I Wonder/Prelude to a Mudfish ©Beau Smith 8 December 2021 height: 11″ materials: steel, Bondo, copper, wood, paint

Here beginith the documentation of work, a considerable effort that will increase the value of the work, which will put more money in all our pockets. In this piece that I’m highlighting today it’s not only increased in value simply because of documentation of the work but because it is the absolute first piece that I am documenting this way.  Oh, I have posted a lot of pictures.  But I have not written about them in this way.  This begins the gargantuan effort, well worth cause though. And this particular piece, seeing that it is the first piece that I am documenting in this way, it’s going to be worth more. 

Now, one of the things to consider here is that each entry is going to be about, say, 1500-3500 words: a basic blog entry (note 1). So, not only do I spend all this time on the work itself. I blog about it, that is, write about it, and come up with that many words, mainly just riffing on the piece of artwork. Fortunately, I am somewhat of a yackity-yack. (Someone once in an email called me called “chatty”. Ugh!) So this should not be too, too hard for me. In fact, I think it will be fun. (note 2)

Right now I am taking a break, a short break, like 15 minutes or so, and this is how I spend my break. So I think that’s pretty productive. Right? (note 3)

One might question what I am doing. That is valid. Am I spending my time wisely? Is this a good thing to do? You know it is. I am a fine artist. Documenting the work, that’s a big deal. So, as long as the work is documented, the rest is gravy. Of course, my hope is that you stick with me and continue to read my blog. I have a lot of good things to say, and I do realize it is up to me to entertain you for the brief moments that we have together here. (note 4)

This piece… I have not hardly ever given my sculptures names before. I have let that be up to the person who buys it. They almost always name the creature. I have given my paintings names. However, I no longer paint – which, by the way, makes all the paintings of mine that I own very valuable. If someone asks me, how much can you get for the painting, I would have to say, not what it’s worth. I may have to wait awhile to get the value of my investment. But is that not true for a lot of things? (That last comment could have been a note, but I spared you.)

Stick with me here. I have a following. You becoming a follower – you simply reading this blog – increases the value of my work. Thus, I see this, what I am doing, as a co-creative effort. This coordinates with the whole documenting the work thing. If I meticulously document the work, including, in many cases, how much it sells for, that is absolutely going to increase the value of the work. And, hey, nobody but me is going to do this. I mean, nobody is going to do this with my work. They might be doing it with their own work. Many have. (note 5)

Getting testimonials: that is a similar thing. It’s all about sales. Sell, sell, sell. 

But, wait a minute here. I am not selling crap. Ok? And a lot of artists are. A lot of salespeople sell crap. This is not crap, what I am doing. 

I’m telling you, this sounds like an internet marketing type of gizmo thing, the way I am spinning it. It sounds like…

I still subscribe sometimes to marketing type bull💩 newsletters, simply for amusement. Not many of them. But here is one I read sometimes: it is written by a guy named Dan Doberman. That’s a great name. Here is how I say it:

Dan wants you to become one of his “Knights of the Roundtable”.

I love it. I am not a knight. I just enjoy the content. It amuses me. He likes to say anyhoo for anyhow. That might get on some people’s nerves. I like it. I find it funny. I have read a good many sales books in my time. I kind of like reading them. Does that make it easier for me to sell stuff? Maybe.

I knew one guy, he was in my Tae Kwon Do class when I was studying with my son to become a black belt. This fellow was – he had to be a great salesman. He was part owner of the company, and that is what he did all day, sell and manage salespeople. His opinion was that reading about selling is counter-productive. I…I don’t think that’s true. It could have some relevance to it. At a certain point, the salesperson wannabe has got to quit reading about it and hit the pavement. But, I really think there’s something to be said for taking in content – reading salesbooks and that sort of thing, and even for more than just inspiration, like, actual information. I hear many stories about how the wannabe salesman says he did not start making sales until someone took him under their wing and showed him how to do it. Isn’t that what salesbooks are supposed to do, albeit, in their small and modest way? 

I am a DIY nut. I love to read how to do it books. How to do this. How to do that. This because I tend to be self-taught. That’s not completely true when it comes to art. I, like, went to art school. Even so, an artist has to be, by the very nature of the job, self taught. So when someone says that this or that artist is self-taught – that’s maybe not the best descriptor of what they are really saying. What they are really saying is that such and such an artist doesn’t know some basic information. They have not had any training. And…I dunno. Good artists have some kind of training. I think what they are really saying is that the art kind of sort of sucks, in a way. Grandma Moses’s art does not suck. But, it kind of does, when you compare it to some of the Renaissance painters. I mean, for real. 

***

I am going to name this sculpture after one of my beloved cats, now passed: Harry. 

So, the complete name of this sculpture is Harry/I Wonder 1. The number 1 is there because this is a good design, and I will be repeating it. So, this is a first, this sculpture, for several reasons:

• 1st time I have started naming my sculptures
•  1st time I have given a sculpture the name of my beloved cat, Harry, now passed. (A magical cat, by the way.)
• 1st time I have blogged in writing about a sculpture and documented it with excruciating detail.
• 1st Froglet of this size made of steel and resin! (That’s a BIG deal.)
• 1st time I have used wood underneath the steel at the base.
• 1st time I have covered the base with Bondo (resin).
• 1st time I have given this specific coloring to the work. (The mudfish coloring.)
• 1st time I have signed it in this manner. 

How much am I going to sell this for? That’s a good question.

Let me first ask, how much will I sell these for, if I make more like this one? Let’s start there. Keep in mind this is handmade by yours truly.

I have a tendency to low ball. I want to sell my work. But I have to be respectful. I’m thinking between $350 and $500. 

Now, when I make more designs like this one, in this pose, I will vary some things – plenty of things. It will basically look like the same froglet, but it will be significantly different, and not in a bull💩 way. I talk as if the creature is alive. Yes, that is part of it. I even talk to them.

I could see plenty nice houses having such a sculpture in it, possibly in the bathroom of a very nice house. You see it, you know whoever lives there collects art. The thing about really good art: it gives you energy. You feel that when you look at it. I think my work accomplishes that. I think this design accomplishes that. I know it does. 

The guest of the nice house goes to the bathroom, not necessarily expecting anything, and suddenly, Oh, wow! Art. This looks like a nice piece of original art. Which then becomes a conversation piece. 

Oh, I saw that frog in the bathroom. I really like it. 

You do? It’s a Beau Smith. 

A Beau what? 

Smith. He makes frogs. 

See what I mean by conversation piece? 

Now, this, being the first of original handmade pieces of this design, it is not going to be $350 to $500. It’s more than that. But not too much more. I want whoever buys it to know they are are getting a deal and that it will be worth a lot of money at some point. In fact, ALL my work I hope to go in that direction. 

How many artists blog about every single piece of art? Okay, sometimes I will blog about several pieces at a time. I’m prolific. Which makes this one sculpture worth all that much more. Here I am giving attention to this ONE sculpture. Very special. You don’t know how special this sculpture is. 

I have not been working in steel for very long at all. That is too big a subject to take on in this blog right now. Suffice it to say that it is a big step and a big direction. I have been working in copper and bronze all of this time. I have not been working in steel. The steel is not as expensive as copper and bronze. That’s even why this particular sculpture is even more expensive and more valuable. 

How I managed to make something with cheaper materials be more valuable than materials that I’ve been working with that have been more expensive,  that is exactly the sort of thing that an artist does. In fact, people have asked me, why are your sculptures so expensive? And I’ve mentioned to them that they are made out of copper and bronze. And so they say, Oh I see.  But now I can say Well, they’re made out of cheaper materials, so they’re more expensive. It may not always be that way, but it is certainly that way for these early pieces.

Do I know what I’m doing? Yes, I do. I’ve tried this sort of thing before and it hadn’t worked at all. (Well, not exactly like I have done it before. I mean, I have messed around on the internet and blogged and so forth, like everyone else, to no avail.) That is because I was not who I am now. I did not know how to sell my work. There are so many different things now.  I’m a different person. I’ve been through a lot.  I have more than paid my dues. It’s not just about paying dues, anyway. It has much more to do with the kind of person you are, the kind of energy you put out there into the world. 

Look, I sell what I make, pretty much. I’m in museums and galleries and I’m collected all over the world, mainly in the United States –  but all over the world, my large frogs are in many public places. This is not a con. I don’t mind talking like a used car salesman. I’m not one. I’m an artist.  Moreover, I’m an artist that has respect for his audience and for his patrons. This is a joint venture. I’m not in this alone. So, all this stuff that I’m saying it’s actually not bull💩. 

Be that as it may,  I’m not satisfied.  I have a ways to go in my career here.  I am largely satisfied with what I create.  But I am not completely satisfied with what I’m getting for it,  even though on the surface it seems like I get good money for what I do.

I do want my work to be available to rich people and poor people alike.  My public sculpture is available to everyone for free.  They don’t get to own it,  whoever is enjoying the public sculpture,  but they do get to enjoy it –  for free, and that includes taking their picture with it, which a lot of people do.

In fact that, it’s happening every day, I believe.  Somewhere, someone is taking a picture of my art. Someone is probably posing with the sculpture, or someone is taking a selfie with my frog sculpture.

I’m a little bit famous.  I’m not a lot famous, that’s for sure. I know some people who are a lot famous, and I certainly don’t make the kind of money they do. 

*** 

This is a sturdy sculpture.  Also, it can go outside but I would not recommend that for this one.  This one is too valuable to put outside. What am going to sell it for? A thousand bucks? That sounds about right. You don’t want to spend that?  No problem, just wait for me to make some more like that. They’ll probably be half that much or even less.

 The sculpture is signed and dated.  Also a certificate of authenticity comes with it,  the guarantees with the work was made by hand by me.  Furthermore, you’ll get a copy of this blog entry to go with the sculpture. And…for this piece, I will sign the blog entry. Believe me, this is a 1st. That’s even a new bullet. Got to add that:

• 1st time I did the sign the blog entry that goes with the sculpture sales tactic. That’s a big one. A BIG one. You don’t know. 

This sculpture is going in someone’s very nice house. It will be among someone’s prized possessions. And, listen, I’m not just saying that. 

Furthermore, I’m not real pleased with the placement of the signature on this sculpture. It is too prominent. But that makes the sculpture EVEN MORE VALUABLE!!! Because I am not going to do it like that again…probably, on future pieces based on this design. 

This sculpture is the result of decades of effort – not just by me, but also by my father and maybe even my brother. Decades of creativity, innovation and labor. It is not crap. It is a great piece of art. And somebody will get this steel froglet for a steal. And if nobody buys it, no problem. I’ll keep it. Mind you I do not have a large inventory of work. I sell what I make. Maybe if I can sell my work for more, I can hold on to more pieces. I will hold on to this one, if nobody buys it. I will not sell it for less. The only other thing I would do is give it away to someone special or to a special cause. 

It is ready for someone to buy for Christmas, if they want. That’s another first. In fact, I see more firsts:

• 1st time in a blog entry I offered a sculpture for sale for Christmas, it being December – 2021. 
• If I do sell this piece, it will be the 1st time I sold a frog (froglet, actually) this size for $1000. Believe me, you don’t know how valuable it will be. Much more than what you paid.

I keep seeing firsts on this thing. First time I made toes out of nails. I guess you could call them “toenails”. Haw haw.

How about that? He comes with a joke. It is embedded in the art. It’s a conversation piece.

All that stuff is great, but…$1000. I don’t know, you say.

Well, it’s better than a banana duct taped to a wall.

It’s a sweet creature. It’s alive.

On some level, anyway.

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Postscript

I sold it, and, I mean, I sold it relatively quickly. But I will be honest, I did not sell it for $1000. Rather, I sold it for $365. But, to be fair, I did not include the signed blog post and the certificate of authenticity. The buyer will have to do a little horsetrading with me to get that.

Will he do that? Maybe no time soon. But one day… One day he might very well do that. Or someone will.

Look, it was Christmas. I was in a giving mood.

It is going to New Zealand, BTW. Which basically means that this person actually is spending a great deal more than $365 because a package to New Zealand from the states costs, like, more than a hundred dollars.

Enjoy. I know they will.