Commissions

Commissioned work can be fun and interesting but is also quite stressful: someone has put their trust in you and you have to come up with goods. The stress is even greater when the person commissioning you is a friend, and the commission is of her .... and this is what happened recently.

A friend had started attending pole fitness sessions and was very proud when she achieved a certain move, which someone photographed for her. The photo was not good in that the lighting conditions were poor, but it was all I had to work on.

We went through the usual procedure: discussed medium, size, paper colour and price. I also outlined my approach: what I saw as the focal points, namely the beautifully pointed toe, the light moving down the body and the hands gripping the pole. And then I went ahead.

The client's reaction at the reveal is always a nervous moment but I'm relieved and delighted to say that my client was very happy with the result, which is a great feeling for a commissioned artist.