Cat in a Lavender garden - 8 x 10 painting - Trying out Ebay

I have a some dog portrait commissions in the works (yay) and am busy getting ready to show my other pieces in real life.  I painted this gray cat in acrylics and added the lavender garden in the background.  So I call this "Lavender".

I just put him up to bid on ebay.  I used to sell my tiny 2.5"x3.5" aceos there and did really well.  I sold some for over $60, which I was really pleased with.  But I let that go when I had to go back to work 3 years ago and now my "following" is all gone! 

So, I'm starting from scratch and that means starting wayyy low.   I am trying to have a piece for art for sale every day there, avoiding the days I'll be showing this in public.  So if he doesn't sell, I have another piece to bring with me.

I'm going to try the Golden Nugget Antiques Flea Market in Lamberton, NJ, across the Delaware River from New Hope.  I hear there's lots of nice art for sale there and I'm hoping to check that out next week.

Meanwhile, I see lots of "daily painters" and others on ebay whose work is quite good.  Not my subject matter, I personally wouldn't buy a painting of a donut or a cup of coffee, but I've seen pieces like that end up selling in 3 figures!  So, I think I'm in good company if I keep my head down and work and get enough pieces so I don't fall off the map again!  It's hard today, the weather here is approaching 70, I'm in shorts and a tshirt and planting peas in between everything else! 

If you'd like, you can see art on ebay, my art listings can always be searched by typing rzzart.  Or you can just go click that blue link!  Thanks for stopping by and sharing part of your day with me.  You know I Robinlove comments, and would love to see you become a follower here and a fan on my facebook page. 

Cat Portrait or Cat Painting... Yours and Mine or Mine and Yours?

This cat painting is my latest piece, 6" x 6", in acylics on a fat, gallery wraped canvas.  Could be a portrait, but it's not...it's not a commission.

This year will be different from all of my other years as an artist; this year will be the one where I sell "live and in person" at shows and so I am painting what I like and hoping to find someone who likes it as much as I do!

This is so different from relying on commissions, only.  Before I start a cat or dog commission, it's been sold and the client has had as much input into the decisions surrounding it as they want.  I KNOW they will love it because it stars their pet or kid.

Art like this?  A little on the scary side!

But it's very rewarding, too.  There's something about just reaching deep inside myself and pulling out what I want, what I like, what I hope to accomplish that's exhilerating...sink or swim!

My gut feeling is that there is an "audience" for this type of work from me, but that means putting on my salesgirl cap and finding them.  It is a total reversal of "ownership" from commissions.  I feel like commissions are yours, then mine, then back to you.  With painting on the hope of selling, it's mine and it's yours. Hopefully.  So a key comfort zone portion is gone.

I think, though, that growth is so totally necessary for artists.  I have seen the by-products of artists who never take a chance, who are painting or drawing exactly the same way they did 15 or 20 years ago because it worked for them then.  They can't see the staleness and lack of verve in the art itself and blame the economy or other artists charging less than they do or Chinese copyists or too much competition or something outside themselves.  I don't want to fall into that trap.  I truly believe there's a home for art that's exciting and fresh and comes from the heart and YES, takes a bit of a chance.  You'll notice this isn't my usual medium, it's acrylics on canvas.  And I don't know about you, but I LOVE THIS!!!  Robin

My Commission Dog, Cat, Pet Portrait Site is http://robinzebley/
This piece and others like it are in my shop at Etsy or by contacting me.
My up to the minute Facebook Page is http://facebook.com/artistrobinzebley

I welcome your comments!!