What is affordable art?

Having been an artist for over 30 years, I get questions about what artwork should cost regularly. It’s a tricky question, because the word ‘affordable’ means something different to everyone.

Anyone who has looked at original, high-quality pieces to display in their home will tell you that prices can vary greatly and the cost isn’t always quantifiable. Further, what’s affordable to one person might not be to someone else.

However, when you’re shopping around for a piece, you want to have an idea of your budget and your expectations.

So, what in the world is affordable art?

There are several art fairs around the world, and one super big one in New York City every year. The fair features hand picked national and international artists that will showcase original work for sale.

To give you an example of the wide variety of what you can expect from costs, the works range from $100 to $10,000. That's a big gap!

So there you go- “affordable” art is a relative term. While $100 might be too much for a beginner collector, $10,000 is too cheap to some seasoned collectors.

And of course, the term “affordable” has different meanings to different people when you talk about it in different contexts, like housing, clothing, cars, etc.

Long ago when I showed and only sold my artwork through galleries, (who added 50% to all artists prices and still do by the way) the cost of my paintings rose higher and higher each year, sometimes upwards of $20,000.

I thought, “Only 1% of the population can have a piece of my work. What about the other 99%?”

That’s when I made a huge change in my business. I pulled out of all the galleries, reduced my prices to below the cost I was receiving from the galleries so I could sell my work for a more “affordable” price. This was what made me feel best. Was I losing money? Not too much, but more importantly I knew this was the right decision for me.

I have to feel good about the price I put on my work. I don’t agree with many artists who say if you price too low you’re not valuing yourself.

I feel as valued selling my work for a more affordable price as I did when it was triple my costs now.

The look and excitement I see on my collectors faces when they want to purchase something from me and think it’s a great deal….

Well, that’s priceless.

* Click HERE to learn about the Art with Adele Academy.

* Click HERE to get my FREE minicourse, “Kickstart Your Abstract Painting.”