The customer loved it! Okay, so today is Friday, November 6th. I shipped the Jaguar. Yay. So free shipping. Well, I include it in the commission shipping. So, but just to update what I’m thinking about my sentiment about free shipping is that I really need to compensate the price because I went to go ship the Jaguar. It costs over a hundred dollars to ship it. People are crazy that they don’t realize that shipping, free shipping is an extravaganza. I mean, they’re getting a fantastic large-scale painting, either size 36 by 36 gallery wrapped with 1.5 edges, or 48 by 36 gallery stretched with 1.5 edges, and this costs nearly $150 for shipping materials and shipping FedEx for the 36 by 36. And the last time I went to deliver a 48 by 36 for shipping, it cost nearly $250 to ship it. That’s nearly the price of the painting and they’re getting free shipping. Not that they’re just trying to buy my art for free shipping. They buy the art for art. But again, you know, I’ve accommodated for different sizing on certain products if they want to buy a limited edition size 40 by 30. Free shipping’s not a problem. The problem is when I start shipping larger than four feet, they charge not only just the width and the height, but the depth. So the customers don’t realize also that I’m giving them 1.5 gallery stretches, which when shipped is almost two inches of depth. With the crating materials to make sure that they arrive safely. Anyways, victory.
I completed the Jaguar painting, and it turned out incredible. I mean, with all the uncertainty and self-doubt, like, can I do it? How do I create? Will the customer like it? Will they get back to me and say what they like? Well, they did. They liked the progress shot, and it turned out when I was near completion, I had the background in green with dabs of brown within the jaguar, and they suggested that they didn’t want it to feel too earthy, and they didn’t like the green background because it lended to too much earthiness with brown dabs throughout the jaguar. They wanted more of that graphic pop, like my cactuses, like big, inspired graffiti, street art cactuses, with black grounds everything. And this included one last sale. The customer wanted a sunrise with incredible colors, but they wanted that black grounding color, which I didn’t understand at the time. But I get it, you know? Black seems to be a foundation in the structure of most of my paintings. So, the thrill of victory: I shipped the painting, glad it shipped. It was still a worthwhile commission for the price, and I’m having a sale till Sunday on all my pieces, which includes free shipping. Now, am I crazy to throw in free shipping? Well, if it encourages a sale, people can buy one piece, two pieces, or three pieces. Knock yourself out.
Response :
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS! You shipped the Jaguar! That’s a victory worth celebrating. And there’s something important in what you just described that goes beyond the sale itself.
You started with uncertainty: Can I pull this off? Will the customer like it? Am I going in the right direction? And then the customer gave you feedback, you adjusted your thinking, and you finished a painting that apparently turned out incredible.
That’s the creative process in action.
1. The Jaguar taught you something about your own work.
I think the most interesting part is the black background.
Initially, you were thinking green, brown, earthy tones, and a more natural interpretation of the Jaguar. But the customer wanted something with more graphic impact.
Then you recognized something about your own artistic language:
Black is often the foundation that gives your paintings their structure and visual impact.
That’s an important observation. Whether it’s your cactus paintings, your large-scale abstract work, or this Jaguar, that black grounding element creates contrast and makes the colors come alive.
You didn’t abandon your artistic identity. You found another way to express it.
2. Now, let’s talk about FREE SHIPPING.
I don’t think you’re crazy. But I do think you need to look at shipping differently.
You’re not shipping a little 12-by-12 canvas in a cardboard box.
You’re shipping substantial original artwork.
Consider what you’re actually providing:
Artwork
Approximate shipping expense
36 × 36, gallery wrapped
$100–$150
48 × 36, gallery wrapped
$200–$250
——-
And that includes the reality of protecting the artwork, packaging materials, dimensional weight, and transportation.
There’s something customers don’t necessarily appreciate: Free shipping isn’t free. It’s part of the price of the artwork.
And you’re absolutely right about the 1.5-inch gallery-wrapped edges. You’re providing a finished presentation, not simply shipping a flat canvas.
3. Here’s how I’d approach your free shipping promotion.
I would keep it.
But I’d establish three principles:
First: Build shipping into your regular prices.
If a painting costs you $150 to ship, that expense needs to be considered when establishing your selling price.
Second: Don’t discount yourself twice.
This is important.
If you’re already offering a sale price AND free shipping, you’re absorbing two expenses:
- The discount on the artwork.
- The shipping and packaging expense.
Make sure the remaining profit is worth the transaction.
Third: Encourage multiple purchases.
This is where I particularly like your thinking.
Someone purchasing two or three paintings can make the shipping economics considerably more attractive, depending on how they’re packaged and shipped.
You might spend $200 shipping two paintings rather than $150 shipping one.
That’s an opportunity to increase the average order.
4. My bigger thought about your Sunday sale
I wouldn’t apologize for including shipping.
I wouldn’t explain how expensive FedEx is to customers.
And I wouldn’t make shipping the centerpiece of your advertising.
I’d simply communicate the value:
- Original artwork.
- Gallery-wrapped canvas.
- Finished 1.5-inch edges.
- Ready to display.
- Complimentary U.S. shipping.
You’re selling artwork, not shipping services.
And remember, you’re competing with an enormous marketplace of inexpensive reproductions, mass-produced canvas prints, and decorative wall art.
Your product is different.
5. One final thought.
There’s something I want you to recognize about today’s accomplishment.
You completed a commission, received customer approval, learned something about your own artistic direction, packaged the work, shipped it, and collected the satisfaction of knowing you delivered something worthwhile.
That’s a successful business transaction.
And now you have your Sunday sale running.
My vote: Keep the free shipping promotion. Just make sure your pricing protects your margins.
You don’t need to give away your artwork to make a sale. But you can make the purchasing experience attractive enough that someone decides it’s time to own one of your paintings.
And congratulations again on the Jaguar. On to the next painting!
