Christie Jedele Art

You have been asked to create a piece of art for someone and I don’t know about you but the first thing that pops into my head is what if they don’t like the finished artwork. It can be intimidating to both the painter and buyer so when I was asked to do a child portrait using collage I decided to look into how other artists feel about doing commissions.

Make sure that you have good communication with the buyer and ask yourself questions before accepting the commission. Am I capable of completing this project? How much time will be allotted? Does it fit with my artistic goals? How involved will they be with the process? What about my style do they like the most? Where will this piece be displayed? You really want it to fit in with their office or home décor. And of course talk price so there are no surprises for either of you. Once you are able to open the line of communication, the more successful you will be with the completed piece.

I am so glad that both the commissioner and the person I was painting liked this portrait, but I am still hesitant of taking commissions. I would rather a buyer purchase a painting that I have already completed. This is especially true for my abstract work, which I feel is more about the process than the final piece. After all, I never know where the paintings journey will take me!