Cafe and my art

The Pook · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 2904 Location: Tasmania

The police might be interested if you can prove the paintings are yours, since for the owner to sell them with the shop and not reimburse you for them is surely fraud isn't it? Do you have any photos of them on the wall with a for sale price on them?

Have you tried to contact the old owners? If they sold them with the shop, that's the same as if they sold them to someone who walked in off the street and bought them - they should give you the sale price less commission.

Chardonnay · Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 70 Location: Gold Coast

Well it's all over red rover! Yay. Got my artwork back safely into my house.

What I did was contact the previous owner, who then contacted the new owner. The old owner had assumed I'd forgotten about them and just left them there when he sold the shop. (pulling the price off in the process and ignoring my phone number on the price and on the back of the work) Possibly not realising that I live in the area and I walk by and have coffee there all the time.

Not sure what he said to the new owner, but she was quite short and abrupt when I picked them up. Which is silly, because she should have been annoyed at the old owner who sold her something that wasn't his to sell. Oh well. Hubby and I were planning on having lunch there, but after her abruptness we went and ate elsewhere... her loss..

What I did I learn from this? I will never ever put my artwork into a cafe or restaurant again. I have realised it's not their job to sell art, so they don't. And customers don't even notice it on the wall, they are there to have their drinks and food, not to potentially purchase their surroundings.

Whoo hoo, it's all good!

Chrissy D · Joined: 12 Jan 2006 Posts: 1053 Location: Queensland

Fantastic outcome Chardonnay.

I do agree with you and for me, at least right now, I don't think selling in a car/bar/restaurant is an option either.