I hate commission work and refuse to do it. That's it I said it the cats outa the bag. This is the point when everyone.. especially people who don't paint freak the fuck out and proceed to intensely lecture me on how this is what artists do and that I'm not a real artist if I don't paint commissioned work. How I need to learn the business of art and how you know the real master painters were part of the elite court and that's what made them so rich and respected (love how they only bring up this argument with art only and not medical practices hahah) if they keep lecturing after I say the medical thing well then now I'm triggered and there is no going back. Art Rant Activated.
This is a sore subject because of my past experiences. I too once read Robert Green (oooh you just wait guys.. have a got a hot take on those books in regard to art.. but that's for a later post) and thought that that's the ultimate goal of the artist is to become valued by the upper classes. To have the upper classes commission portraits and to be invited to their portrait commission unveiling events. Mannn was I wrong because life experience showed me that the integrity of my work and my time is what's most import to me.. and as a fellow artist, that is what you should value most. Let me explain..
Anytime Ive had a commission everything starts off great. The buyer says "I love your work.. paint anything just in your style, I know I'm gonna love it because I love your work!" Ok great! I make the study mock up.. they may ask for a few small changes that's totally normal and expected cause I can't read their minds and I want to make something that they will like. So I make the adjustments and show them the edited sketch. They say ok great let's do that!
This is the beginning of the end. Studio doomsday. Because what happens next is that they start calling with what they think are purely genius ideas.. "T you know what would be great? If we added two people to that landscape!! And I think if I were to paint it I would want it to actually be an oval!! An oval canvas!! Like how cool is that?? That's no problem right? Oh and I was also thinking that I want to add text.. like those banners that the planes fly at the beach? You know the ones with the beer adds? Yeah those are cool! I think the people would really love that!! Oh and here is a picture of my dog can you paint that in too. Hope that's not too much to ask :) we look forward to seeing the updated sketch!"
Mind you.. we agreed on a simple landscape painting at studio price, no people, no text, no beach and certainly no planes, beer, or pets!!!! What the actual fuck. I think this happens because people love art and think that once they've payed an artist.. the artist is like their person AI generative bio printer.. that can paint whatever nonsense they dream up.
At first I would feel soo guilty for canceling the commission.. because the buyer is excited about my work and art income is soo inconsistent that it's like rejecting your blessings. But are commissions actually a blessing or an artists nightmare in a financially enticing disguise?
Let's look at it from a business stand point.. since the whole "wealthy elite adjacent artist" is the first point people bring up. Business is about providing a product that provides value and is financially profitable for the business owner. As an artist my studio is my business. I make beautiful paintings about my life experiences, people relate to the imagery and they buy my art. It's a simple process and I've always had sales. So as my dad says "if it ain't broken don't fix it." The business plan is working just fine, everyone is happy.
So why would I interrupt this process to waste my time on something that I didn't have much say in, that was "designed" by someone who has no idea of what they actually want, a client who is asking for changes weekly and its not even a guarantee that they will pay the remainder of the price once the painting is done? Plus it will be their style of work in the end and I wouldn't even put it on my website.. because 1. it doesn't look like my work and 2, if its good then I'd be stuck doing commissions indefinitely.
I recently had this happen and I was venting to an art school friend that works for a major major design firm. Sometimes I really feel like God and the universe sends you people to professionally confirm what you were already thinking, you just gotta be open to it. He said that they work with artists and deal with commissions all the time and at their firm the client signs a contract that allows them 3 alterations to the art work and that's it. OMG that makes too much sense! I knew I wasn't the only artist loosing their mind over unreasonable client demands and constant changes.
So thats how art business actually works with commissions but back to the painting studio as a business topic. I once read Tim Ferriss 4-Hour Work Week where he talks about how to optimize your business for efficiency and there he says 90% of your clients will be great but you will waste the most time trying to please the perpetually unsatisfied %10. People chase 100% client success but that's impossible. So we waste our recourses trying to satisfy the demands of the unhappy 10%. Ferriss advises to ditch the 10% for the sake of the business and the business owners mental health. Which is soo right because I was nearing entering a depressive episode trying to make this commission work. I think Ferriss knows way more about business, time management and resources than some "kings court of the past" ever could.
And one last point.. commissions waste your time. When I was younger and still searching for who I was.. I felt like I had all the time to wonder and do side quests for the learning experience. But now at 38.. I know exactly who I am, what I like and don't like, what's my aesthetic and the message I want my art to project. I have sooo many painting ideas and imagery and life experiences to paint about and sooo little time! Like we actually don't have much time on this Earth as artists and we have an intense desire to bring as much beauty into the world as possible! A Memento Mori moment.. if there ever was one. Time is an artists greatest resource and vulnerability and at the same time and I refuse to waste a minute of it on things that don't contribute to my art. I didn't spend years to learn this amazing skill to have someone tell me what I should and shouldn't paint.
RIP to commissioned work and Happy Painting guys :)
