How I Price My Work

"The formula stays. The confidence is a work in progress."

How I Price My Work

I price my paintings using a formula: materials plus an hourly rate based on the medium, with a small addition for commissioned work.

Acrylics I price at $45 an hour. Watercolour at $25 because I'm still developing in that medium and I don't think it's fair to charge for learning time I'm still accumulating. Studies and demo pieces get minimum wage because that's honest about what they are.

On paper this is clean and logical. In practice I've been consistently pricing below what the formula produces, particularly in watercolour, and particularly for pieces with travel provenance or exhibition history. A painting made in Florence during a study session at the Accademia del Giglio gets listed at the same price as a kitchen table study because my confidence in the medium doesn't match the quality of the work.

Winter Tree sold for more than I listed it. Without negotiation. The market corrected me.

The honest version of my pricing problem is that confidence is doing as much work as the formula. When I'm certain about a piece I price it accordingly. When I'm uncertain about the medium, about whether online buyers will understand the value, about whether I'm worth what I'm asking, the price drops to match the doubt.

I'm working on it. I've started tracking every sale in a spreadsheet, medium, size, listed price, sold price, where it sold, how long it took. In six months I'll have data instead of feelings. Data I can work with.

Until then the formula stays. The confidence is a work in progress.

Jackie