things changed after the (first) bombing in 2002. This is the story of Wayan.
business was thriving before 2002 and more than 70% of the inhabitants of his village have been gainfully employed as artists and painters. "He was very good money and easy to sell your art," Wayan explained to me. "Many people came and paid in advance before the painting was finished, but suddenly stopped. Orders have simply stopped. The bombing has changed many things to many locals. "
I Wayan Sanggra is 54 years old and his only income is painting. He began in 1975, but has seen many changes in its 38 years of crafting beautiful Balinese traditional paintings.
He now sells his work to a wholesaler of Sukawati Market, which sells his work. most customers are now Indonesia, lots of Jakarta. It receives a small painting for Rp.100,000 and Rp.200,000 for a large painting. he sells about five a month. his paintings from three to five days to do it and the brush in his hand at 7am and works throughout 22:00, but often it is midnight . he did this seven days a week. he breaks for lunch, dinner and only a shower, and of course, when there are temple ceremonies to attend, it stops working.
it serves painting with extreme precision complex, taking care with thin lines of the hand and fingers and facial expression in his paintings. It would take a month to complete a painting. It has now adapted its expertise to produce what he calls quick turnaround tables and had to compromise on the quality of the paint he uses.
The price of the paintings has increased over the last 10 years of Rp.5,000 to Rp.30,000, but the selling price has remained the same. He used to paint with the painting of the highest quality, but it is now operating at five times the price and it reflects this in its price, it would not sell a painting. The rate for the high quality paint is Rp.50,000 per unit and lower quality paint is Rp.10,000, so the economic realty dictates that the less expensive alternative is to be used to stay competitive.
cheap paintings are selling quickly and Wayan is pleased to have had a relationship for 10 years now with its wholesaler that gives him regular orders. The biggest sellers being Barong dance paintings, traditional market scenes and farmers in the rice fields.
Wayan demonstrated how you do a quick paint. In a Barong dance chart, for example, there could be 30 dancers, so he made the first sketches in pencil and in his words "made all their heads look like eggs." Then he quickly fills in all colors and makes the details of the last face, ending with eyes. A painting a month would start with the detail of the eyes and work.
Wayan is an acclaimed artist in his village. One of the best. His work is very good, but it gets no practice this technique often these days. He is happy to take controlled missions, with payment in advance (as it used to be in the old days), but it does not sell and just scrapes the best way he knows. He is very happy, because he paints every day and do what he does best and, above all, what he loves.
If you want a painting done, call Wayan on 0852 38451543 or daughter-in-law (speaks English - Ketut on 0852 384 14177). Wayan lives in Banjar Kaja Kutuh on Jl. Tirta Tawar, Ubud.