Photography Presentations

The internet has made a big impact on how I do presentations. Now it's strictly email. I still remember making appointments to show artwork where I would have to (1) bring original art (2) bring food and drinks (3) entertain the group of designers. Those days are (thankfully) over for me since my client base is well developed. We know each other. They call me when they want something they know I can produce. In return, I know what to present because I know what they like. It's a win-win.

For the past two days I have been working on a series of photographs for two massive hotel projects. It's for room art and each project is too much volume for me to print, so I'll be collecting royalties. It hasn't been decided for sure yet, but there will be at least three pieces in each room for both locations. So far I have submitted more than 50 photos. Most of those follow the parameters that I was given, but there are a few that are out-of-the-box. My rationale for that is that if the client has never seen anything like it before (1) they can't reject something they don't know about and (2) they might love it! Experience tells me that commercial designers are always looking for something new and different.

I'm competing with other photographers on this project, so I took a lot of time making sure that each photo I presented was appropriate for the two different locations.

I'm also painting. Seems like I'm getting back into the swing of things since I've been back in town for a couple weeks now. Finally! I've got several commissions I've had for awhile but haven't been inspired. Well, the creativity is finally kicking back in and I'm rocking and rolling.

Summer has arrived in Dallas, with it's corresponding hot weather. I'm actually glad of that since I have a couple of resin pieces to complete in the next couple of weeks. One is cast resin, and that's always tricky.

My dog ate through the outside door in my back studio this week. I have no idea what inspired her to do that since she's never shown an interest in it before, in all her 7 years. There is a metal grid shelving unit blocking that door on the inside, so she knocked everything off the shelf to get in -- was a big mess! And that flimsy sheet of plywood won't last long, I'm buying a new steel door that I'll have installed this weekend. Bad dog!

It's All Art

When my client and I got in an argument about a current sculpture project we're working on together, she announced, "I'm sorry but I don't know all your capabilities." At that point I had to laugh and tell her that I don't either!

I certainly didn't know how to create the clay sculpture you see above. My only experience with clay was back in the 70s when I worked for a wholesale ceramic supply company as a bookkeeper. I just applied a little knowledge and common sense to create the shell form. I bought a bag of air-dry clay, a few tools, spread out the plastic and went to work. How hard could it be, right? My client and I met with the designer yesterday and got approval (with a couple minor changes - she said it was too perfect). Next I will let this piece dry (it's hollow underneath), then make a silicone mold. It will be cast in clear resin, tinted an aquamarine color. There are 15 of them for a hotel installation.

It's All About Relationships

In my "business of art", art consultants are notoriously protective of their clients identity. There is an obvious inclination for designers to go directly to the artist and leave out the agent in the middle. Having worked as both an art consultant and an artist I understand the delicate balance of the relationships.

So I never was surprised when I would create a mockup or artwork concept for a project, deliver them to the art consultant, and some days later would hear back with comments from the designer. As in the transfer of any information between people, the comments were influenced by the agents' ideas. Over the years (many!) I have apparently finally earned the trust of my clients, and they now allow me to interact directly with the designers (both with and without them being present). This has resulted in a much more efficient process. Case in point, meeting yesterday with my agent, and a hotel designer on two very different projects. We had done some preliminary culling of ideas, so I was able to print and bring the designs that showed the most promise.

The three of us mixed and matched the artwork by holding it up to the fabrics and other samples of finishes in the room, and put together two different schemes for each room. The designer gave me fabrics to take home, so that now I can tone the paintings and photography to the colors in the room. Truly "match the sofa"! We accomplished all this in less than an hour. The old way of leaving me out of the face to face would have taken a week at least.

I am convinced that one of the reasons that my work is chosen so often for projects is that I am willing to adjust any artwork to fit the project. What you see is NOT what you get from me. Too many artists find their work so precious that they refuse to change it. That's fine if you have another source of income. For me, the process is more important than the finished product. I am in love with the process.

Losing Track of Time

I didn't realize so much time had gone by since I last posted. I've been so-o-o-o busy!

I am still working on the Pensacola project, with large scale photography printed on canvas, and three very large photo paintings. They measure 44"w x 58"h. In order to print on that size canvas I had to figure out a way to get it through my printer, which I did, thank goodness. My normal process is to complete the painted areas first, then run it through the printer, but with so much room for error in the printing phase I did that first this time. All three printed okay. Not great, but good enough.

I am painting them now, and wherever there's a little printing flaw I'm touching up with paint. No one will ever know once they are framed and on the wall somewhere. I've got two completed, and I'm working on the third, should finish today. I hope so, because I want to spend some time in the yard tomorrow when it hits seventy five degrees!

I thought I had the whole month mapped out, but I'm in the business of creating original art for commercial projects. All those designers work on deadlines, and I never know what purchase order might be headed my way at any given time. This past week while doing my best to complete the Pensacola project, I got another order for three original abstracted landscapes on canvas for a hotel in Charlotte. They are big, too, 44 x 44.

On top of that I got one of those "art emergency" phone calls asking for more concept images for a new Ritz property. I didn't know this, but I'm doing model room for that project. I pulled some of my recent photography from Yosemite and submitted that, but also booted up Corel Painter and made a few digital paintings. It was great fun, and very satisfying when my client called me up with a big "wow!".

AND, the client I did the double-sided resin boxes for called. Her client loved them, wants more. Yikes. I SWORE I wouldn't do anymore of those, so we're talking large scale wall hung panels this time. Much easier.

Now I'm stressed again, because I have a trip to New Orleans scheduled for Jan 17 - 21. It's a photo shoot with my friend Nancy.

Back to the Drawing Table

It's been a long time since I've done any actual drawings, but I have a new project that's exactly that. I'm doing a series of detailed botanical illustrations. I have never done this before, but my client obviously has enough confidence in my ability to deliver that they sent me a purchase order!

Another new project involves a registration desk assemblage. This one I get to design, so that's what I'm working on today so I can get pricing out.

Then there's the cast piece that I'm doing design work for right now.

And I have two new paintings for Texas Clinic on the studio wall. Not physically started yet, but I can see them in my mind.

I'm so glad to have the show up and off my calendar so I can get to these other things that actually pay me!

Design Challenge

Mercury 2, 18" x 66"

The Mercury Grill project is making me crazy! I am an admitted overachieving perfectionist. I have a commission for 12 paintings all going in the same room in the restaurant. My mockup was approved so I can't venture too far from that. So the Challenge is to design the paintings so that they are different enough to be interesting without straying too far from the mockup. aaaaack!

I'm half way there. Maybe. I've done two center panels and four complimentary side panels.

My client called yesterday and asked the status of the 20 blue paintings, and I just had to laugh. I can't think about them when I am obsessed with this.

And I got another order via email from my rep on the West coast for 24 photo paintings. At least there's not much thinking that goes into those paintings, I already "know" them.

All this painting makes me wonder why I am taking a painting workshop April 19 - 29 in Mendocino. Well, partly because it's with my best friend Nancy, and it is Mendocino, after all.

Process of Commissions

Work comes to me in any number of ways, almost always commissioned. In response to a comment from yesterday's blog, I will outline the process of the Mercury Grill project.

The restaurant owner has a design staff. The designer met with my client, the gallery owner. They did a presentation with an assortment of art, narrowing down the "look" the designer is going for. When the final artwork was decided on, the gallery contacted me for pricing of specific sizes.

When the pricing is approved by the restaurant owner, via the designer, the gallery contacts me again and sends me the imagery that the designer responded to. In this case, they were small etchings. My challenge at that point is to create artwork that evokes the same feel as the the samples, yet are completely different. That's difficult, because I first have to determine what it is about the sample art that they were drawn to. Was it color, shape, line quality, contrast, composition? In this case it's a combination of those things.

I then created a mockup. Comparing my mockup to the originals, there was a certain similarity of line, although the composition and color was different. That mockup wasn't exactly right in my eyes, and I tried an entirely different process on the second mockup. I submitted both to the designer. As expected, the owner chose the design of the first, and the process of the second.

No purchase order for this project, but due to a short turnaround time, I started immediately. All twelve paintings are due on Monday, but I notified the gallery that I will not be able to make that deadline. These paintings have turned out to be very labor intensive.

You might be wondering why I am commissioned to create art that originated with another artist. In this case, the etchings were small, and came from France. Not only was there no way to commission the original artist, but an etching of this size (18" x 66") would hardly be possible.

In other cases, the gallery always contacts the original artist first, if it's not my work.