And now they are scanned. They have homes. If you have a thing for Hume Lake, I am available for custom work (“commission” in ArtSpeak).
Hume Lake Oil Paintings
Finished Lake Paintings
These paintings will probably show up better when they are dry and scanned, rather than wet and photographed.
All three are Hume Lake.
Mulling it Over
That coat of arms requires much mulling, both by me and the customer. I have done 4 revisions using Photoshop Junior. (The current wonkiness of the blog is only allowing photos to appear as squares, so these pictures aren’t showing you the entire image on new photos.)
We will continue to revise and discuss this. I have asked my customer if she has an idea to replace one of the fleur de lis (those silver symbols in the red sections) so there is more variety. She is probably still mulling that over. She is considering #2 and #4; I think when we get together, we will find a satisfactory solution in a #5 or #6.
This is one of the most unusual and difficult commissions I have ever tackled. Any ideas? input? advice? I will take it all “under advisement”, which means I reserve the rights to adapt, adopt, or ignore.
Slow Start
An idea came to me about painting again. Start slow, and do three paintings for an upcoming situation. (If it is interesting enough, I’ll tell you about it next week.)
I started these paintings using the method taught by Laurel Daniel last year in her three day plein air painting workshop in Georgia. I will follow her method until the real me takes over and I put in details, drawing with my paintbrush.
Stuck
One year ago, I decided to complete a series of large paintings with the hope (faint distant wish) that a boutique hotel would open in Three Rivers and the owner would want my art on the walls. This brings to mind something my dad used to say: “If you put a wish in one hand and spit in the other, which hand actually contains something?”
The hotel builder got criticized, ridiculed and chased away. I painted large anyway, and then the Thing came along and really wreaked havoc on my motivation to add to an inventory that is collecting dust.
This painting was on the easel last fall. Along came a good long run of commissions, including murals and oil paintings, and many oil paintings to be sold at the Silver City Store. Now it is still on the easel. I am stuck.
Why don’t I want to paint this?
A deadline, an interested customer, a gallery show, a boutique hotel – one of these might get me off my duff. (“Duff” is another word from my dad).
Life is full of unanswered questions.
How Do You Handle Customer Requests?
“Just curious–do you get annoyed, or do you appreciate it when someone makes a change/suggestion to an already completed painting?”
A friend and my most regular commenter asked me the question above.
Here is my reply:
“I am happy to do whatever the customer requests, as long as I have the ability and it doesn’t mess with the scene’s believability.”
She responded:
“That’s very kind (and flexible) of you. I can only speak for the audio arts, but I have seen situations where we took an arrangement and made a few cuts and lyric changes, and the arranger became incensed that we DARE change his precious arrangement.
I like your policy better!”
And I replied:
“I am very practical about the need for flexibility if I want to stay in business. I am here to serve the customer, not to serve my own art. If I was a hobbyist instead of a professional, I would probably have a different view. And I do put my foot down when it comes to logo design, because Design-By-Committee is how we got a camel when we needed a horse.”
Here’s my guess about the difference between my approach and what my friend/commenter experienced: I, the original artist, get to make the changes; my friend’s experience was that her music department was making changes on someone else’s piece.
I recently heard an interview with an artist who said she likes commissions because she can charge more for them. Really? Should I be doing that?
Better commission me soon before I decide to raise my prices.
Another Think
Ever heard the saying, “He has another thing coming”? The correct version of this is actually, “. . .another THINK coming”. Really. I’m not making this up.
As I was working with my Friend/Customer on her coat of arms, we designed it together. I took the approach of “The Customer is Always Right”, and didn’t look at it critically through my own lens of opinion.
There’s nothing wrong with that in commission work.
Or is there?
My Friend/Customer wasn’t as happy with the results as we had hoped. I showed her every step of the process, both the designing and the painting. We discussed shapes and colors and placements and sizes, but something didn’t mesh for her after she received the painting.
This troubles me, not in the sense of being annoyed with her, but in wondering where I went astray in the process. My job is to help the customer know and get what she wants, and I failed.
My conclusion is that if a customer thinks she knows her mind, don’t leave her out there in Design Land alone. Be critical (as in helpful and discerning), make suggestions, and help her see the best possibilities instead of letting her drive the process alone.
We are now rethinking the design. Here are the original, the painted version, and a sloppy photoshop revision.
The shield is ever so slightly larger, some ribbons are narrower, and some ribbons are now gone.
She is a good friend, we communicate often, and together we will solve this!
Summer Sales Ahead
That’s an optimistic title, wouldn’t you say?
The store at the Silver City Resort below Mineral King has a projected opening date of June 5. (I still call the whole place the Silver City Store although it has become an almost swanky resort instead of a little mountain store.)
My oil paintings sell very well there each summer. I have high hopes for this year in spite of the Shut Down.
When the manager said they were ready for my paintings, I spread them all out, and then made decisions. Eventually I hope all will make it up the hill, but we only show about 10 at a time.
It is always a guess – how many of which subjects and which sizes?
Every year I think I have it figured out, and often end up cranking out paintings mid summer because something popular has sold out in a certain size. This year’s paintings are heavy in wildflowers.
This summer is full of more unknowns than usual. As always, more will be revealed in the fullness of time.
Two Job Conclusions
Thing One: the A-frame is now in place. I stopped driving by the pump like some weird stalker, and just waited. Eventually, a neighbor left a nice message on the phone saying how good the sign looked, and was it my work?
So, I walked that direction the next morning.
Hey! What’s that??
The dry season is to the front.
Spring is to the rear. I wonder, will it get rotated next year?
The A-frame is in place.
Thing Two: I mailed the Coat of Arms on a Monday and was told the expected arrival was Thursday. It was received on Tuesday!
Now what’s next??
Kaweah Lake Paintings, Part 2
These are more recent paintings of The Lake, also known as Lake Kaweah, and Kaweah Lake. In addition to not remembering the correct way to state the name, I often wonder if it is in Lemon Cove or Three Rivers.
Life is full of unanswered questions.
I also painted the lake other ways.
That concludes our tour through paintings of Kaweah Lake. Tomorrow we’ll move on to other topics.