How much does it cost? Prices begin at $700 for a 'traditional' portrait. For a 'cutout' portrait the prices begin at $1,000. 'Construct' pieces are more complex and are, therefore, more expensive. Just as an example, suppose you wanted a piece like the 'Ladder' construct, except with your children on the ladder. The base price for that artwork would be $5,000, and mignt be higher, depending on the detail in the figures.
How to order a portrait? See 'How to Order' in the menu to the left.
How to pay? Credit card, money order, cashier's check, personal check, or cash. A 10% start-up fee may be required, depending on the up-front cost of materials.
Will you have input and will you be kept informed? You will be shown, via e-mail, photos of the painting as it progresses. For larger or more complex portraits, there may be stages of completion where I would ask that the client approve the progress of the painting. In cases of high cost projects, a partial payment might be required. Any schedule of 'approval' or 'partial payments' would be part of the signed agreement, before the work would start.
What if you are not satisfied? The up-front agreement would state that you don't have to pay for any piece that is unacceptable to you. Any 'start-up fee' or 'partial payment' would be kept by the artist. You - the client - would have already agreed, in the 'agreement', that the artwork would then belong to the artist, who would be free to sell it to someone else. Satisfaction is guaranteed.
During the process, if the piece is not satisfactory to you - the client - then I might be able to make changes, as requested. But, if I decide that those requested changes would cost me too much time or would reduce the quality of the artwork, I would have the option to halt the project. The money that you have already paid would belong to me, and the artwork would belong to me. You - the client - would be free of any additional cost.
How long does it take? That is difficult to say. I work dilligently, but my process is very slow. Sometimes a portrait will take a couple of months, but sometimes I may not be able to get a satisfactory result - satisfactory to me - and the piece will take longer, as I struggle with the artwork. If you need the artwork for a particular event or by a certain date, then you should probably find another artist.
The cost of shipping is extra and will include the cost of the postage, insurance and the shipping box. These costs will be discussed and agreements will be made before any work is started.
Typically, I do portraits from photograps - taken by you or by me. However, I would be pleased to do preliminary drawings or paintings, if the subject has the time and inclination to pose. Some of the 'Old Masters' had their subjects pose over 100 times for a portrait. If you are willing to pose that often, I would love to do your portrait 'live'.