Update on my Commission Painting

So I thought I'd post an update about the little poodle painting I was commissioned to do.
The client had wanted it to be small. Ideally 5 by 7. I thought I had a 5 by 7 canvas but only found a 6 by 6 instead.
When I had finished it, I sent the client an email with a photo attached.

She did not reply to the email so I sent another saying that I would bring it to work and if she liked it she could pick it up.

No reply.

I emailed her later in the week, we had never really talked about a price but the painting she had seen of mine which was much larger, probably 18" by 18" had a tag that said it was selling for $50.00
To be honest, I have a hard time pricing my work.
One of the girls at work who has purchased a couple of my paintings, my smaller ones, told me that she thought I priced my work too low.
So I asked my co-workers what they thought was a good price for this piece.
They said since it was personalized it should be at least $30.00, maybe even $40.
So I emailed the client that I would leave the painting up front in the office in case she came in some time when I wasn't working and I was thinking $30.00.
So this Monday I come in and the girls tell me that the client had stopped in on Saturday.
They gave her the painting and waited in excited anticipation.
They all had loved how it turned out.
They said she looked at it with no emotion on her face.
She was just blank.
They said she turned it over in her hands a couple of times and then said
"30 dollars?"
"If I knew it was going to be $30.00 I would have asked for a bigger one for $50.00."
So the girls told her, "Well, she said $30.00"
and the client wrote out a check to me.
Everyone told me again how much they liked it and couldn't believe her "non" reaction.
I told them that she had specifically asked for "small" because she said it was to hang on the wall above her dog's things.

I told them that the last time I had someone ask me to paint something for them was the big C logo for the Chicago Bears on a bean sack board game thing.
I had told the wife I'd would need to go out and buy some paint pens and that they would total to just under $10.00.
So the wife stopped by and picked up the board and gave me a check.
She left me a voice mail as she drove home on how much she loved it.
Then the next day she called and asked me if she could have the paint pens.
Since they were included in the price.
She needed them because her husband wanted to go over it again and make it darker.

Seriously, I doubt if I will ever do a commission again.

GHOST PAINTING

I've been blogging since June 2009.

My second post was about my cat Ghost.

It told the story of how he was a scared timid little thing who followed my cat Harry around and was scared of his own shadow. If you would like to read the whole story about how he became lost and then found 1 month and 3 days later in another town, just go to this link: http://oldblackcatboo.blogspot.com/2009/06/this-is-my-cat-ghost.html
I searched for him relentlessly and worried and imagined awful things.
On nights when it stormed, I could not sleep. He was always terrified of the rain, thunder and lightning. He would hide under the furniture and refuse to come out.
And then he was found. He had become a Warrior.
He is no longer scared when it storms. He leaps from surface to surface with confidence.
He dismisses the dogs with confidence. He's a changed cat.
He is still very loving and likes to follow me around and gently touch my face with his paw.
But try to trim his nails now and he will fight you to the death.
So this painting, done in acrylics, watercolor, ink, crayon and paper is about my Ghost.

NIGHT at the MUSEUM

Two months ago, my best friend and I took a Wine & Art class at the Figge Museum.

I didn't blog about it because it didn't really turn out to be as exciting and educational as I thought it would be.

It was a "Pop up" class. We made some little folded books and a card with paper cut and pasted to create pop-ups.
I have not been in a class setting for a zillion years and suddenly I remember that I am not a good student.
I get easily bored. I also get easily irritated.
The instructor held up a piece of paper and folded it this way and that as we did the same.
Then she said "Oh, wait. No, fold it this way....wait a minute." then she brought down the paper looked at it and folded in front of her. "OK." she said and held it back up and folded it a different way.
I just get frustrated. Now my paper was folded the wrong way.
Then she had us do little frogs out of green paper....fold, fold, fold - cut.
Crap. Mine did not look like a frog.
So I didn't post about but...here's my pop-up card that I did.

I tossed it when I got home.
But it was a nice evening, spending time catching up with my friend.
Last month it was a "Clay" Wine and Art. I had to work late that night. So we weren't able to attend.
But last Thursday I was excited to go.
This class was to be about Mixed Media.
I really hoped to learn something that I could use in my paintings.
When I arrived, they were holding a Zumba class outside.

Maybe I should take a class in that!
When my friend and I decided to take the stairs to the second floor, as I tried to continue to talk normally, I was thinking that I should definitely take a class in Zumba.

Sadly, we didn't do Mixed Media. Instead the instructor (a different one) passed out paper and oil pastels.

Hmmm.
She started talking about Georgia O'Keeffe.
OK! I'm listening!
She showed some photos of her Leaf Paintings.
This was one of them:

She said that some people viewed them as sensual and sexual.
I'm thinking - Dah.
But she said that O'Keeffe was from the Midwest and Conservative background

and that this was created in the 1920's so that is just the opinion of SOME people ...
Yeah?
I mean, does she even anything about Georgia?

Sigh...

She passed out a laminated copy of some painted leaves and had us open up our boxes of pastels and on white paper she said we could copy the leaves -

or do whatever we wanted. We could draw a sensual flowing line....

or maybe just the leaves on the copy.
She walked by our table and said to me "Oh, you decide to not copy? Hmmm, purple."

Then she had us do drawings on black paper.
I tried to be a good follower. I copied the little leaves.

She walked by "blue?"
I smiled. "No, turquoise."
Finally she had us use water soluble pastels on white watercolor paper.
These look more like the copy.

But I still put turquoise in there.

My friend asked me later if I waited to do the "Wine and Art" class again.
She knew I was a bit disappointed.

I said sure. It was a nice night out. There were a couple of young college age girls at our table that we had a nice chat with even if they did call us "ladies" at the end of the evening...
as in "It was really nice meeting you ladies, hope to see you next time!".
(I hate when I forget that I'm old to young people)...
and I had never used oil pastels before.
So I did learn something.
Next month the class is "Black & White Charcoal & Oil Pastels".
Maybe we will do Mixed Media then!

Paint, Paper and Ink

Another Broken Heart Cat...

Another One Done and Tree Limb Update

Another one done.

I actually thought I had one besides this one done when I noticed a small little hair in the top coat.

So I sanded it down until I got to the hair and then repainted the spot and sealed it again.
It's still drying.
I always see so many imperfections in my work that it drives me crazy.
This one is brown paper attached to painted canvas.
I can see a ripple.
Yep, drives me crazy.
I'm currently working on another one with tissue paper gel mediumed to painted canvas.
I actually like it...so far. Hope I don't ruin it.

One thing I do have to remember though is to not smooth back my hair behind my ear when I have gel medium on my fingers.

I didn't noticed it immediately.
Nope, not until I went to smooth it back again and my hand got stuck.
Ouch.
That hurts getting that stuff out.

Another thing, the tree guy came. Cut down the limb on the roof and another one across the patio and above the power lines. He did it in less than an hour and never had to disconnected my phone/Internet line.

He then gave me a reasonable quote on repairing the roof. The metal edge needs to be pounded back down, the nests cleaned out of the soffits and then repaired and put back in place. Hopefully the quote includes cleaning out the gutter. I think there are tiny trees growing in there.
I will have to get some cash together but hopefully he can do it before winter comes.
I asked him if he paints houses. He hesitated but said he could probably do mine.
I said it would depend on whether I get any income tax money back next Spring.
I hope so.
My roof is a light grey color and I'd like the house to be a light yellow. Not too yellow Yellow. More of a bright white-yellow with grey shutters.....
although I do adore this pink house -

2 Paintings

Well, I've finished the commissioned painting.

I really hate doing them but...
This is the photo the client emailed me.

She wanted the background slate blue
but also thought maybe her dog should be on the grass.
She had seen my painting "In My Dreams, I'm Not Old" and wanted that on her painting.
I did it in the style of my other work.
Collaged papers, paint and ink.
Here's the finished piece:

I hope she likes it.

I did a little cat painting too.

 

Blue: "Quit Bugging Me

and go paint something!"