I just received a curious email request from a visitor (let’s call him “Fred”) at FineArtAmerica.com. Fred found one of my very early watercolors from 1970 at the Salvation Army and wanted to know if it was worth purchasing it to “make money.”

Aside from the slightly insulting but nevertheless humorous thought of my work winding up in the “gallery” section of a Salvation Army thrift store, the idea that my work could be used by someone else to “make money” is alarming. Additionally, the ignorance and insensitivity of asking the actual artist whether his/her artwork is “worth purchasing” is offensive. For the last few years at least most queries like this that I have received have been couched in a request for the “insurance value” of a piece someone might have inherited or purchased. If the query is accompanied by a statement of enjoyment or love of the piece, that removes suspicion and I am happy.

The point of this rant is that I am increasingly appalled that artists’ work has been commoditized and to many people its only or main value is monetary.

I may have sounded a bit snotty to “Fred” with the reply, “I don’t recommend anyone buy any artwork whatsoever to “make money” (whatever that means), unless you own a gallery. If you like the artwork buy it, otherwise don’t.”

And “…as a living artist trying to make a living at painting I have no idea what the “investment” value of my work is or will be” nor do I really care. My only real concern is that a purchaser or collector of my work enjoys seeing it hanging on their wall.

Comment to let me know what you think!