I hate to say it, but sometimes it really is all about size. I recently heard from Susan Eley, my gallerist in New York. She had been contacted by a client who wanted a 60″x60″ painting and they loved my work. Since I work in encaustic, 60×60 is a really big size. For all of my acrylic and oil painter friends out there, it’s kinda like asking you to paint a 10’x10′. It’s a daunting task. And they didn’t want to commission anything.
This situation pushes two of my buttons. One being the people pleaser button, I really would love to help Susan make the sale. Obviously I have a dog in the fight as well, since it would be a lucrative sale for me. I suggested four 24″x24″ or four 30″x30″ panels that could be hung together for the effect of a larger painting, and I have several paintings in those sizes the client could chose from. Plus I think that groupings like that are a sophisticated approach to hanging and seeing art. Susan suggestedtwo 24″x60″ paintings, which happen to be my favorite size to paint right now and would be a welcome challenge for me to essential think of them as pairs. Client says no go. They want one piece. Here’s where button number two gets pushed.
I have a hard time letting go of a missed opportunity. Some situations just don’t work. I can’t feasibly paint a 60″x60″ painting and ship it across the country and hope that the client likes it. It’s not a typical size for me and it’s too far outside of what I normally do. So I’ll keep painting, doing what I do and hope that the next opportunity that comes along will call for 24″x24″ paintings, lots of them.
March 31, 2010 at 10:46 pm
No way should you go and paint anything that large without a fixed commission!
Are these people crazy??!
Stick to your guns!
March 31, 2010 at 11:11 pm
I wasn’t pressured to do it by any stretch, but like I said it pushed my button about accommodating requests. I think people, in this case the client, can ask anything they want, and it’s up to me to decide what I can and can’t do.
April 1, 2010 at 2:13 am
Amber, I sure would like to see that painting. Would be amazing.
April 1, 2010 at 2:24 am
Thanks Paula! Looking forward to seeing you soon! Tucson redux, hehe!
April 1, 2010 at 2:33 am
I bet the client wanted you to create this painting without a guarantee of any kind that they would actually buy it too, huh? And if they didn’t like it then you’re supposed to just be okay with it. I know what you mean by not wanting to miss an opportunity, I’m the same way, but you’ve got to know when to say no. I had a gallery who wanted to give me a solo show (it wasn’t a big gallery but a good opportunity just the same). When she saw the work and realized it was covered in encaustic wax (did she not read the my medium list or my website where I write that I use encaustic wax EVERYWHERE on the site??). She didn’t want to show my work anymore. A couple of people suggested I do a new series of the same work without the wax. The pieces would have looked good but they weren’t what I was doing and I didn’t want to change what I did just because one person didn’t like it.
Way to have boundries! I’m enjoying your blog too 🙂
April 1, 2010 at 3:03 am
Thanks Jhina! You know, it’s hard to know what the client might think. I know most of them don’t understand an artist’s perspective and may not realize that it would be difficult to just pop out a painting. But, luckily and thankfully, Susie does understand. Another good reason to have a gallerist who you trust and respect backing you up and acting as a buffer and advocate!
April 1, 2010 at 3:36 am
First let me tell you how HAPPY I am that you are now blogging! yay!
About the commission, that is just crazy. You did the right thing, and yes, it’s awesome that the gallery backs you up.
April 3, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Amber,
You have to be true to yourself. And, if you decide to work on a 60″ x 60″ piece, enjoy the process and don’t worry about the outcome…it will be fabulous. At this moment in time, the seed has been planted, and you will get to the act of producing when the time is right for you. (This situation simply wasn’t the right opportunity.)