This is my little mermaid in progress - she is my very first OSWOA!



Hope to have her finished and listed this weekend!!

Dang I love your hands!! lol.. that is one thing I struggle with on mine... ok, so she is wonderful! I just have two questions! 1) did you finish her already and 2) what exactly IS oswoa?

OSWOA stands for Original Small Works Of Art - and like ACEOs and ATCs, they have a size restriction - they MUST be 4x6 inches in size.

So about as large as a postcard!

You can read more at the official website: http://oswoa.com

It's about double the size of an ACEO/ATC since they are only 2.5x3.5 inches.

I've been meaning to do some for like almost a year now lol, but then this past week, I was in Michael's looking for some hot press watercolor paper (which I never can find lol) and stumbled across a PAD of 4x6 140 lb watercolor paper and bought it on the spot.

I can't stand cutting so will put off cutting my paper for like ever if I can lol, pre-cut paper just takes all my excuses away LOL.

OKay so she is ALMOST done!!

Here she is with some color:

WOW!! She is lookin awesome!! Ok, now I understand the sizes... thanks... but... what keeps coming back to me... how long does it actually take you to do these? For me, I would figure several hours so how can you sell it to make a fair amount on it? Does it work out that way? Or do you sell copies... I just don't understand the marketing part... She is wonderful... its funny, her hair is the same way I do some of my oils! At least those that DO have hair!! lol I love that feel

I will likely list the original for around $40-$50, just because I like her and am not in a rush to see her leave me forever just yet. The ones that I *like* and do not mind keeping I tend to price higher, so that they stay around longer.

I mean once the original sells - it is GONE. No more scans, all you have left is what you got before it sold. You can't enter it into exhibitions or shows ... or have it framed as an original and used as a display in a booth as a centerpiece - it is gone. So I set my price at what it will take for it to leave my hands *forever* without me regretting it later.

If I have an emotional investment to the piece that will add to the price too. I'm not the type to lower my prices on the pieces I *really* care about or feel would have a really good impact for an exhibition or my real life portfolio in general.

But of this one, I will make prints of her and do merchandise with her image as well. She would do nicely for a mug or tshirt or notebook maybe.

I'm still working on building up interest in my work - so my stuff still sells fairly cheaply I think.

The more established artists sell for a LOT more ... like my price for an original painting would not be set at what say Jasmine Becket-Griffith sets her prices at, because she has a collector base and a fan base, and is FIRMLY established as an artist, and can realistically command the prices that she sells at.

I mean look at this current original painting she is offering for sale that is a koi mermaid:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120402657839

Granted it is LARGE - the painting is on a 48"x24" masonite panel, and framed it is about 54"x30" ... but you can bet your shorts if I was to paint something of equal size there is NO way I could expect it to sell at $3,500.00. I could hope, yeah but not expect. She however will find someone that would gladly pay that much for one of her original pieces.

Marketing is more finding ways to be able to sell an image to me, or finding places to display your work, so that you start to build interest. Interest means demand. Demand means the value to your work rises. Demand also means more of a chance that people will want to see your work in their home or office, everyday - art is a personal thing, and it really IS an honor that someone wishes your art to share in their lives and personal space. Least that's how I see it.

Okay now I'm rambling so I will shut up now. LOL

Okay she's all done now!



I'll be listing her tomorrow on eBay at 2pm Pacific time!

NO!! Not rambling, everything made perfect sense & I think I understand now... Tough getting rid of each piece because they ARE like our babies and the value we place on em emotionally... well... yep, it all makes sense now! Thanks
Oh! Did you list her then? How'd she do? Gonna go finish up in the forums and go hunt for her on my ebay favs to see.... Good luck on her!!

Yeah I listed her - but have a feeling she will wind up getting relisted and in the end - shunted off to Esty to sit for a while, LOL.

bummer.... things are just tight everywhere. I used to buy mermaid bookmarks by the aceo artists but haven't been able to buy anything for months!! ugh... gotta ease soon!! Until then, good luck sweets!!

I figure they will sell eventually ... someday whoever is supposed to own them will buy them! hehe!