I have enjoyed creating artwork for many years. My favorite medium has always been watercolor, but I have also used oil paints, pastels, pencils, inks, and even crayons and highlighters in my work. Because of limited space and limited funding, though, I have almost always confined myself to index- and postcard-sized pieces of material. Often I have produced work that I deemed worthy of giving to friends and family, however, I didn't believe that there was a market for smaller paintings.

Fortunately, I was wrong.

USA Today ran an article in August 2006 about artists producing small, affordable paintings (the article is still available at http://www.usatoday.com/tech/w ebguide/internetlife/2006-08-2 2-blogger-artists_x.htm) and selling them online. Many of the artists mentioned in the article have gotten good prices for their work, even when critics state that the works are "nothing really special." Sure, the postcard paintings may not be a Dali, Renoir, Monet, O'Keefe, or Picasso, but they are unique, genuine artworks whose prices are usually within the reach of the average art lover.

In addition to giving art lovers the chance to own artwork without taking out a loan, the sales of postcard paintings gives artists the chance to generate income from doing what they love and sharing it with the world.

Reading about the popularity of postcard paintings has given me hope about the artwork I create. The work that I create has always been about expressing myself and enjoying the process; however, it is gratifying to discover that many artist enjoy making postcard paintings, and it is even more gratifying to discover that there is a market for the work that I love to create.

Learn more about this author, Rebecca Oaks.
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