Art and money

I received a message from someone about a friend of theirs who was interested in the drawing above. Please remember, I am not picking on this person or making fun of them. This is a general comment I come across when selling artwork.

"For $155? Nah, I can't spend that money on it. Not that its not worth it, looks beautiful just alot of money."

This could be a quote from a great number of people who showed interest in my work . I, myself, am not in any position to pay that kind of money for artwork, but that price is a very low price for what I think it's worth. The reason I put that price for that piece is because I thought I was underpricing the drawing. When I'm selling original artwork on Ebay, I point out that the work is ORIGINAL. There will be no other like it. Reproductions are lesser versions of the original. So when I'm trying to sell an original piece, and it is a quality piece, I hope that people realize that it's something I spent time on and worked at. I didn't buy it and reselling it. I created it. It's frustrating when people expect artists to sell their work for very little. I sold a drawing, a decent drawing for $30 on Ebay. I had one bidder and the minimum bid was $30. I know, I should have placed a higher starting bid, but when people see a starting bid of $60 or more, they pass on it. But it's ORIGINAL ARTWORK! I gave a bidder who didn't get their bid in on time a chance to buy an original drawing and asked for $75. They wanted me to honor the Buy It Now price of $65. They couldn't even give up the $10. I accepted it, however, because I have to take it sometimes these days because people are not buying and I needed the money.

I don't know if this makes sense to anyone. I'm flustered. If you're buying original artwork, remember that you're not just buying a drawing on paper from the artist but the reputation of the artist. That artist might make a name for themselves or already have. Artwork can be an investment. Don't try to short change the artist, because it chips away at their integrity when you don't want to pay over $100 for something that obviously is worth more.

Nuff said

Purple (ish) Haze

Hey. I just finished a new drawing today. Oil pastel. Let me know what you think. And if you know anyone who's a big Hendrix, or John Lennon, fan send them my way.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.editAlbumPhoto&albumID=485038&imageID=35722049&MyToken=b805cb33-6b1e-48bc-9eae-398e02c4c3ab

Plus, I have some prints and original work on Ebay.

I have a BB King drawing print. The original was given to BB King in 2000. You can see it here.

I'm a guest at Xcape Con

I will be a guest (or exhibitor) at Xcape Con in Flint!!
I'm planning on having my own table at the Xcape Con comic convention in Flint, Michigan Nov. 22-23. PLEASE if you're near the area, come by and say hi.Tix are only $8/person and FREE PARKING!!! Reply to this post if you're gonna make it (and especially if you're a fellow Grooper!) .

If you would like a special sketch or portrait done for the con, contact me ASAP and I will have it done for you for the Xcape Con (putting money down would help).

You can get more details about the convention on the Xcape Con Myspace site, linked below:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=245295173

Remember those pictures I mentioned...?

I've been having alot of trouble today with my internet connection. I can't seem to stay online. AND I use dial-up, so everything moves slowly. I'm trying to post the artwork previously mentioned, but have been unable. I did get a pic of my new John Lennon drawing up on Myspace. http://www.myspace.com/nuttallart

I did, however, get the oil pastel of West Branch posted. It's a very rough drawing, done on location from the parking lot of Wal-Mart. I'm hoping to work on it more, or make it into an oil painting. Let me know what you think. jasonnuttall@yahoo.com

I also got the painting I started 5 years ago of Melissa holding Rebecca. Still has some work that needs be done.

Oh, yeah. And there's the graphite drawing I started 8 years ago of Melissa in Irons Park. There's a glare from the camera, so the detail's not very clear. Sorry. This one also has alot of work that needs to be done.

More new artwork

Well, here I will be displaying a group of paintings and drawings. This one is Jack Nicholson, on sale on Ebay. Nicholson is my favorite actor and has been for a very long time. one is a West Branch scene, one is of my wife with our first baby, Rebecca between 6-12 months, and one is a drawing of my wife the first year we met. All these pieces are still works in progress. The Smiley Face is an oil pastel drawing I did on location. I might turn that into a painting.

Film Video

I've been thinking for quite some time now about taping myself working on artwork, and even going as far as doing a little documentary about being a father and an artist and what-not, delving into the journey to the Xcape Con as an artist rather than just a fan. I've always been intrigued in these kinds of documentaries about artists. I just saw the one about Chuck Connely, I even watched "My Date with Drew" and was riveted.
The only problem is that my studio is my dark basement with a work light, and my camera is a cassette recorder camcorder. No digital (I hope to have excerpts online).

Any thoughts? comment or write me directly on what you think, or if you would like to help.
jasonnuttall@yahoo.com

artwork on display, not much to say.

I just want to display some artwork. Not alot to say right now. The drawing above is charcoal of Sammy Hagar's guitarist, Waborita Victor Johnson. It's charcoal and made originally for him, but never had the opportunity to give it to him. And it has become a personal favorite of mine.

Hi Amy!!!!

How are things with you, Amy? I see you are my only friend....

Oh, wondering about this picture, you say?

I never told you that my wife, Melissa and I met the fantastic ALAN RUCK last year at the Motor City Comic Con!!!! He was a very kind and generous person. We spoke for about 10 minutes (I caught him after he got back from the bathroom, so there was no line for the first time that day!). I interviewed him for the SVSU paper, but they didn't print what I wrote.

We were delighted to see him on our favorite show, "Psych" tonight on USA! I thought he was great, but I've always been a fan, especially when he was on "Spin City". All his guest spots are great, and, of course, there's Ferris Bueller...

At the beginning of this season, Sean on "Psych" made many references to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" in the episode "Murder...Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?", and Alan Ruck is well known for his role in that movie.

Heh. Cool. Who saw the pineapple?

So, Amy, thank you for coming forth as, apparently, my ONLY reader. I appreciate you.

Xcape Con

In my efforts to become a legitimate comic book artist, I am aiming to be an artist at the Flint Xcape Comic Convention November 22-23. I would be doing sketches, selling sketches, selling art and a comic, and promoting "VIETMIME" and the fact that a publisher is interested in the project.
I am very excited to be a part of the convention. There's one problem though: I'm not signed up yet. I need to fill out forms and pay money that I do not have. Deadline is October 1st and I don't know if I will have the extra moolah to do it. My creative partner, the berger in Nutberger Ink, Tim Schaiberger, wants to go as well. I think he has a better chance of making it than I do at this point.
But anyway, Flint, Michigan will be host to the second comic convention in Mid-Michigan in 20 years. The first convention was Xcape Con 1. This one is Xcape Con 2.

Click here to view the info for the event.

Friends of the Blog

Hello!
Been a few days since my last blog. I'm hoping to get some new artwork done in the next few days, including a Jack Nicholson painting and some VIETMIME pages done.
In the meantime, I would REALLY appreciate it if those of you who visit my blog add yourself to my "Readers" list. I kinda feel like I'm writing to nothing because I never get feedback. I was told that the "comments" portion of the posts wasn't working.
REMEMBER I am not asking for money!!! JUST go to the link to your left on the screen where it says "NUTHEADS".
Heh.
I liked that.

Happy Birthday, Sergio!!!

I was reminded by posts from members of THE GROOP (THE Groo fan club! check out http://www.groo.com/ for details) that 71 years ago today the Aragoneses graced the world with Sergio Aragones!!!

Happy Birthday, sir. And MANY more!!!

Hagar Story!!

As some of you may know, I am a fan of Sammy Hagar. Let's just leave it at that.

Well, in 2004 Sammy opened a Cabo Wabo Cantina, based on his club in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in South Lake Tahoe at Harrah's. As the first US based Cabo, I wanted to show my appreciation of the music and spirit of Sammy and Cabo by painting a series of paintings of Sammy. One was from a fan club called Sam~Land that I am also a part of and the others were from me and ONLY me!!!! HAHAHAHHA!!!

Anyway, one of the Redheads/SamLanders, Michigan Mike, took the paintings to Tahoe on my behalf and with the assistance of another fan, handed Sammy the paintings. They now hang in the "Red Rocker Room" and I have seen since then photos of the paintings still. I have decided to make prints of two of the three and they are now

here .

Above are images of the paintings at the "Tahoe Wabo", one with Sammy with the SamLand painting, and a pic taken by a fellow Redhead of Aaron Hagar in the "Red Rocker Room" under the "What Is Understood..." painting!

I are a teacher, too!!

I don't think I've ever mentioned that I have had the great fortune of teaching drawing, and occassionally painting or photo during summer camps and various programs over the years. When I meet the parents, they often ask if I do private lessons because something I taught or how I teach affected their children enough to want to continue with me.
SO, as always, I am available for private lessons. It can be for basic art, drawing, painting, block printing, comic book art, cartoons (not animation), portraiture, landscape, etc.
The advantage to private lessons opposed to a school course is that I can focus on the interests of that one individual, or group of artists. There is a curriculum that must be followed and various bases to touch upon in a school course. I'm available to zoom in to something that either might not be in your school's class structure or hardly worked with.
You can contact me here or e-mail me at jasonnuttall@yahoo.com
The more the merrier, ages 5-150.

Well, I had to do it

I put the Bob Dylan drawing on Ebay. I've been trying to do drawings just for Ebay, but I have to keep low prices on the pieces, and to see my original work being sold for under $100 kinda hurts. It just shows how little artwork is appreciated and how I seem to be in the wrong profession. If I was selling a guitar or a boat, I could make good money.
And then I end up not getting ANY bids on work sometimes. Then I go from feeling desperate to pathetic.
The link is below for the Ebay auction
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160278093779
Tell your friends and neighbors.