Viewpoints on Commissions

A Different Viewpoint
coloured pencil 4 x 6
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I don't think I've seen a cat with bi-coloured eyes in real life, but its seems to be a fairly common occurance, especially white cats. This image was a nice little exercise in CP to do off and on during the day.

Commission horrors come in many forms. Here are some of mine:

1. Creased, ragged indistinct photos taken against the light so the figure is almost in shadow.
2. Middle aged women who think they are 21 and want their portrait to look that way.
3. Tweakers. Those people who want changes. Over and over and over and over.
4. Last minuters. They want a large portrait. In oil. In two days. Yeah, right.
5. Bargain hunters. They too want a portrait of Mom, Dad, Fido - only the best. But they haggle over price like they're in a market in Marrakesh. Stick with your pricing.
6. No shows. Those charming people who never pick up their paintings. ALWAYS get a 50% deposit.
7. Relatives. Because they are related to you, they believe you should work for free or for flattery. No. Well ok, perhaps a sketch, but no detailed work without payment.

There are lots of problems associated with commissions and also lots of pleasure too. There is a sigh of relief when a piece is handed over to the customer and there are smiles all round with no changes requested and no argument over payment.

Best buy date for art pieces

Crabapples

Drawing is a bit like shopping.

When you don't have the money and don't really need anything, items in stores leap out at you saying buy me. When you do have money and have a need for something to wear, there is not a single thing in the whole city.

With drawing I can start out with a simple sketch of an eye for example and the rest of the drawing just falls off the pencil onto the paper. But present me with a deadline or ask me to create a specific 'something' and it will take me several tries before I can get a decent result.

I want to start a new drawing. No, I need to start a new drawing. I need new pieces for upcoming exhibitions. I have pieces in my portfolio and floating around on my drafting table. These are old pieces to me but new to others. I always date my pieces - just the year alongside my signature and then wonder 'Will the viewing public think this is 'stale'?' if its a year old or two years old. Is there a 'best buy' date for drawings and paintings? Do people want very current pieces, done within the year. Or do they buy older pieces or do they even care or notice?

What do you do? Is your exhibition art all brand spanking new or is some still dusting off from two or three or more years ago? Do older pieces smack of 'loser' and mean that you can't sell your art? The buying public are a fickle bunch sometimes and every edge to keep their attention is vital.

How old are pieces that you show?

Naming an art piece

Watching Her Leave

Graphite 9 x 12 on Bristol Smooth
Copyright Jeanette Jobson

I've completed this self portrait from all those years ago and learned to hate plaid pants. Especially plaid pants in an ill defined photograph. I tweaked the drawing when I got home today, sprayed and framed it. It will likely be a piece for an upcoming exhibition, but I still have to spend more time reviewing my portfolio and see what other pieces are suitable.

Naming a piece is something that can come easily with some pieces and totally impossible with others. Its like getting a puppy and within hours or days its name surfaces without searching, usually based on some behaviour. But art doesn't have behaviour. It does evoke emotion and memory which is what usually inspires the name for the piece. Or if there is a specific activity occurring within the piece it can inspire a name.

In this piece I'm stuck for a name., so I'm hoping for some suggestions from blog readers. The setting is Christmas 1955 likely a new doll - some sort of elf by the looks of it. I really am at a loss for a title for this and need to come up with something so it can go into an exhibition. So let's call this a brainstorming exercise and I'll throw in a print of either Weeds I or Moored for the name that is chosen!

Update

Self Portrait
Graphite 9 x 12 Bristol Smooth
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I've worked on this piece in tiny fragments of time. Early morning before work and when I get home from work, I try to fit in some drawing time, then of course weekends where I do my main block of work. I'm deepening values in the drawing to bring it forward a little.

The image isn't great, as I had a late meeting so I wasn't able to take a decent photo in the available light when I got home.

I've been adding more links to other blogs and resources as I remember them and find some new ones too. So if I am missing your link, please let me know and I'll be happy to add it again. More than anything right now I need to sleep. Its been a long busy day and I was up late last night dealing with my little indiscretion of losing all my links.

New look

I've played around with updating my blog's template to add a heading image and I've done so. This is a view of Flatrock bay in one of its tranquil moments. It may not be the final image, more the experiment.

Unfortunately, in doing so, I seem to have lost all my links to other blogs and everything else I had on the page. Sigh. Why is it technology never quite seems to work for me? But never fear my friends, I will find you all and reinstate you, safe and sound and perhaps even find some new people as well!

So tell me what you think of the new look? Is a photo appropriate or should I go with a drawing instead? I'm half scared to tinker more in case I lose anything else!

Sundays

There are bonuses to waking very early in the morning. It means that I have time to squeeze in some drawing before the day hits and takes away my time. I work more developing the line drawing from yesterday and its coming along. Aside from that time this morning, my Sunday was shot in doing other things.


I have a new digital camera - a Canon PowerShot A560. Not an expensive camera ,but its increase in megapixels over the current camera makes a big difference in clarity for images. I also bought a couple of frames as I will need them in the coming weeks.

Before that I did some repairs in the rain to my mother's porch window. In its age, the glass was literally nearly falling out so I had to locate good old fashioned putty and points and reinstall that. The rest of the windows in the porch need refitting and I'll do that over the next couple of weeks. All the windows need replacing as they are very old and the frames themselves are rotting. I guess in a few years not many people will remember how to install glass in a window as everything is vinyl or aluminum and factory sealed.