Red-Tail Hawk on the top of our four-story redwood tree. I took this photo yesterday.
by cheri sabraw
On our travels, we visited a number of art galleries in Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. While my husband studies the art, I usually interview the salesperson, who these days, often happens to be the gallery owner.
Long after husband leaves the gallery in search of either another one or an ice cream, I am still questioning and listening to the answers to my queries.
“Is it just me or does much of the plein air art painted today look the same?” I ask a gallery owner in Wyoming.
“You are right,” he laments. “Many scenes beautifully rendered but how many barns, hay fields, vineyards, ocean ledges, forests, rivers, and greying skies can I sell?”
I wade into one of those dicey rivers and continue.
“I would think you would be forced to look for art that is different in some way. Is that true? After all, you are ARE in the business of selling art.”
“Yes,” he says, stimulated by the authenticity of the conversation. He leads me to four paintings that are not impressionistic, not abstract, not plein air, but instead, are figures of animals done in simplistic strokes on board, not canvas.
“What do you think?” he asks me.
“They are different,” I observe.
“We haven’t sold one, ” and with that answer, shakes his head.
At a gallery in Vail, Colorado, one full of large-scale pieces of realistic art that demonstrates an understanding of all the important qualities of a fine piece of art, the owner confesses that most people are not buying this type of art. They want modern, contemporary pieces that match their lima-bean colored sofa.
I reflected on my own attempt to paint well, one that I continue to this day.
“Sort of discouraging for those of us who can see the skill and talent in this paintings hanging in your gallery, ” I comment while trying to avoid stepping on a plump old Labrador lying by the door.
I waited ten minutes for her to flee her perch and was fortunate to snap this picture. Please eat the rattlesnakes you see on our property, I say.
CheriBlockSabrawFineArt 
We have these hawks in our yard, also. The other day the hawk caught a dove and sat in one of our old walnut trees and plucked the feathers . Some of the feathers are still on the tree limb and other feathers are on the ground. Talk about survival of the fittest.
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Oh. I would not have liked to view a dove being eviscerated!
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We just saw the aftermath. Have you ever seen a Eurasian Collard Dove? We have those in our area also. They are beautiful birds.
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I have never seen such a dove but will check out the internet to see what they look like.
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I’m looking across the lake toward a Hilton Hotel that’s been in the area since the heyday of the Apollo missions and such. They used to have huge art sales there, and I swear to you the advertisements on radio and tv would extol the virtues of the “sofa sized paintings” they had on offer.
The same rock-and-a-hard-place conflict comes up in every discipline, I suspect. Bodice-rippers sell like the proverbial hotcakes, but I’m not about to write in a genre I won’t even read. Photographers at Texas arts and crafts fairs know they’d darned well better show up with plenty of photos of bluebonnets and longhorns if they want to make sales. So it goes.
The good news is, we still have hawks, and that’s a fine capture of one you managed.
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I know you are right but I can be such a Pollyanna, a position which has caused lots of disappointment in my day. I was pleased with that hawk photo because I have rarely been quick enough to capture a wing span! Thank you for this great comment.
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People often came into the gallery looking for a “picture to hang over the sofa” They were puzzled by the Art we hung. I sent them to a gallery with pictures made by “happy hand at home.” No matter how well done something is, if it doesn’t appeal it doesn’t sell.
Galleries in tourist areas know that most people want something depicting t he local culture.
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Yes. You are correct. More Grand Canyon and Red Rock scenes in Arizona. Lots of bison, bears, and moose in Montana. Cowboys in Cody and skiers in Colorado. What about Fremont?
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Is Fremont a destination?
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No although Redfin just ranked it number one, along with San Jose and Seattle, as the most competitive housing market.
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I believe that. Houses move fast around here in spite of rising prices.
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Oh! what great pics of the
Red Tail Cheri! 😃Hum…interesting findings of gallery art across the U.S. Now that I think about it, SoO true! Funny how people want to enhance their furniture with art pieces but I guess interior design is a form of art too! 😉
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Love your photos. Hawks are one of my favorite raptors. When we lived on Llano Seco the extended Parrott family (owners) used to come and work their falcons & hawks on the pigeons around the barns.
Interesting comments made on what is & isn’t selling in galleries. I don’t get to galleries often enough…
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I have no idea what is selling in galleries today. Since gallery owners take such a huge percentage of the profit, I assume many artists are selling their art on their websites.
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