relatively few get to be household names.
But, even though I understand the dynamics - quality, artist, scarcity, willingness to pay etc - $80 million for a painting is obscene. Sorry, but it is.
6 Likes
I can understand elevated prices… when it comes to work of a dead artist… (in all areas of Art)…it relates to rarity etc… 
but… this is not the case…
Mary has a good point about getting to know people’s work.
We have a new museum of urban and street art opened nearby - which is not a style of work that I am naturally drawn to. However we went along and had a great guided tour. The women was able to explain the works, and the techniques, and some of the philosophy in a very engaging way. And show us the difference between artists who are getting good prices for their work, and those who are still developing. We had a great time!
So no I will never buy any for myself, but now when I see tags and other graffiti I do understand it better and can see the difference between good works and scrawled rubbish.
3 Likes
Yes I’m sure it’s that…lots of different colours that don’t seem to mix but sort of “roll” over each other depending on how you tip the canvas…you can almost tell what mood she was in with each one…x
Which kind of makes sense…that thought…consciousness creates…
What do you think to the Turner prize at the Tate…??? x
Dear Helen,
I am not sure what you mean. I gave a rather thoughtful kind of response, and so I am thinking that perhaps your question in reply is a bit cryptic. I’m confused as to what/how to respond constructively.
Please elaborate/clarify. What is the Turner Prize, what is it in relation to this topic “What Price For a Painting,” and what is your opinion, please… And, of course, thanks!
1 Like