Business Relationships...

Business Relationships...

Experience is something you get after you need it.

Once again, it's about communication...

Something as important as delayed payment for multiple sales by an artist should not have to be explained away by their rep for whatever reason.

No, but it happened. After a proper amount of time, I requested an accounting and got an anxious, apologetic and quick response. Shouldn't have to be that way.

The check was, indeed, put in the mail right away, after I'd brought it up... and it's a handsome five figure beauty complete with details. But the excitement is tainted because it wasn't spontaneous, it had to be beaconed. Why?

I'm delighted with the sales, with the gallery for making the collector connections, with their apologies and reassurances, but it shouldn't be this way. Unfortunately... all too often... it is... and worse.

My 30+ year career has seen many gallery associations come and go for various reasons. You often don't know what kind of relationship you're in until you're up to your kazoo. Some have closed shop and crept out of town leaving your work to the creditors (okay, that only happened once and I was a novice.) Several others operated on little or no margin, always a hairy situation. But I really think and certainly hope that this really was an exceptional situation... we've had several years together and from positive past experience I think it will be okay. I sure hope so... that's a fine check!

Money...
A large part of my art earnings is set aside for college scholarships for my g-kids... all nine of them which includes three step g-kids. Only one is actually in college at this time, but in a few years there will be a bunch that I will be assisting, should they accept my challenge... and I suspect they will. Keeping that fund padded keeps me painting when I begin to wonder why. It's a pretty good motivator for me... and I hope for the kids as well!