Miscellaneous ramblings of NarcKiddo

[NarcKiddo]

Health has been a bit tiresome again. I would change the record if I could, honestly! Had a Hep B vaccination and have been having what I think are side effects. Getting to have this wretched jab has been a saga I won't bore you with but I ended up having to go to a far away hospital for it because jerk GP's surgery refused to administer it. I rang hospital nurse about the side effects and she suggested getting a blood test just to be sure my liver is not acting out. But I refused to go all the way to the hospital for that so she said to try jerk GP. Hah. Not doing that. Well, I did actually try to ring but lost the will to wait for an answer. It's getting better slowly. Unfortunately I have to have a second dose just after Christmas. At least that will tell me for sure if what I have now are/were side effects, since I will be in for another lot of horrid days if so.

I had a rather amazing experience at art class today. I had done some unbidden homework and was showing the teacher. She asked what I was going to do with the pic so I said "I don't know. Just put it in my folder, I guess." Then she said she wanted to buy it and asked me to name my price!!! She said this in public in the classroom and she does not go round saying it to everyone. It's a great honour. Of course I did not know what to do or think!

I was so obviously taken aback she told me to go away and think about it. Said if I did not want to sell the original but was prepared to make prints she would buy one of those. She clearly likes the picture. It's of a very menacing looking raven and she said her sitting room is full of bird pics and ornaments.

So I had a rather agonising few hours trying to come up with a price. My first instinct was to come up with a price that was crazy cheap. I told my husband about it (not about my price figure) and he started coming up with all sorts of ideas like asking for free art lessons. All very well but I had not asked for his help. And his idea of price was stratospherically higher than mine.

I did some research on the likes of Etsy for things that are vaguely comparable and in the end came up with what I think is a fair sum. Very much on the low side but not the cheapest out there. Well, it would equate to half an hour of my lawyer time and I spent ten hours on the picture. But I am a qualified lawyer who has been practising for decades and a rookie artist who has been taking lessons for a year.

Anyway, I told her my rock bottom price and said no hard feelings if it was over her budget. She bit my arm off so I am probably too low but I may ask her later what price I should have asked! She said I should make prints to sell and will help me with how to do that if I agree.

I don't know how to feel about it. Selling a picture makes me, in theory, a professional artist. I never went into it for that and I may never sell anything again. It's really weird. I almost don't want to sell the picture now. I can't quite imagine having my art on somebody else's wall because they liked it enough to pay for it. As a child it hardly made it as far as the fridge door. And as a teen my mother pronounced my pictures to be daubs and questioned why the art master had given them decent grades. So there's that.

I was reluctant even to write about it here. That usually means it is a good idea to override my discomfort and do so.

[Blueberry]

I'm sorry about your ongoing health problems and jerkGP.

Wow on the painting tho and being asked to sell it or get prints and sell them!

[Armee]

 

Take the leap dear and definitely sell it to her! Exposure and all that. So strange isnt it that getting praise and recognition feels so horrid to us all.

And yes! Ask what price you should have asked after you do. That would be interesting to know.


I'd love to see it if you are comfortable attaching it. I'm glad you mentioned it here. 

Wow the side effects even mentioned vaguely sound horrid

[AphoticAtramentous]

Hey NarcKiddo, it's nice that your teacher loved your art so much! What an honour indeed! And the piece sounds very intriguing to me.
Sorry to hear about your health issues though.

Regards,
Aphotic.

[NarcKiddo]

Here he is.

[Kizzie]

Wow NK, that IS really good!  Maybe give yourself some time to settle and get over the apprehension, then let yourself feel good about doing so well (despite what your NM would say - piffle to her).

It's a lovely win so when you're able, please give yourself the gift of letting yourself feel proud

[Bach]

I love him!  You are so talented 

[Little2Nothing]

Excellent drawing. 

[Armee]

I love him too! To me, He's like this fierce protector. Like a tough guardian angel. Stunning.

[sanmagic7]

all of the above, NK.  what a wonderful piece.  you are very talented!  love and hugs

[StartingHealing]

Hi NK.

Congrats! 

I know right?  Having something that you have created being desired by someone else.  It's wicked cool isn't it?    When it happens it's so counter to the messaging from the person in role of mother that it's down right uncomfortable and with me, it's also a little scary.   

Enjoy it and who knows?  Perhaps one day that could be your thing to do at some point in the future.

Wishing you all the best 

[Phoebes]

Narckiddo! Wow! That is fantastic! How fun that you take an art class with other people too.

 I'm glad your teacher validated your work and I can certainly see why she wanted it, or a print. I guess your teacher also taught how hard it is to name a price..so many factors, and then it's hard for "us" to do that sort of thing, too.

[AphoticAtramentous]

Hey NarcKiddo, I adore this piece! I absolutely love how you use so many different shades to create a sense of space and shape. Thanks for sharing!

Regards,
Aphotic.

[NarcKiddo]

Thank you, everyone. 

I had a family lunch with FOO at the weekend.

I drew my own Christmas card this year and had it printed in a fit of bravery. I paid quite a lot for the printing and had my name and the year printed on the back - so I had to send them or waste the money if I chickened out. Argh. They have now been sent and I have had some nice comments. FOO commented politely on receipt and asked a bit about my art classes at the lunch. So far so squirm-inducing, but tolerable. My husband mentioned the sale of my picture. There were some polite comments about that and they asked if I had a photo of it to show. I did, but we were in the middle of eating so I said I would show later and then waited to see if they would ask again. They did not.

Little NK became very insistent I show the photo so I sent a message the next day with it. The response was very underwhelming. Eventually my sister said the general view was that it looks very fierce. I think Little NK was truly expecting the kind of response I have had from you all on this thread. Hah. Silly Little NK. I mean that very fondly and adult NK saw her through it just fine.

A couple of days later my mother paid a faint compliment. I think she felt obliged to say something because she was at the same time disinviting us from a holiday meal and didn't want me to get too cross. Hah. You couldn't make it up.

Anyway, Little NK is very happy that you all liked it. And Adult NK is happy to be disinvited from the meal. So it's all good.

[Phoebes]

NK, I love how you are thinking about this..and that you sent out the card prints! That was brave, and also a wonderful gift for your family to have a piece of their talented relative's artwork! I'm sure enjoying creativity and what that's like isn't on their radar..just judgement of others, if they're anything like mine! I gave my mother my original artwork for years and she barely commented, sometimes giving a sideways grimace. She can't appreciate originality. What will everyone else think!? Will they approve?

I had a similar experience once about making a card- our extended family was going to all be together for Christmas, and I made a printmaking linoleum block for it, and made prints for everyone as a card/gift. About 30 people. Not a single person commented on it.

I'm just glad you did this, and I imagine it is more appreciated than was expressed by many. I think it's super cool!!