Why Have My Watercolor Prices Come Down?

You may have noticed my 8 x 10 inch watercolor paintings have been drastically reduced from $150 to $75.

The price drop started when my supplier of museum-quality matboard stopped making pre-cut 8-ply mats with backing.  I have not found a comparable matboard of the same quality.  I even tried to order and cut my own 8-ply matboard but it did not turn out well with the mat-cutter I have.  One needs a special tool to handle the thicker 8-ply matboard.  

They would actually be best die-cut or machined in the factory to get the clean corners and beveled edges required at that thickness.

Soooo...

I also noticed that it's quite easy to find standard frames sized 8 x 10 inches or already to purchase with an 8 x 10 inch opening.  So the extra mat is not even necessary.  

For these reasons, I decided to lower my prices and pass the savings on to you!  The watercolors are less expensive than the oil paintings as the paper and paints are less expensive than oils.  They are also usually considered less high-end or substantial in certain circles.  Although there are always many exceptions.  I have seen more and more watercolors in museums starting from the 19th century onward.  

I forgot to mention another reason for the dramatic price drop is time involved.  It took quite a bit of time for me to mount the watercolor paintings using a special linen gummed tape that I would cut and wet each piece.  Then after mounting all the pieces about one inch apart with T-shape tape tabs, I would let the whole dry at least 24 hours before shipping.  All this time and production was added into the price.  

If you would like to purchase a mat with a watercolor painting, just ask.  I may still have some mats available in the 4-ply thickness.