This commission was such a gift from the universe. I kept pinching myself. I get to do this every day? I get to create art that makes people smile in their own customized spaces? I feel like the most blessed person on the planet.
I could never have imagined that someone would ask me to paint images of their choosing on 11 pairs of antique glasses. In fact, when my collector first contacted me, I thought it might be one of the spam emails that make their way into my inbox each day asking me to paint artwork for them. I'm so glad I have learned to not ignore those emails.
I actually thought that what they wanted was a painting of 11 pairs of antique glasses with images on their lenses. I was guessing it could be 16"x20" and that would be big enough for me to depict all the lenses as recognizable images painted in miniature. I was focused on what the best composition would be for arranging the glasses. I gave my collector a quote and asked for a down payment to start, which they paid.
Well, when we talked over the phone, it became clear that we weren't on the same page at all. They were actually sending me the glasses, and wanted me to paint on them directly. I felt very unprofessional for making assumptions, and not fully understanding the commission before I collected money. I mean, I've been doing commissions since 1976. I have never been so misinformed at the start of one!
So my next challenge, was to figure out whether I quoted the right amount! Somehow, the universe was smiling on me still. When I compared the quote I had given vs. the value of painting 11 miniature paintings, which is how I would have quoted the project if I had fully understood it - well they were within $100 of each other! Again, what are the odds?! So, I didn't adjust my original quote. To give my collector some confidence that somehow I quoted properly despite not initially understanding the commission, I sent them a link to a show with three of my miniature pieces. That link showed the prices, the fact that two had sold, and the prices they sold for. So my collector could do the math and see that I was spot on with my pricing.
As I got to work painting these pieces, I wanted this commission to never end. If I could paint nothing but the lenses of eyeglasses for eternity, I would be such a happy artist.
As with all of my commissions, I sent mock ups to the collector before I started painting. I literally cut out the images after printing them and taped them to the glasses so they could see how I was cropping everything. Then I set out to paint the images with the most important information. I use classical realism techniques when I paint in miniature. That means I don't paint every detail and every pixel. Rather, I strive to make these little gems appear as realistic as I can, whether you are looking at these from across the room or under magnification.
So, anyone reading this - I LOVE commissions! The odder the better! I am excited to see what the next project might be.
Here is how the reveal went down!
First, pick one:
Then, a false start:
Finally, the unveiling:
And next:
