Thanks for stopping by – I think this blogging stuff will be fun. Definitely figure it out as we go. Please leave comments – it will make it much more interesting! Say whatever you want – if I don’t like it, I won’t post it! 😉
Thought I’d start with thoughts about commissioned work versus painting whatever I feel like.
Well first, sure, does “painting whatever I feel like” really exist? Lately I’m thinking about what would sell, what ‘s due when, what size and subject matter would appeal… (ever noticed how close “appeal” is to “appall”?). There’s really so many great paintings in my head it’s hard to get started sometimes. Put it this way. When you go to a restaurant, do you want a long delicious menu or a short delicious one? I think I’m supposed to say “oh I love having lots of choices, it’s all about expression and the artistic muse within, follow your bliss free bird”. However, like it or not, even with the short delicious menu, I’m the last to order. Sometimes it’s just hard to choose.
So maybe that’s why I have so enjoyed painting a few commissioned pieces lately. Subject matter? – check. Prospective buyer? – check. Deadline and priorities?- check.
This was done recently for a good friend, who suprised her husband with a commission portrait of his favoirite dock and boat on the Dog River in Mobile County, Alabama. I know these people. They’ve got some rich history on that dock and in those waters. Painting it was a joy for me, and I felt like we were all giving each other a gift. That’s what I’m talking about.