Five Tips for Commissioning Art

 

Commissioning art can be a rich, meaningful experience. My patrons tell me their portraits bring joy to their lives. Some have said it would be the first thing they'd grab if the house was one fire (I'm assuming that's after the kids.)

But my years in business have taught me that there is a lot of confusion surrounding the commission process. Most people have no clue where to begin or what to expect.

So if you're considering commissioning art, here are some helpful tips to get you started.

1. Get a referral. You wouldn’t look for a doctor or a therapist in the yellow pages. That’s because you need someone trustworthy and dependable for personal matters. Look for an artist who has worked with your friends and ask them for guidance and insights.

2. Ask the right questions. Before you commit, make sure you have a clear understanding of the artist’s process, pricing, and timeline. In addition, ask less obvious questions such as:

• Do you work from photos or from life?
• Does the price include the frame?
• What happens if I don’t like it?

3. Get it in writing. I never, ever,  accept a commission without a written agreement, signed by me and my patron. Contracts give clarity and protection.

4. Trust your gut. A good artist is a good business person. They deliver on their promises, meet their deadlines, and provide great service. Their process is clear and simple. Only work with an artist you like and respect (this goes both ways).

5. Too many cooks. You wouldn’t go into the kitchen at Iris and tell Kelly English how to make his dishes, would you? No. You’d be escorted off the premises faster then you can say bread puddin.’ If you like an artist’s work, trust her creative vision.

Have you ever commissioned an artist before? If so, what was your experience like?

A Professional Artist?

A gentleman contacted me last week because he was interested in portraits of his three kids. This was unusual because normally it’s the moms who reach out to me. But every once in a while I’ll get a commission from the dad.  

Thayne and his wife Anne live in a beautiful home in the Shady Grove area with their three children: Lillian and twins Matthew and Mitchell. The family recently moved into a new home and were in the middle of renovations when I met them.

Thayne and Anne seemed very much in love, and they shared with me the story of their relationship. Thayne said that whenever he gets asked what he wants for Christmas, he always responds that he wants good memories and a means to keep them. His recent birthday gave him time to reflect on his "three bundles of chaos" and how they've all changed.

Thayne has an avid interest in art and is a Caroll Cloar collector. During our time together, I met the twins and took a tour of the house. The room I loved the most was Lillian's It was the perfect little girls room: pink with butterflies, flowers, tea sets, and ballerinas. I could tell how much Anne and Thayne love their children by the care they took to create a beautiful environment for them.

Throughout the consultation, Thayne kept telling me what a relief it is to meet an artist who is a business person.

From my experience as an artist and entrepreneur, I know that most people don’t expect artists to be professionals. For instance, I have a friend who waited eight years for a portrait because of the artists lack of professionalism.  Most artists have no idea how to run a business. They just don’t teach you this stuff in art school.

So I get why he was surprised by my professionalism. I have immense respect for my collectors and I work to make the commission process as clear and easy as possible. I meet my deadlines and I’m clear about my terms and boundaries.  I don’t discount my portraits out of respect for my collectors who pay full price. And as Thayne said, it’s not like I’m just sitting around with a paint brush in my hand waiting for a commission. That's why I encourage serious collectors to book their portraits in advance.

And I won’t paint dogs, so don’t ask:)

A Crippling Love

I had some really interesting conversations with moms this week. I'm working on a concept to do a series of blog posts on motherhood. My plan is to feature a portrait each month accompanied by an interview with the mother. The inspiration behind this project is to better understand what it's like to be a mom, both for myself and for my work. I want to be a mom one day and I want to help moms celebrate their relationships with their children through my work.

One friend I was talking with the other day is a new mom. I asked her what was one thing she would want her child to know. She told me about how much she loves her son. She said it's almost a crippling love. You feel so bound to this little person that you don't want to ever be apart from them. She said having a son completely rocked her world- it changed everything.

She said the love she feels for her son is like no other. It's different from the love she has for her husband, parents, and friends. Having a son completely rocked her world. It absolutely changed everything.

I have a question for moms out there:  When was the moment you realized the love you have your child was different than anything else you had experienced?

Celebrating Mothers

By Kate Bradley 28 March 2014, 1:10 PM The relationship a mom has with her child is special. The Bible says that we were knit together in our mothers wombs, so mothers are our first connection to the world. It's a blessing to be a mom!

I hear people say that you don’t’ realize your capacity to love until you have a child. I believe that’s true. I see it in the faces of the moms I work with. When a portrait brings tears to their eyes, I feel how much they love their children. I hope to have kids of my own one day so I can experience that love.

My client and friend Micki came to my studio yesterday to see the finished portrait of her son Henry. She gasped when she saw it. She said what a little rascal he is. Later, she told me she and her husband were thrilled that I was able to once again capture the magic of their children!

I just love that. There is a magic in childhood.

My portraits are symbols of that motherly love. All the time, energy and sacrifice it takes to raise kids. You really do give your lives to them.

Growing up, my mom worked so we could have a good life. There were probably some dreams she sacrificed so she could take care of me and my sister. She made sure I had all my school supplies, took care of me when I was sick, and put me in art class. She's also my favorite shopping buddy. I know I can always trust and rely on her. She will always speak truth to me (sometimes annoyingly so.) But I know she's right. And that she has my best interest at heart.

As Mother's Day approaches, I feel especially blessed to celebrate the awesome, beautiful role of motherhood. The moms I paint for care so, so much about their children. What an honor to spotlight that relationship in my work.

Chasing Henry

 

I’m working on a portrait of Henry Martin this week. Last year I painted his older sister Francis, and what a different experience this commission has been! When I was taking the pictures, Francis was calm and serene, and did exactly what she was told. She held her little flower, and I was done taking the pictures in no time.

Henry, well, he does the opposite. I say that jokingly- he’s adorable and I just want to hug him. He calls himself “Hen” and me “Kay-kay,” and gave me a big slobbery kiss when I left. How could you not love that?

So I’m chasing him all over the house trying to get a picture of him. Everything is a blur because he is streaking past me.

His mom, Micki, and I try everything we can to get him to be still. We bribe him with candy. We put on his favorite movie, The Aristocats (he loves cats), but nothing is working. I mean, he’s only two, so it’s not like he’s going to stand perfectly still. Which is fine. I often work from several photos.

Micki originally wanted to have Henry holding a porcelain rabbit, the same one his dad was holding in his portrait as a child. We tried that, but in the end it just didn’t work. Henry is a lively, rambunctious, rascal and it didn’t fit his personality to have him placidly holding a heirloom.

So after taking LOTS of pictures, most of them unusable, I manage to get two or three that I could work from to make a beautiful portrait. And this one is going to be beautiful.

This is the study I did for Henry's portrait. I chose this pose and background because it expresses Hen’s personality. He looks so natural and relaxed. The elements of the background work to make him the focus. This is important, because you don’t want anything to distract from him. The red is so striking. It brings out his rosy cheeks and compliments the blue of his shorts beautifully. The lighting makes his skin glow and his dark hair shine. And I just adore his little socks and shoes.

For some reason, Henry's portrait reminds me of John Singer Sargent's work, this one in particular. It's very loose, except for the girl. This helps position her as the focus. It has such life and personality. You can imagine this is exactly how she is.