I have a lot of picture frame moulding that has been collecting dust in my garage, mostly made in Mexico. Anyway, now that the weather is better, and the garage is no longer freezing cold, I decided that I want to make a bunch of frames and do some abstract acrylic paintings to go inside them, then sell them.
Yesterday, I went to the local art supply store to price out stretched canvas and acrylic paint. I've dabbled in painting before, but I've never sold anything. So last night I went on eBay to see what acrylic paintings were selling for. I've worked in a number of galleries doing custom framing, so I have some idea of retail pricing on some artwork, "real artwork", so-called.
Anyway, about a week ago, I had seen some artwork on eBay by an artist by the name of Leonid Afremov. I believe that's what his name was. I thought about buying some of his pieces and framing them up to sell, but I found a lot of comments suggesting his work wasn't as good as the pictures that were shown online. Many suggested that what they received were poor imitations of the artist's work. So I passed.
Now, let me get back to yesterday. I went back to eBay to research pricing for abstract acrylic or oil paintings. I was surprised to find so many amazing looking paintings in some relatively large sizes selling for $20 to $50. And you guessed it, they were coming from China. Many of them had free shipping.
As I thought about the whole matter, I recalled having purchased a 30" x 40" oil painting of a Mediterranean seascape about 10 years ago for $50 and free shipping. It had also come from China and the quality was excellent. I just pray there were no harmful chemicals in the paint. Who knows what is being used?
Well, I see no point in wasting time and money painting something of my own when I can get great looking pieces for less than it would cost me in materials. I may as well just buy from China. And before anybody starts preaching about American loyalty, first get rid of everything you own made in China, and everything with Chinese made components.
I must say though, I would feel terribly frustrated if I were an artist trying to make a living off my artwork. Given the quality of the work and the pricing, I don't see how others can compete. My daughter loves art, but she's still young. I won't discourage her if she wants to pursue art as a career. But I'll be putting a lot of thought into a back-up plan.