by Veron Ennis

“Change is always necessary in good and bad economies in order to stay in business,” says Marcus Jansen, an urban expressionist painter based in Fort Myers. “I tried to look at the downturn as an opportunity to be more creative, not just in my work, but also in my day-to-day strategies.”

Change has been a common theme among artists and galleries these past two years, as it has been for many Americans. The economic downturn has put a strain on most of the public, changing the way many do business and spend their hard-earned dollars.

Artists, stereotypically considered “starving,” are still out there. Have they withered away to nothing by now? On the contrary! A fantastic fact about artists is that they have the uncanny ability to adapt. Using their most prized skill—creativity—artists have weathered the storm. They may have made some modifications, but they’re still proudly displaying and selling their work in galleries from coast to coast.

One solution many artists have turned to: simply creating smaller works. “Artists have had to be extra creative and look at ways to present a product to the public that has a more attractive price and costs less to produce,” says David Acevedo, an artist and owner of daas Gallery in downtown Fort Myers. “In my case, I always have smaller watercolors or paintings on paper priced under $80. I present them with the same pride as I do with a larger-scale piece. What I never sacrifice is the quality of my product. I just move a little faster, use a little less medium, and instead of framing, I use the plastic sleeves and foam board for my presentation.”

When Raymond Hernandez, another Fort Myers–based painter, began working on a smaller scale, he originally theorized that it would take less time. But in fact, it took him more time to determine the best use of his petite proportions. “Trying to communicate an idea on a small canvas is a challenge, especially when you’ve previously been working on a large scale,” he says.

Jansen also decided to show smaller works alongside his usual extra-large canvases during his exhibitions in order to appeal to a broader audience. And he engaged in new partnerships in key cities looking for new projects, as well as communicating through online networking sites such as Facebook, myartspace, and ArtSlant. “It is amazing whom you can meet that you normally would not,” he says. “Many galleries as well as artists are making this standard nowadays.”

Jansen also cut down on purchasing frames from an out-of-state provider and instead spends the money locally and with friends. “I found this very productive and rewarding,” he says. “Why spend your money out of town, when you have people you know that can offer a service you need for much less and help each other at the same time? We also limited our partners to those who are willing to be just as motivated in their projects as we are.”

These combined tactics are starting to prove successful for artists like Jansen, Acevedo, and Hernandez. Last March, daas Gallery hosted a show featuring photography and encaustic artworks by Cape Coral artist Paul Rodino. The gallery sold numerous pieces by Rodino, which Acevedo attributes to the great variety and affordability of the artist’s small works, all of which were priced between $25 and $150.

The ability to venture out to an upscale fine-art gallery and acquire an original piece of artwork for less than $100 is extraordinary. Now is certainly the time to buy. “One must realize that art is becoming a great thing to invest in,” says Jansen. Art fairs, auctions, and other events continue to get plenty of financial backing, and artists keep creating, no matter how much the dollar is worth or home prices rise and fall. “So I see this is as perhaps an uncertain but exciting time,” says Jansen.

Artists are full of emotion and express hardships and victories through their work, not only for themselves but for all that need a voice. They illustrate the joys of triumphs during these trying times and provide beautiful images that soothe those weighed down by economic stress. Jansen painted an affective painting in 2008, Foreclosures, in response to the crash of the housing market. “As a point of reference in history, which many of my paintings somehow are, I felt attracted to the subject and wanted to document this in a work of art,” he says.

Though it has been a tough two years, these local artists have survived and are coming out of these difficult times with new techniques, new marketing tools, and new collections of work that they may have otherwise not discovered. It’s a blessing in disguise not only for the artists, but for all art patrons out there looking for fresh and affordable original artwork. And art lovers of all kinds can look forward to upcoming exhibitions full of passionately charged paintings, photographs, and sculptures readily available at uncommonly low prices.

Veron Ennis is a Sanibel-based artist, curator, and freelance writer for the contemporary arts.