LOCAL CHICAGO ARTIST SELLS FIRST ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING FOR $5000
By LEV SAMPSON
October 28, 2009

CHICAGO, IL - A controversial oil painter has sold his first original painting for $5000. Gregory Allen Page is presently on exhibition at Interior Effects on Chicago Avenue in Evanston. A passerby and sailing aficionado caught glimpse of America’s Cup (pictured right), strolled into the gallery and bought it.

“The depth of the sky, the subtleness of the clouds, the texture of the sails... It was just beautiful. I had to have it,” said the buyer. And while Page was glad to receive compensation for the blood and sweat dedicated his trade, the painting sold for three thousand dollars under its appraised price.

The entire country has been tightening its belt both figuratively and literally and the artist is one of the first to take a hard blow. Home sales are down 28 percent. That being said, buyers and collectors of fine arts are more than ever searching for both distinction and value.

Page had turned down several other offers on original oils: Shy Anderson, a top executive for the Dallas Cowboys, made a lowball offer of $3000 for “Cowboy Lips”. The painting is offered at $8000. Some Chicago MTV Execs offered to buy “Stern MTV ” for their boss, Rich Eigendorff, in New York City, but Page turned down the offer. The MTV Executives took a digital phone pic of the painting and sent it to Eigendorff. Page feels, “ These paintings are collectors pieces, one of a kind oil paintings. Often the paintings take months to finish, arduously applying 20+ layers of paint. An artist deserves a fair price, I am tired of seeing my artist friends starving or dumpster diving. The artist has time, materials, rent for a studio, as well as other costs, just like any business. Why are Executives who are paid huge salaries not willing to support the arts?”

Page’s paintings have been described as Van Gogh esque, like a Monet with a pulse. Using fine Belgium linen substrates and modern museum quality, eco-friendly oil paint, each one of Page’s paintings is a collector’s piece. It is well known that Van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime, this is the same for Page. Page claims he sold the painting to benefit his agent, who has generously exhibited the oil paintings.“I only paint a few originals a year,” said Page on the matter. “If you want one, you’ll have to pay a fair price.”