Hello Katherine,
I've been so amused by this thread but couldn't quite recall my first commission until now because I've always drawn people, even as a grade schooler. I used to draw people's images on the Christmas cards that were pre-ordered but never knew there was a formal term to the transaction.
My first official commission was a case of mistaken identity. I was a freshman in college and the manager of the bookstore approached me and asked "Are you the artist in a wheelchair who was commissioned by..so and so... for that beautiful portrait?" I said "Yes!" knowing it wasn't me but I got a kick out of the whole scenario.
Guess what? He commissioned me to do a portrait of his niece. And after that he commissioned me one more time of his niece and dog and the buyer for the bookstore commissioned me for a double portrait plus their cat! Then someone from the Administration office commissioned another portrait. All along I was just waiting for the actual artist to surface but never did!
So for some reason I became a commissioned portrait artist just because I'm a little devil! The price of the Christmas cards were 50 cents for a dozen. In 1980, the price for the gentleman at the bookstore was $125.00 each (I now charge $125.50 haha j.k!).
It was a nostalgic moment when I visited my former school 2 months ago to meet someone for lunch. I happened to go by the bookstore and there was a photo of my first client, Mr. Davis, up on the wall, with Memorial Ribbons and bouquets beneath it. He apparently died in his sleep 2 nights previous.
Somehow it was like a short visit with an old friend looking at the 8x10 photograph of him that captured his personality so well. So this thread just added a new meaning to my nostalgic string of events. It's nice to find little gifts like that around the corner.
