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Recently, I got this email:

Hello –
I have an artist proof -pencil drawing of Farewell Gap by Jana M. Botkin –
It is approximately 11 “ x 13 “ —
I would like to know the value –
Attached is pics —

Thank you ,

(name, which I have left off for privacy purposes)

This is the picture she showed me (but hers was an artist’s proof):

Oh. Ick.  This is my reply to her:

Thank you for asking. I drew that in about 1987 and had about 100 reproduction prints made, which allowed me to add 10 to the run as “artist’s proofs”. These reproductions only have the value that people assign to them, and since I am not dead (yet!), please don’t view it as anything other than a piece of paper with a reproduced drawing of the most popular view in Mineral King.

When I looked further, I saw that I only had 50 prints made, which means only 5 could have been designated as “artist’s proofs”. I sent her another email to correct my mistake.

Maybe I should have offered to buy it from her, and then run it through my shredder. 

She sent a second email, asking if an artist’s proof is worth more than a numbered print. I told her the same thing as before: such items are only worth what another person is willing to pay for it.

This is my most recent drawing of the same scene; you can see why I am cringing when faced with the old one.

Blessings on all you lovely kind people who bought my art back then.