My first official commission was my dentist. Prior to a filling, he saw me nervously sketching my daughter from a photograph. Seeing a good likeness, he got the brainstorm, all by himself, to have a portrait done for his wife as a Christmas gift. Something I later learned was truly a feat of enormous magnitude. I was to do a pencil portrait of his two children at the beach. When I saw it, I HAD to do it in color. So I did. I received a whopping $150.00 for that and today it stands as one of my best. I've recently been commissioned by the same man and his wife to do several other pieces, and you can bet they won't be in the $150
range.
The most impact a commission has had on me was that of Claytie. A young boy who had recently passed away from a sroke.
Claytie
It was a wonderful and moving experience that I will never forget. Like having an angel sitting on your shoulder. I am one of the only artists in the area doing Posthumous portraits as other artists here see it as kind of creepy or so sad they can't focus on the subject at hand. Not me, I love them and since I work quickly, I can have the painting done within 24 hours of receiving the reference photos.
Although I have only been painting portraits for a little over 2 years, I have learned to appreciate and respect inspiration, dedication and education. Truly an artist
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