Commissions are worse than final exams

Some artists live for commissions. I am not one of them. To me they are exactly like the thought question at the end of a final exam, or something that a professor sneaks into a description of a paper. An example might be "Explain how you have grown as a teacher during this course." This may be how professors get compliments, but for students, they don't have a clue what they are supposed to write.

Similar to my recent commission. A good customer of mine wanted a big lake painting to go over his bed in his lake house. Picture of the lake, no. Look up the lake, but not a clear idea in my head. Seasons: fall or winter. Watercolor or watermedia. Now I don't know about you, but this doesn't tell me a lot. It is that thought question. I now have four or five paintings that I don't really like and find two that I like and one that I really like and send them to him. Buy two get one free. They are also my most expensive paintings to date.

But are they my best? No.

Nor does that type of essay question elicit the best answer or the best way of telling a professor what you have learned.

But for art, at least for my art, it has to come from somewhere in me.

A book I recently bought says abstract art is everywhere but we just don't recognize it. Look at the bark of a tree. Look at how city buildings shine in the reflected light and you see negative shapes.

Read my next entry to see how I can do a better job when the painting is just from within me.

Here are the two paintings below of winter and fall.

 This painting is watermedia, a combination of watercolor, acrylic, and gouache.

Transparent watercolor