Progress Report

[Linda Nelson]

Hi All,

I've been so busy haven't posted here for a while, although I still stop every few days to see what's new to learn.

I mentioned about 3 months ago that I decided to go Pro. I started full time in mid July, and I'm happy to report it's been SOOOOO fulfilling.

First, this job allows me a lot more time for my 5 year old, who just started kindergarten. I love the privilege of dropping him off myself at 9 am, enjoying our morning together. Just by not dressing and driving off to a job somewhere has given me an extra 1 1/2 hours a day - so I can spoil myself with family time without feeling like I've sacrificed work time.

Now for the fun career news. I've completed 3 commissions since July, and have 8 commission orders to complete between now and February. Of those commissions, one will be my first corporate commission - of the founder of a corporation here that's expanding their building here in the cities (the founder called me himself!).

Another commission will be of 7 (7!) kids - & the painting proportions will be 40 inches wide by 7 feet tall (to fill a nook above a fireplace).

One of the best honors so far is that I have one client who likes my work best when I have free reign, and so has no perameters for their commission of their two kids - what a privilege for find clients who connect with your style to that point.

On the "fine art" side - there's a painting I've posted here called "Spring Bud" - a figurative piece of a girl up in a tree, and that I hope to be selling to a buyer in Chicago - so that will be my first work to go out of state.

Besides the above, I've been invited to show my work at a local center for the arts, and am working on a painting I'm doing gratis (for PR reasons) for a local sailing foundation that will be turned into numbered giclees for their fundraising.

I've also taught some oil, watercolor, and pastel classes through Dick Blick (an interesting experience, but I think that facet will go on the back burner for now).

Some professionals wrote me when I first took the career leap how rewarding this job is, and that I would never look back - thanks, you were so right.

I'll try to post some work when I can. I also have a neat paint stand I've engineered that I'd like to show you guys in case it's helpful, as well as a great gift certificate with box - for clients who want to give a commission as a gift.

My only wish would be for an assistant who knew computers and graphic design - so I could free myself from some of the laborious marketing and computer responsibilties that I will perpetually be behind on. I'm so behind I haven't even had a new photo taken of me for my web site and such (my hair is about a FOOT longer than in my publicity photo - the one used here) and my Dad is a professional photographer, for pete's sake!

Thanks for letting me share the good news, and I apologize for not contributing much to this forum lately.

x 10

Linda Nelson

Administrator's Note: "Spring Bud" can be seen here http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...&threadid=2657

[Mary Sparrow]

Sounds like you made the right choice 100%. Keep us posted.

[Jeff Fuchs]

Wow, Linda. Where did you find time to write that post?

That's great news. Keep us posted.

[Linda Nelson]

At 2:30 in the morning...

[Linda Brandon]

Linda, I'm delighted to hear this terrific news. I remember "Spring Bud" and I'm not surprised to hear that you have a buyer for it. Well done!

I hope you'll troll for ideas on the Forum regarding the composition for 7 children in a long vertical format. I'd love to see what input shows up here. The most I've done is 4 children and they hang seperately, side by side (life size) in a hallway.

Best wishes,
Linda

[Linda Nelson]

Thanks for the well wishes all, it really means alot. Linda, I've already taken the photos for the group of 7 painting and they are sitting in my computer until I finish up another project. The composition will actually be of various shots and making a "montaged" final reference - I'd love to share it and get some guidance. As far as the Spring Bud painting it's been really well received. I'm going to take a chance and do some giclees of it and "test market" selling reproductions in November at my next show.

Hypothetical question - if I sell the original, does the owner of it have the right to restrict me selling reproductions?

Linda

[Marvin Mattelson]

Great going on your new career.

The more good artists that are out there doing high quality portraits, the more potential clients will be created through increased exposure to high quality work. This is one of the main reasons I teach.

When you create a painting, according to US copyright law, you own the rights to reproduce it unless you have specifically signed away those rights in writing. If someone buys your painting they do not have the right to reproduce it without your permission. Period!

Anyone wishing to reproduce your artwork has to do it on your terms. However, if someone wanted to buy your painting with the expectation of owning all or some of the reproduction rights, you would be justified in charging them accordingly.

Good luck!

[Tom Edgerton]

Amen to that, Marvin!

The more good work is out there, the more our clients will know the difference and want more, and better .

Linda, I'm so pleased for you...

Regards--TE

[Linda Nelson]

Thanks so very much Marvin and Tom, and I hope to be at your level one day. For now I'm "in the trenches" as Peggy Baumgartner would say, and loving the challenges.

For now one thing I'm thankful of is being able to use all I've learned in sales, marketing, database management, art direction, vendor management, project managment and computers throughout the past 20 years. Although it may have been nice to have gone through portraiture training straight out of high school, I'm glad this career didn't come til now, as I've got so much training in the rest of what it takes as a businessperson to gain client's trust and steer them through to a successful result for all. My biggest achilles heel is that I'm so lousy at accounting and at P.R. writing-related stuff.

Linda

[Amy Otteson]

Linda, you are my hero! Congratulations on your success. I need to learn marketing from you. My training before art teaching was in illustration and graphic design, maybe we could make a deal for me to do some assistant work.
Amy O