Portrait Commission Contract

After many years of doing  portrait commissions, I have just recently started to get serious about contracts.  For the first decade or so, most of my patrons were local.  Many were clients at the veterinary hospital where I was office manager.  When the economy plummeted into recession, my portrait commission business slowed as well.  I became very aggressive  about using social media and internet to make sales. I don't always have the luxury to look a client in the eye.  A contract helps both the client as well as the artist.  It articulates possibilities that one might forget or be afraid to mention.  It spells out the rules.  And though it adds time to the initial process (I don't begin a project without both a signed contract and a nonrefundable deposit,) it reduces stress in the long run.

Waiting

"Waiting," 30x16" Prismacolor Pencils on rag mat board.  The reference is mine of course.  If you follow my blog and work at all, you will see these three characters crop up often.  This is what I imagine dog purgatory to be- that somewhere in between breakfast and when mom gets home.   The cat can do as he likes, but for the moment, is interested in something outside. I chose the french grays for inside and full color outside to create an obvious border between dream state and full awareness. I hope it works.  I had to try anyway.

Stripes Hooligan is finished!

This is "Stripes Hooligan" completed. He is a little under 16x20". I used Prismacolor pencils, Prisma Artstix, Luminance Caran D'arch pencils and solvents on linen. The reference photos are mine; the cat a rescue from the Family Animal Hospital in Batavia who now resides with me. I painted this as my entry to a competition.  We'll see what happens.  I already have two interested buyers.

Love Color!

This WIP of Thomas the cat has turned into an exploration of values and color. By taking a very simple subject, I'm able to focus on light and how color changes as it becomes shadow. I haven't completed the background yet, but will give myself some time to walk around the piece.  So far, I'm pretty pleased.

Light, Shadow and Cats!

You may notice that I have been painting and drawing cats all summer. My gallery person says she likes my cats and horses the best. I have never really thought about specializing in one particular subject until recently. There are many CP artists who so consistently stick to one subject or style that they are branded. One of my heros, Ester Roi,  is a CP artist and inventor, known for giant technicolored pebbles. Her palette is so striking, that whatever she chooses to paint, be it flowers or pebbles, there's no doubt that it's hers. From a business stand point branding is good.  An artist needs to be recognized.  And with so many of us out there competing for your wall space, recognition is key. So I'm going to continue painting cats for a while.  They are fascinating creatures, with one foot in the wild and the other in our homes. They are graceful, beautiful and mysterious. I will continue also to explore light and texture and how they describe the subject.  This WIP cat is Thomas.  He lives at the veterinary clinic where I work as a vet assistant. He pretty much OWNS the place! Stay tuned to see how he develops.