Is DD’s art work good enough to sell.

[themotherhoodproject]

NC for this as a regular user of MN and this is fairly outing but looking for peoples unbiased opinions.

DD is an A level Art student, it’s actually not where her love lies she is hoping to apply for BIMM’s university In Bristol to peruse music and she also does performing arts.

However she is very talented in her painting and blows me away weekly with her work, we have had a few extra special things from her (some of you might remember the snowman Christmas card, it seemed very popular) and lots of people on here saying that they would buy if able too.

Another few months have gone by and we just had another cracker of a card from her (a thank you card for a friend) and well I just think it’s wonderful and have said she should really think about taking on commissions.

We live in a very rural area so lots of horse and dog lovers and I honestly think she could make a bit of pocket money to put away for uni life or fritter away on gigs noodles and vinyl

Can I ask what people think, she is only a year into A level art and will have lots more of technique to learn but maybe £15 a painting she might have some takers?

Yes would pay £15 to support a friend's daughter or friend but would not buy from a stranger as looks a bit flat

I've just remembered that I have 2 sketches that were being sold by a teenager to support a local wildlife rescue. They were pretty good for a teenager and I paid £20 each. It was a gamble. Worst case scenario I'd donated £40 to a good cause. Best case scenario in 20 years time I'd have an early work of a famous artist. Your daughter is good enough that I would possibly gamble on this piece for £30/£40.

@SpidersAreShitheads - I'm interested in the hoops you need to jump through legally when selling or taking commissions, could you point me in the right direction for info? Ta

The only ones I can think of are that you must ensure that either you the artist, or the client comissioning the art, owns the copyright to the images. Many people will try to use professional photos, but these are for personal use, giving them to an artist to copy isn't legal and the photographer can take legal action. This tends to come up when artists use said photos and pics of their derivative work in online portfolios, and then the shit hits the fan as it were.

Otherwise its simple business management making sure people get what they've paid for, same as any other service really!

I will say that racking up a long (ten is pretty long if its taking 6 hours each!) list of commissions at dirt cheap prices is a fast track to kiddo getting absolutely fed up of it, particularly when one or two get stroppy or expect Munnings level work from blurry old photos of photos!

I have a feeling that quite a few of them are parents to teens who lock themselves in their bedrooms with their phones, unlike OP’s daughter who is busy painting, performing and perfecting those skills.

I will say that racking up a long (ten is pretty long if it's taking 6 hours each!) list of commissions at dirt cheap prices is a fast track to kiddo getting absolutely fed up of it, particularly when one or two get stroppy or expect Munnings level work from blurry old photos of photos!

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. And pretty sure she'll be a lot faster by the 10th one than she was on the 1st one.

Lots of things to be learnt for sure. And mostly great life lessons about enterprise and comittment.

As well hard work equals cash.

@WiddlinDiddlin I forgot to say - that's a lovely image of a bird that you posted.

Yes I missed the part-time waitressing job earlier. Lots of replies! Sorry. But I do hope she is charging more.

@sunglassesonthetable thanks! Yes, true enough, this will tell her if she wants to do this more seriously or not thats for sure!

10 offers is impressive

BUT if anything like my 16 year old, this will be a somewhat daunting prospect

She is studying for Alevels

She has a part time waitressing job

Each painting takes 6 hours (but that was when she wasn’t selling them, guaranteed she will spend much more than 6 hours when selling)

Oh and she’s 16 and presumably has a social life and hobbies and sports and chill time to factor in!

So in the immediate term Op, I think you need to explain to her the importance of being absolutely upfront with clients from the get go that there is a long lead time

Finally… factor in materials plus the minimum 6 hours…. I think she might just get a little resentful of all the work involved for such little money… so brace yourself for some perhaps stressy teen behaviour from her!

Thank you for your unasked advice.

I think we might just be ok though.

oh ok

i thought it was sensible

ii think my twin teens (similar age) would also struggle with this commitment because life so full for them!(happily)

Do you want to foster creativity or have her banging out stuff to order, which she may not have an intrinsic interest in, but provides the means of making a few pennies?

Blimey she's just doing a bit of painting for pocket money while she's at college!

Do you want to foster creativity or have her banging out stuff to order, which she may not have an intrinsic interest in, but provides the means of making a few pennies?m

Tbh it's all in the OP.

You'd think she was working an assembly line 😅

I do agree she will probably tire of it though. 6h x 10 for £15 apiece is a bit draining. If she were younger I'd probably advise her to raise prices or scale down on the number of orders but she's a teen and it will be fun for her to give it a go, tire of it, and collect a nice life experience as teens do.

Yes this is an assembly line. It is for OP's DD to determine what she wants to do with her spare time/how she makes her cash, and respect to her for being enterprising, but those of us who do paint may be hoping factory conditions don't put her off her own work.

@CasadeCoca whilst i think “factory conditions” is daft hyperbole, I do agree that i suspect she will come to be anxious / bored of doing 10 commissions whilst also balancing alevels, waitressing and… being 16!

All depends when these commissions are due, no?

OP sounds across it.

Yeah, it's still not an assembly line, sorry. Also not factory conditions. You're hilarious

Is anything creative like painting part of you and your life?

Yes. If you were an actual creative forced to work a real assembly line in a real factory, come back and tell me what you think 😂

Guessing not a fine artist?