Caretakers
have the opportunity to own one or more pieces of my artwork for free
for life.
The concept is simple:
I give an original piece of artwork to a caretaker for artistic enjoyment.
The caretaker then has the choice to keep the artwork for as long
as he or she desires, or at any point to sell it to another individual.
If the caretaker chooses to sell the artwork, I request 50% of the
sales price. I make no recommendations on sales price. The sales price
is chosen by the caretaker.
In this way, caretakers actually make money by selling my artwork,
yet they never have to invest a penny beforehand. This benefits people
who enjoy my artwork, yet may not have the funds normally necessary
to purchase an original.
I believe this will benefit me in a couple of ways. For one, I do
not have to store my artwork. If it is with caretakers, it is out
there, not sitting on a shelf, or buried underneath other artwork
waiting to be seen. Also, I can spend more time creating new artwork,
and less time trying to find buyers for old artwork. Traditionally,
without gallery representation, this marketing may take more than
half an artist's time and money.
This creates a win/win situation for the artist and the buyer/caretaker.
If the art is always moving, there is no need for an artist to advertise,
or to seek gallery representation. Both of those add tremendous expense
to a piece of art, which is what really puts original artwork out
of reach for many.
With caretakers being given artwork, the value of the artwork is not
dependent upon anyone but the consumer. You decide the value of the
art, and going by the honor system, you give me a portion of that
value. This allows me to make and share more artwork with others.
I do not wish to sign any contracts, or ever to chase anyone down
that sells something without sharing the profits with me. That would
not be worth my time. This is very simple. This is all on the honor
system. I will share with you, and you will share with me. The only
other request I have of any caretaker, is that he or she keep in contact
with me so I may know where my artwork is at any time. If desired,
I will list the caretaker on my website. You may allow others to find
you through my website, and list whether or not you wish to sell the
piece or pieces you may be caretaking.
Anyone who ever owns an original of mine, I consider to be a caretaker.
If a caretaker sells an original to a second caretaker, as I mentioned
before, I ask for half of the profit. I also ask the same of any secondary
owners if they choose to sell the artwork again. If they were to sell
it for a profit, I only ask for 50% of that profit.
If all of us honor this system, it will benefit everyone greatly.
Instead of a middle man gaining the profit, only the owners are gaining
a profit. And, I can also collect royalties on the sales. When caretakers
share their profits with me, they are showing gratitude for what I
have shared, and are helping me to continue to share more in the future.
This is my only request of any owners of my artwork. This is not a
normal request to be sure. I simply see things a little differently.
I believe, though, that I see things fairly. I see this as a better
way to share and sell artwork. Hopefully more artist's will feel the
same, as this will allow a fairer distribution of original artwork
to those who appreciate it, and a better flow of artwork and money
to everyone involved.
If you wish to be a caretaker, please contact me. If you see anything
that you would like to own, please let me know. If it is available,
I will gladly send it your way. If this is a successful system, I
will be lovingly creating more artwork all the time. When I know something
will have a home and be loved, that is motivation enough.
Thank you for helping me share my art with others, and please, share
this concept with others as well. Together, we can change the way
all art and artists are appreciated.
Thank you.
Please note: If you view my paintings
and drawings, then by clicking on the
small icons on each page, you will find a larger image with a description
underneath. In that information I have included whether or not that
piece has already been reserved for a particular caretaker.
I have created another website devoted exclusively to this concept.
This website will allow other artists to participate, and I hope it
will be shared by everyone. Please visit the site to see what other
artists are sharing with us all.
http://prodigalart.blogspot.com