PWAS Members That Take Commissions
Occasionally people will ask the Prince William Art Society members to create custom artworks that they would like an artist to paint for them. The question sometimes comes with who specializes in various mediums desired or subjects like pet portraits, children's portraits, or family groups. Wedding portraits or the family home, or even the koi pond in the backyard might be the subject. The PWAS art group has a lot of artists that paint commissioned paintings so let's look at a few of these artists and their art.
About Commissions
In the art world, there are a couple of meanings to the word "commission", the first being the percentage fee charged by an art gallery or show when artworks sells and is deducted from the selling price with the remainder going to the artist. The second is when a potential buyer contacts an artist and an agreement is made to have the artist create a customized original artwork for that buyer.
There are some different schools of thought on commissions. Some artists take commissions while others do not. Some artists charge more for a commissioned work and there are several reasons for these thoughts and points.
Artist Schedule: The artist may have a schedule of paintings or a series of artworks that they want or must accomplish for their specific upcoming shows. A commission, while potentially being very welcome, may alter the artist's schedule so that the additional artwork can be finished on time along with their regular artworks.
Time is Money: A commissioned artwork is a process that takes time. Back and forth communication with the client, commission contract agreements, sample or progress reporting as the art piece takes shape, setting up pickup, delivery, shipping, or installation must be arranged as well...also being a part of the cost toward the artwork.
Artistic Freedom: Artists are creative people and their artistic freedom of expression is a cherished part of what they live with and expect when they create their art. A balance may need to be struck between the client's vision (request) and the artist's interpretation of the subject of the artwork. It is so very important for both parties to be absolutely clear of the scope, expectations, the artist's style, when the client selects the artist AND the artist agrees to the request.
Important: Commissions will often require a non-refundable deposit upfront of up to half the price of the work. Artists cannot be left hanging if the client is dissatisfied or cancels the work when it is completed. It is up to the artist's discretion if the deposit may be applied to another work. The commission agreement should address any and all points.
See these Artistry Spin posts for more into:
Request for Commission of Your Artwork
Elena Jochum Discusses Art Commissions with PWAS Members
The Commissions page on this blog for more info on how both the client and the artist work their way through a commission.
Holidays: For those potential clients considering approaching an artist to have them create an artwork for you, holidays (gift-giving-times) are often very busy times of year for artists so contact them early so you can get on their calendars. Some art mediums take a lot of time to "cure" (dry), and time needs to be allotted for their creative process, as well as research itself to configure the art as well. There are artists that know approximately how many pieces they can take on before that holiday's date/deadline.
PWAS Member Mark Murphy
Painting commissions can sometimes seem like a detour from our artistic journey because they focus on a subject that has special meaning to someone else, often a stranger. That being said, I've had a couple fulfilling experiences lately.
A woman approached me online asking for a rendering of her daughter's soon to occur wedding. To honor her recently deceased father, she will wed in Hawaii where he was working as a helicopter pilot. The painting portrays her and her deceased father holding hands on the beach where the wedding will be held (Tunnels Beach, Kauai) and clearly shows her chosen wedding dress. The really gratifying part was watching her mother break down in tears when she saw the result.
A man approached me at an exhibit and asked me to paint his boat. His wife's reaction was, "Oh no, not the boat". I was anticipating a modern fishing boat, but it turned out to be a half-submerged wooden rowboat in the marsh surrounded by lush grasses and trees. It turned out to be a compelling image. Finding this wreckage and documenting it over years with his son was a special memory for this family and their emotional response to the painting was so gratifying.
I also painted the Blue Ridge Country Store in Hume, VA. I found a photo of the long-time owner online and added him in with his arms outstretched welcoming people in. When his wife saw the painting, the tears flowed for quite some time.
You never know where your artistic journey will lead but letting others, even strangers, join in on that journey can be very satisfying.
PWAS Member Zee Berrios
Commissions: A Story
Many moons ago, a lady commissioned a watercolor. She wanted a painting of a Baltimore street vendor with his horse before they disappeared. The internet was nonexistent and very few photos were available.
I accepted the commission. I went to downtown Baltimore to find these vendors. After asking around I encountered one who allowed me to take many photos of him. I made a couple of sketches and showed them to the lady. She decided for one but was not happy about the angle, so I made a couple more sketches with different angles. She decided on one. We agreed on the size and the price. She also decided on the frame she wanted, which I purchased.
I started to work on it. The size was 18" X 24" on 140Lb. paper. It took about 29 hours to finish. I also sprayed a matte varnish on it.
I showed her the final piece and she said it was too light, she wanted me to make it darker because her decor was darker. I told her I could not make it darker at which point she said she did not want it. I had not collected a down payment of half the agreed price, (BIG MISTAKE).
I told her I would not make a new one.
The story doesn't end there. I decided to find the street vendor. It took a couple of tries until one Saturday morning I found him. I went up to him and showed him the watercolor. He loved it and asked how much would I sell it to him. I told him: "It's yours, have it as a token for letting me photograph you". The smile on his face was worth so much more than all the money that lady could had given me.
If I had not varnished it I might have made it darker.
Unfortunately that is one of the pieces I never photographed.
PWAS Member Donna Liguria
Commissions are artworks that I love creating for people when time allows and the subject is something I feel I can do justice to. I say that as I do not paint specific people knowing that it has to look like that person's loved one and not look like an alien. I prefer and welcome commissions on subjects like pet portraits, the places-landscapes, mountains, or gardens, the koi ponds, etc.
Commissions are a GREAT way for art buyers to get personalized artwork for their homes or to give as gifts. The art decor in your home should reflect items you love, the places, the people the scenery, and in the colors that bring you joy and coordinate with your interiors. Contact an artist near you today!
Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and Donna's Cave Paintings Blog, and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, Virginia. And she takes on the PWAS social media duties as well (help me!) Donna specializes in acrylic painting of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.
Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm (typically, but check the website in case of any changes).
Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership
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