40.00 Signage

If you were to measure everything in money terms when it comes to your art work then this sign when done would cost 40.00 [4 hours @10.00/hr].

It's two by three feet on brown kraft paper & painted with acrylics. [Yes. i do see that bare spot in the foot of the "a". And as this goes to post it has been corrected.] Hand mixed color and aa double loaded brush. Any high school kid with tempera paint ahead of a homecoming event could do the same thing.

So as a professional artist would you charge 40.00 for such a thing just because you are an artist? No. And if you think like everyone else who is not an artist, or who likes to capitalize on art itself, the question then becomes what is the point?

Our Executive Housekeeper took maternity leave and got a sign. Her reaction was priceless... according to the photos. I wasn't there for the reveal. But that was back in December and it is still in her office. We all wanted to tell her how much we missed her. Did I miss her enough to merit 40.00? You bet. Did I have anything to buy her a gift with? No.

Our Maintenance Man [MM] has been off for surgery. Is he worth 40.00? I sure do miss him being around as he is a sympathetic lot & shares some of my daily frustrations. And he's not the kind of guy you give gifts without making him really uncomfortable. But the look on his face when he sees everyone has signed it will be priceless.

I have always taken issue with those who think you shouldn't do anything if you don't get something out of it. I might not get any money from this. But I do get other things: for one more practice at mixing paint, composing signage and manipulating letterforms and, I get more confidence in presenting art work. I can crank it out for myself. But I still an not good with presenting it. Of course I won't be there when he sees his sign. But I will see how everyone else reacts to it when they sign.

And in that sense it is worth far more than 40.00.

In another sense it is priceless. This one was a collaboration... with the cat. Yep. The second I unrolled the kraft paper she was all over the table. With a few periodic strolls across the paint she did manage to step in a wet spot. Which meant a dip in the water to get the paint off her toes before she decided to clean herself. Not a happy kitty. And when she got banished to the windowsill for sticking her nose in the chocolate brown she was not happy either. I didn't think that I was gonna keep her out of the paints, or the brushes, or paper towel. So I started calling her Picaso.

I think I like that better than Precious.
It is at least more accurate.