End of Year Sale and Upcoming Price Adjustments

Hello, Friends! 

I cannot believe how 2019 has just flown by! It seems like only a few weeks ago I was ringing in the New Year with my friends. Where has the time gone? 

Now that we are at the end of the year, I have had to take a moment to look back at my art journey, the good, the wonderful, and the ugly. This year brought a lot of great career moments for me, as well as some challenges. First, I would love to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart that purchased either original artwork or prints from me this year. I am truly grateful for each sale and am so happy when someone connects with what I do. To those that liked, shared, and commented on my work on social media, you guys are heroes! Thank you so much! You have no idea how much that helps me spread the word and gets new people interested in my art. To those of you that came to my art openings, especially my solo show back in August, I simply love you all! 

Now for the challenges. When I began painting seven years ago, I had two goals in mind. First and foremost was to put real passion and fulfillment back in my life, to spend my time doing something I was proud of, and trying to put something beautiful into the world. The second goal was to make it so that just about anyone could afford something truly unique and beautiful to adorn their walls. I believe that art just isn't for the wealthy, it belongs to everyone, and I wanted to try and make it so that anyone could have something cool in their home or office space. 

Many friends and family have told me over the years that my prices have been too low. I heartily agreed, but stated I had my reasons. But those reasons over this past year have been a struggle. In the age of free shipping from big box stores like Amazon, its easy to forget how much a trip to the post office can cost. Shipping rates keep rising. So does packaging to ensure my art reaches its destination safetly and unscathed. Materials go up too, from paints, to print paper to foam core backing, all of these things make it harder to provide the service I want to maintain. 

I had two choices before me. I could either raise my print prices, or begin to offer prints that were of a lesser quality. That saddened me greatly. Right now, all my prints are made on the best archival papers money can buy. What does that mean to the lamen? That they are fade resistant, warp resistent, and museum quality. They should look great in your house not just for the first year, but for many to come. I could try making inferior copies, products not true to color, papers that would fade, reproductions not as faithful to the originals, but that is not something I want to do. I want to continue to offer the best possible product I can to my collectors. 

So I have decided that my prices must simply come up. But in a way, this is a great thing! It means there is still demand for my unique vision of the world, the lens I use to translate what is in my brain onto canvas. It also means that the quality and fidelity you have come to know from me will remain intact. 

But what about Black Friday? What about Christmas? These are busy times of year where fans of Black Abbey Studios have come to expect a nice Shop Small Sale. Indeed! What I have decided to do is extend my current pricing system, plus 20 percent off, until the end of the year. If you check the shop you will see listed what the new pricing will be come 2020, but that the items are discounted to reflect the old pricing model. The other good news? I have now priced everything into one fixed price that INCLUDES shipping. No more guessing what your final cost will be until you get everything through the cart to checkout. All the prints now have shipping included right into the list price. 

VIP Cloister Club members will also continue to receive special collectors pricing in their monthly emails. Are you not a current Cloister Club Member? It is totally free. Sign up with your email and you hear from me once a month, usually with a brief update of my antics, where I'll be showing my art, what prints are coming soon, members only discounts, and a few other personal anecdotes about life as an artist. When I run into friends and followers out there in the real world and hear "Facebook hides your posts. I never know when you are having a show!" or, "I had no idea that print was available!" I always recommend the Club. It is the best and most sure fire way of knowing what I am up to. I would love to see you there! 

Sign Up Here! 

Let me take this opportunity to thank you all once again for keeping up with me and for all your encourging words. It sometimes blows my mind to think how far I have come, from first picking up a brush to being too nervous to go into my first art show, to having a fan base as lovely and dedicated as so many of you are. I hope to continue providing quality products with interesting themes and ideas for everyone. I hope the best is yet to come! 

- Elizabeth