Well, today I shipped off a painting to New York for it to be included in a group show and I realized for the first time how expensive it is to enter shows (and get into them) in places other than my own city. I took the painting to a pack and ship store, where they wrapped it in bubble wrap and put it in a sturdy box filled with those foam peanut thingys. That was $18. Then I took it to the post office and had the package mailed priority mail to New York City for $30. I could have saved money by sending it parcel post but that takes a week or more. I sent along a check for $50 for the entry fee to the competition so my grand total is $100. This painting is a donation, otherwise I would have had to send a check for the return postage in case the painting didn’t sell, another $30. Wow, I can see how this really can add up.
Packaging, shipping and entry fees could eat up a lot of the money I do get from selling a painting. But this is my choice right now, to try and enter some competitions and get in shows. And they’re not all going to be in Houston, so that means incurring the expense of shipping, etc. It’s all just part of the business of art. No wonder art is so expensive!