Moving my art gallery and showrooms
My art gallery is on the move: paintings are traveling to Ajax soon. There are numerous paintings, endless sheets of drawings, sketches, frames, framed and unframed paintings of all sizes.. Due to that, I am offering nice deals on my art at the moment. While I can give discounts to art that is purchased online, the expensive Canadian shipping services make it difficult. The winners are definitely art lovers and art collectors who can come to the gallery in person before the moving date. That is the end of July or close to it. I would like to have a well-organized move. You could help me move, you certainly could by purchasing some art.
Selling my art: getting people to see it
Due to oversupply which is based on art print sales, it is very tricky to make people aware that this is original art and you can touch and feel the brushstrokes and textures. You can feel the energy literally floating around the place. Original art of good quality actually sells quite well, especially in person, especially when price point is intentionally made very attractive. When people get to see it, many love my art and are very willing to spend their money for something that beautiful. My problem has always been to get people in here. The location is fine; however, it is a corner lot. Parking becomes confusing, and there is practically no foot traffic.
Good original art sells
I sold 5 paintings before the surgery. Well, way too less to make this gallery move lighter, but it’s still great. I work passionately and methodically completing a painting. I have paintings which took me more than a year to bring to a condition which I was satisfied with. Watercolors can take up to 3 or 4 weeks, full sheet watercolors. I have been painting mostly large and medium size art. If I could, I would only paint large and very large art because that gives me so much more freedom. I am naturally interested in large-scale paintings. Even when I started out as a kid, my drawings and paintings were large. In average, every acrylic painting has taken me between 2 weeks and a month, and for watercolors that would be 2-3 weeks.
Value and uniqueness
Lucky artists who get remunerated for their input in creation of art! Taking into account the numerous hours which go into my paintings, the selling price is a tiny fraction of the art value. Watercolors are very difficult to repeat, if at all possible, therefore, each painting is genuinely unique. Acrylic is a very slow medium. It takes layers and layers to take the painting where I want it to go. I will not sell sketches and drawings, I will use them on the learning page of my website which is getting developed.
Website’s facelift and new learning page
I intend to restructure and reorganize completely my website; however, it will have to wait for a while with all the intense packing and unpacking. Sooner or later, there will be videos available too, but the current hectic situation does not allow for that. That is the future: presentations, traceable drawings, video suggestions, and I will link this with a Facebook community page where everybody who wants to try the particular subject will be able to post their creations and ask questions. Live classes will also take place at the new location; however, the number of participants will be limited.
I will still have plants and garden
Plants will come with me, and I have a great deal of them. I intend to dig out my herbs and peonies, irises and similar, the small lilac I planted last year and even lily of the valley. This place is a very amazing one: I have numerous plant species all around. I will really miss some of them, especially apple tree.
Enjoy the gallery, share blog link or pictures if you can
These are the recent images of my art gallery. A few walls and a few displays are visible. These are mostly acrylic paintings, watercolors did not make into this photo session. It feels a bit sad because I had a great art gallery here. It is not easy to find buildings which suit this purpose. Well, just keep in touch! Much more to come!
My iPhone takes quite dark pictures, although, I have adjusted settings. The light was not perfect, as well. I find that iPhone tries to totally dramatize any picture, so regarding a painting, it becomes very sharp and it lacks the value balance which is present in my real art. While I’m not 100% happy with these pictures, I would love you to still enjoy them. I believe it is an excellent gallery. Well, my art will be displayed online for the most part in the future, but I will arrange a showroom.
More art Originals
Copyright notice: Copyrights of displayed paintings, drawings, images of work in progress and images of finished paintings belong to artist Inese Poga. The use of painting and drawing images is prohibited if I have not issued a written permission.
Art products and art prints:
Such a wonderful gallery handsomely displayed!Can’t wait to behold more.
Well, yes, enjoy while you can! Unfortunately, the landlord has a terminal illness and he is selling all his properties to a developer.
It was unexpected, but I have to move this out and find a new place. I have to move everything.
It is very difficult to find anything suitable. I will try to have the classroom, but I won’t have a gallery, that will move to just online display. I regret that because photos do not show the true artwork.
Thanks for your kind comment!
A big inconvenience,I am afraid.Nevertheless,I am sure you’ll find the right space again.Best of luck with everything,Inese.
It certainly is. We got this place 10 years ago and it was long-term lease. It is commercially zoned, and that’s why I could have a gallery. The space is quite large. The cheapest lease of commercially zoned large space is about 50 thousand a year. I checked a lot. That is completely out of reach. 50 thousand is just lease, then there are all utilities, etc. Therefore, gallery will be closed, and I will try to have just an online display. I hope to still be able to have a classroom, but that will greatly depend on the rent price and the size of the other place. I obviously have not found it yet since I just had a surgery. Well, prices in Canada are absurdly high, much higher than in the States, for instance. We will live somewhere, but that is the end of the brick and mortar gallery. Financial pressure is huge, and I still would need to sell some things more. I practically gave away 5 paintings before the surgery, they were completely underpriced, did not cover even material cost. Times are tough, and I have no choice. It is sad because I spend minimum 2 weeks at each painting, sometimes month and more. All I get for that is some 100 bucks which hardly buy anything here. 1 dinner at home comes to about 50 bucks, 1 tube of Liquitex paint (it’s just 59 ml) is between 14 and 25 dollars. I use about 10 of them on a painting, I use a lot of paint, I will have to switch to only watercolors or whatever, this is getting out of hand. Well, recovery is taking time, and I hope to be doing better soon. That includes the medical writing which actually gives me some income. Art contributes very little to covering living expenses. It isn’t that simple as one might think to manage everything at the same time.
So, yes, one more gallery will be gone soon. However, most people who bothered with looking at the actual post any way see it online.
You know what hurts most? It is that most bloggers do not read anything, they only see post in Reader, click on like to get liked back, and that is it. It is rare when somebody knows that I have a blog and a website. Therefore, I am grateful for people like you who write interesting articles, read articles written by fellow bloggers, comment and share their opinions. Thanks for that!
Wishing you lots of great support as you go through the transitions! 🍀
Thank you! It hasn’t been easy. I do not seem to be getting back on track after the surgery, although, everything seems to be ok, I’m just a bit lost in face of all this going on at the same time. I hope the fall will be much more relaxed and I will have way more peace of mind. Summer was always the season I so much waited for, and I am wasting it completely this year.
Thanks for good wishes!
So glad your surgery went well. Wishing you a speedy and full recovery before your impending move. What a lot is changing for you this year and what a lot of art you have accomplished!
Thank you! It feels that the recovery might be complete this time. What a relief that would be after 5 years of struggles! Unbelievable, yes, so many changes. I still need to sell some art, actually a lot more art because it is going to be very complicated with all these paintings. That is only some small part on these photos, there are so many more. I have spent 8 years painting all this. Hopefully, I can get somebody in to look at it. Well, I have been very slow and not active recently. I should become more efficient after some time. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your nice comment!
Beautiful!!
Thank you! I appreciate comment and stopping by!
Thanks Ria!
Your talent is phenomenal Inese! Hope your troubles are behind you now with healthy and complete healing ahead. A move seems like a mammoth job! I would love to drop by if we’re ever in Whitby. 🙂
❤️carmen
Thanks Carmen! I hope so, too, but who knows. It is such a matter that it always depends on many things. A move is terrible right now. I’m not even talking about the move itself. It is all the endless papers we needed to send over for a while, it is also extra difficult to find any new suitable place. Most places have no privacy, no backyard or they are in the middle of nowhere. That is not something I wish anybody would have to do during the summer. If you are in Whitby before July 20, you are very welcome to stop by! Even when the open sigh is off, I am most likely there, just packing up things.
Thanks for your nice comment!
I’ve been inactive lately blogging…. but am so glad that your surgery seems to have gone well.. or at least much better than last time. When you move will it be in a location that will benefit you with selling your paintings?
I look forward to your endeavour with videos etc. Diane
Thanks Diane! I was just thinking about you the other day, and I got busy and did not follow up on my thoughts.
The surgery seems to be ok, I am seeing the surgeon tomorrow. I don’t know, maybe some more work will be needed in late fall, it is hard to say.
The other place won’t give me a chance to have a gallery and that big space, so, unfortunately, it is going to be mostly online.
I will try to make one more sale before it is all packed up.
When paintings are out of sight and in boxes or big folders, nobody gets to see them. I have large watercolors, full sheet, and even I haven’t seen them for maybe 5 years.
I tried a little bit of videos, but I start to think it’s not a good idea until I have decent lights and better equipment.
My paintings also take me quite a few weeks to accomplish, so, it would be very hard to record something like that.
We will see how it goes.
Moving is no pleasure, it is terribly hot in this place, no central air, nothing to breathe in the afternoon and night, so far, the weather isn’t cooperating.
I will be out of here at the end of July and then I will spend August with my mom in Latvia.
I am sorry I have not visited your blog, too, but I certainly hope you are feeling better!
I know previously it was brought up about trying to put a few of your paintings in a consignment location… maybe you could really pursue finding a place even if it’s not local… Perhaps you’ve already done this…. Also if online isn’t that productive would it be worth it (I know you don’t have a lot of funds to possibly do this but) to make a small colour brochure and have some made up and deliver to homes within a certain area around you…. I have no idea of cost though so sorry if these are not helpful suggestions…
Anyway, hope your move goes well and you enjoy your trip home! (Diane)
These are all excellent suggestions!
We were in big trouble finding a new place, it is literally a total rip-off. Well, I start to think that after packing all items I won’t be unpacking them all because it might be so that we will have to move next year around this time again. It’s no pleasure. We lost a lot of money with one deposit which was done way too prematurely, and currently I haven’t been making any money for at least 6 months. Husband worked through all days off from 6 am to about 8 pm, all alone since I could not help much. I will go to Latvia in August, up to September 7. My mom is getting very old and complains about feeling not that well. She has heart valve issues, so, I basically had no choice I have to go and meet her. She is 88 this year. I will stay with her, nothing much else, it is a small town with nothing happening there. Everybody goes to the capital city Riga if they want to do something in Latvia.
So, it is a very complicated time right now. I have intended to pack everything within 2 weeks, in the second half of July. I need to sew something for me to wear in Latvia. I don’t know how I will do this, but as soon as I am in the new place, I leave for Latvia. I will have to deal with many things in September when I am back.
Oh, and this heat is a total killer, I don’t think I have slept even one night since it started. It’s so hot here at night while during the day is ok, and in the morning is good.
Apologies for the lateness on this, but, sounds like quite the overhaul and intense moving is happening! That’s a lot of stuff! Hope it’s going well and the recovery is too?
The paintings look fantastic regardless of the ‘darkness’ of the lighting!
By the way, have you considered stopping by some local tea shops, cafes, galleries, etc and ask if they are willing to display your work? Some might even buy them off you, or if you’re lucky enough, some of their customers might be interested in your work. My partner and I went to a little cafe in Toronto a month or so ago and they hung local artist’s work, and we asked about it, and they said that they, as well as others who might, display and sell the work (with small loyalties of course)
Durham Region can be tricky with this, I know it’s full of art and culture but sometimes the interest just isn’t there or there’s so many people that ‘come and by’ just touring, which is still okay! There’s still galleries and cafes!
Hi Kate! Thanks, no problem. Recovery is slow, back on meds, and surgeon did a small adjustment a few days ago. That’s still ok. Moving will be 3 weeks from today. Toronto is much better for selling and even giving classes. Nobody literally walks in here if they have not made an appointment online. People who simply walk along this street for some unknown reason don’t feel like they could just walk in and check it out. I have sign everywhere, but it does not have a large display window, etc.
I am not sure yet what will be in the new place, I have only seen it once and it is pretty clear I won’t have the space to hang art like I have it here.
Well, that leaves mostly online which is painful because no art on a photo looks as impressive as in reality.
I do not also get why Iphone sort of does not recognize colors, it absolutely skips yellow and makes everything very intense and strong. I adjusted whatever I could (there is very little one can adjust with Iphone camera compared to real camera), but photos still come out in wrong colors which are almost impossible to edit with photo editing software. Videos are not coming out good. I bought a phone holder for such purpose, just wasted money because it really does not work. I am alone, so, I don’t have much choice.
I will see whether I can establish some contacts in the new place. It did not go that well here in Whitby. They have coffee shops and so. I offered to a lot of places to hang art, but they either did not follow up or told they already had artists that put works at their places. In the fall, I will be back from Europe and then I will see how it goes. I am longing so much for Europe because the attitude was soooo much better and nicer. I have to see my mom, she is 88 this year. We won’t do much, just stay in a small town at home, but still.
Sorry things sound so rough. It’s really tough times out there. I’ve read off and on earlier of your comments to previous repliers and all this sounds frustrating. Try to keep your head up and stand tall. If I may ask, where are you moving to? Is it closer to Toronto? I do agree that it’s more of a proper ‘hub’ for artsy stuff. Durham pretends to be open minded to art but .. I don’t get that sense.
Europe sounds lovely for arts and such! At least, it used to be. never been but I hope to someday. Maybe going there you’ll get a refreshed mind and get back some focus here. Maybe you’ll never want to come back :O who knows what it beholds. Hopefully you can recover quick and have ease from all this stress.
Are you able to return the phone holder? I’m not entirely sure what it is that you speak of. But I do find it odd that the colours are weird… I think it’s the way some cameras are collaborated. Kind of like how printers print different colors then what it appears though that’s a technical part of the machine and the channels, the cameras i think has to do with the screen resolutions or something. Honestly I’ve used my phone camera and haven’t had issues (got a samsung here). Maybe it’s an iphone thing?
I wish I came to visit sooner, I’ve been fighting some stuff here and it’s been a silly time too. I can drop by next week, I;m curious to see your stuff in person. I am indeed close, like, Oshawa close. I did not even realise how close you were until earlier this year and then I got caught up with other stuff I felt like my brain was ready to explode. I don’t think I can make all four of your water color classes but am willing to do one, wednesday or thursday. is it all in sequence?
Thanks Kate! Oh, Oshawa is like really close, I had no idea you were so close. Certainly come to some classes. Well, it is supposed to be separate works, but it always depends on group. We sometimes think it going to take only one day, and then somebody is very slow or vice versa: very fast, and it all changes. The best would be 2 classes either Monday and Tuesday or Wednesday and Thursday. That way you will have at least one artwork which will get you going with similar ones.
I did not intend to return the phone holder. You are supposed to attach it to the side of a desk or table and that way it is believed one can record the painting process. The long cord type of thing is so rigid that I have to break out moy arms to get it somewhere where I want it to. Also, the holder itself is such that I have hard times placing the phone there, it either falls out or gives shadow. basically, it’s made in China, does pretty much nothing because the height is just too small, but one certainly cannot see this online. I do not buy things online. There is always something wrong with them.
I have Iphone 8. Most likely the X-s are better, but I don’t want to reinstall everything again, such a hassle with all settings and passwords, etc. I think it is the Iphone camera that does too much of bringing out dark colors. They have filters which totally damage the image of a painting. It also acts a lot on its own, and I sometimes do not notice what exactly it has applied. Well, this all is designed not for taking photos of paintings, but I do it because it is faster. I liked the Iphone 6 camera, it was taking way more natural pictures.
So, yes, if you know somebody else who would not mind attending watercolors (I supply paints), participant needs paper, pen and pencil, you can tell them to come, too. The total fee is $96 because paints are expensive, but I can do some discount.
Europe is more about doing things, less buying everything. Therefore, classes are always full, I used to have 30 people at once. I can hardly get 8 here. There are numerous classes, but quite frequently I hear that instructor could not or did not teach anything.
yeah I’m close, but can only drop by tomorrow and I’ll try on Thursday. I’ll be paying cash and at the door. I ended up baby sitting today and yesterday so I’m a little occupied even as I’m typing this! hopefully you see this message
sorry to hear of the phone stuff, sounds pretty cheap to me. silly tech stuff, you’d think they’d make it more simple. Sometimes I find phone photos not good either, sometimes better than cameras. seems to be a hit and miss these days.
These Iphones are abnormally expensive, I cannot remember, but since it is on a plan you pay all the way. It was something like $800 or something by that time which is quite a while ago. Apple also puts pressure on you to buy new phones because they want just sell and sell more. I liked the previous phone, I thought its camera was much better. Their goal is to please people who play games and make viral videos, artists are not who they try to please.
I will send you over some image so that you could nicely fit in. This group is somewhat slower. While you are baby sitting you could maybe still do something.
I just need here a small break right now.
You know the address, right?
Well, in order to send you a picture, I need you to first send me a note or whatever via Contact page, so, that I can respond directly to your e-mail
Didn’t get a chance to see this till now, for some reason my wordpress stopped giving me notifications so I have no idea when people or replying until I go to the actual site. I do agree with the phone thing, it’s a ridiculous circle scam.
I’ll send a contact form thing so you can send me the picture and I’ll take a look at it tonight. my baby sitting was only the morning/afternoon so my evenings are free-er
Ok, great!
Beautiful post
Thanks!