How much is your carving worth?

[ragiarn]

Check out this website of a nationally recognized sculptor who carves in wood as well as stone and has pieces done in bronze.

Stajar, Wildlife and Figurative Sculptures in Wood


This page on her website gives the pricing of her work
Pati Stajcar's pricing information for wildlife art and figurative sculptures

[pallin]

From what I see in YOUR gallery photos, I feel your work is comparable to the artist at the site you linked, and should be priced accordingly. But, as you may have discovered, location and clientele has a tremendous effect on what sells and for how much.

[Mark Dellinger]

Doc,

I agree with pallin, you have some exceptional carvings yourself. If someone wanted to pay me that kind of price for my carvings I would take it. I wouldn't get to spend it because I wouldn't be able to after the heart attack.Very neat carvings, thanks for the link.

Safe Carving and God Bless,

Mark

[Donsexton]

I want you get as much as the other carver and then some.

[pilgreen23]

wow this is kinda ridiculous. i know people will pay that much for art and then some but wow, upwards of 10,000, ha.

[Sharon of the Dell]

If it took this woman 500 hours to carve a sculpture at $20 and hour that would be $10,000. For now a days, at least where I live, 20 bucks an hour isn't that great, especially if you have kids at home. Why should someone this skilled make minimum wage or less.Yes, she is most likely selling her works to wealthy people. It took her years to get to this level. If she makes $50 or more an hour, I say more power to her! Artists need to pay their bills. I think it's absolutely wonderful when an artist can actually make a decent living from the gift they have been given.

[rcurtism]

She has talent that is for sure but I have to agree she has priced her self out of the market for most people. I think even those in the top 10% would think twice about paying 300 bucks for an 6 " bronze egg plant. I like to see artist get what is their due but I really doubt any of those sculptures took her much more then three weeks working full time to make. Which puts her income at well over a six figures. That is assuming she is able to sell consistently, which of course she probably does not. But hey if she can really get that more power to her. Of course, I always take info from the web with a grain or two of salt.

[Kazook]

I have mixed feelings about the pricing of art. I think if someone pays you for something and they are happy then price does not matter but if you feel you are getting less than your carving is worth it will take the joy out of carving. I remember when I first started carving, I went into a prestigious gallery and when I saw the price of a very nice moose, I almost choked. I thought I could do that. every couple years I went back to the gallery, the moose was still there, its still there now and thats where it will probably stay. Be reasonable and you will get more respect from customers and other artists, and practise both carving and sales. cheers. Kazook

[GaryMc]

I once talked to a a very well know Bird carver about prices. He told me that he gets up around $3000 for a carving, but He made more money when he was getting about $300 per carving. The reason was that more people bought his $300 carvings, and the $3000 carving didn't well near as often. I spoke to Jeff Phares at a Seminar of his I was attending. He gets somewhere around $800 to $1500 for an Indian Bust, But take that same bust and cast it in bronze and you get $3500 for it and you can make all the copies you want, go Figure!
GaryMc

[ragiarn]

Originally Posted by rcurtism

She has talent that is for sure but I have to agree she has priced her self out of the market for most people. I think even those in the top 10% would think twice about paying 300 bucks for an 6 " bronze egg plant. I like to see artist get what is their due but I really doubt any of those sculptures took her much more then three weeks working full time to make. Which puts her income at well over a six figures. That is assuming she is able to sell consistently, which of course she probably does not. But hey if she can really get that more power to her. Of course, I always take info from the web with a grain or two of salt.

If you look at the price list you will see that there are 27 wood pieces posted of which she has sold 20. If you look at the entire price list including her works in bronze as well as stone (Pati Stajcar's pricing information for wildlife art and figurative sculptures) you will see that she prices her wood carvings in the same range as her bronze and stone carvings. However she does have a bronze piece that is going for $93,000.

It would certainly appear that she is not having difficulty selling her work.
She is a internationaly recognized sculptor. She makes her living at sculpting not just wood but stone as well as making bronze sculptures.

Here is a list of her awards: Stajar, Sculpture Awards and Recognition for Wildlife and Figurative Sculpture
This is a list of her published articles: Stajar, Select Articles, Promotions and Publications, Gallery Representatives

I am not sure why you would try to denigrate her work by implying that what she does is not worth what she is charging. Or that you doubt that she is getting her asking price. Apparently there are a lot of people who do not agree with your assessent of her talent.

There are many very talented sculptors who command prices in the same range as advertised.

Ian Norbury, internationally renowned wood sculptor sells work in the $3000-10,000 range. Sculpture - Ian Norbury.

The Spring Issue of Woodcarving Illustrated has an article on page 44 about Sumner Miesenheimer. ( Wildlife Art - Sculptures in Wood ) I met him 2 years ago at the NEWC. His works sell between $4000-$8000. He is does this as a hobby and sculpts his pieces from found wood.

Despite the laments by some carvers that people do not appreciate wood carving these sculptors prove that a talented sculptor can command high prices for their work.