It is a very delicate balance the artist has to negotiate between the client and him or herself . Often the artist is poor and needs the commission badly. This puts the artist on the defensive both artistically and financially. I have noticed that we often explain our fees ad infinitum, as if we ourselves are guilty of charging SUCH an exorbitant fee. We all to often think it is a large fee vis-a-vis our own perspective. We often quake inwardly (at least I do) when coming in contact with extreme wealth, I don't mean Mercedes, I mean Bentleys and Rolls. Just give them the fee as confidently as you can, try NOT to bargain, it makes you look needy.

I here a lot of whining on this site about how little one gets for a piece of work. The reason I quoted Joy above is that all too often the artist has NOT done the heavy lifting required to become an accomplished artist. If you look a the really big stars in the business, whether you like their work or not, they all have tremendous skill sets. All of them can accomplish their portraits from life. Today the artist has his back against the wall in this regard because clients refuse to sit today. They know all too often all the artist has to do is snap their picture and they are of the hook time-wise. However, a portrait artist worth his salt SHOULD be able to accomplish this.

These are great ideas, and great reminders. Thanks for posting them. The great thing about this Forum is that these subjects always seem to pop up just when I need a kick in the right place.

I told my husband about this thread. He said IF they don't like the price and don't think it is worth it, tell them to do it themselves. Add that you will be by from time to time to help them out.

Joy, sorry for not responding sooner. Had problems with my laptop. It was infected with 29GB of zipped files and spy ware. Had to re-install everything.

From early childhood I knew no boundaries. Brought up in a country town, more in the country than the town, I experienced the joys of a farm and country life stile. Sure, while growing up, I envied the kids that lived in the city but these same kids envied me. Their plenty could not measure up to the simplicities and the small pleasures that a life in the county offers. I guess that is why now days we have commuters (we run to the city to work and right back out to the country in order to enjoy the peace an nature). Don't get me wrong the city life has its charm. I know for most of my adult life was spent in the city.

I raced cars, motorcycles (not professionally) and was quite wild according to todays standards. In the sumer of 1989 I sat on back of a motorcycle with a friend and not but a few blocks from my home the accident o-curd. Some young man with his car caused the accident and I and my friend ended-up in the Emergency ward. It tuck but a second at an intersection and my friend who was driving the bike ended up with a punctured lung and busted wrist. My friends life was in grave danger and the doctors had doubts whether I was to walk again. My spine was fractured. We did survive and I am walking again thank God but our life at least mine will never be the same. There are many thing in life that I enjoyed prier the accident which never will I be able to again. Honestly though, many a times I considered getting another bike but decided against it. I have come to realize that in life there are so many thing that are as exciting if not more than riding a bike. My younger brother has a K1100 and I do take it out for a spin when the urge is strong. Riding in a car can never be a substitute but I must measure the importance of life. I have come to realize that in the cage of a car I have a better chance of surviving in order to enjoying the simple things in life.

Joy, thank you for visiting my website. Yes, most all is done from life. I do enjoy copying some inspirational photos and also the works of the masters of old and masters of today. I find that I can learn much this way.

I am not sure how involved the pilers of Bad Homburg are in fund raising. I am sure they are and I curtainlly will take your advice. It will be my pleasure to help them along being that I have some experience in the humanitarian field. I know for a fact that Germany allocates millions each year for humanitarian aid and projects.

One of my draw backs is that I am just getting to know the German language and the area. So, I must work doubly hard if I plan to make a living from my art.

I have heard of Mary Kay and Tupperware but do not know of the marketing procedures. I do like Mary Kay's idea, your suggestion, of the unveiling part and will do my best to put it into effect when ever possible.

That is correct, "Portraits for everyone!"

Joy, thank you for being who you are and for sharing with us.

Mischa

p.s. how many posts you have now?

Claudemir, I will take your suggestion and post Joys quote on my website. Thanx for the idea and thank you Joy for giving me permission. I still need to get to my page somehow. Just in the process of getting thing back in order after a big crash.Yuk!

Sharon, thank you for the words of encouragement. My motto is, if you cannot afford it than you ought not have it.

My policy is to leave room for negotiations and that does not include lowering my price. So, what did you have in mind would be my question for the potential client.

I need to setup my price list which I have not done yet. So, Joy I will be looking forward to see what you have.

Joy--Hi & welcome!! So nice to have you on the forum :)

(Sorry I'm late to the party... I've been distracted and mostly away from the computer for the past couple of weeks.)

Hi Joy,

I join the ranks of late-comers in welcoming you.

I spend so much time reading the forum that I don't often take the time to post. I must make a point of participating more so I can get to know the wonderful people on here.

I have really been enjoying all your posts. Thanks for sharing.

Cynthia

Mischa, Thank you for sharing your story and your work.

Perhaps you've already read that I live on a farm in rural Kentucky...I do love the city, just as much actually, and would be happy living in one. It is my husband that is so attached to the land and farm life and I must admit, it is quite lovely and cozy here...so for now I simply travel to the airport (2 hours away!) and fly to location for commissions.

I'm going to tell our youngest son about your motorcycle experience. He has spent his life worrying me with his pursuits..an award winning offensive football player and soccer goalie in high school, he is now playing Rugby in college. I can't count how many times we've been through MRI's and x-rays due to sports injuries, no broken bones yet, so he's beginning to feel invincible. My guess is that he will proceed with the purchase, but maybe with more caution.

Where do you live in relationship to Bad Godesburg and Bonn? We once hosted an exchange student from there. He actually came to our town through the University exchange program in town. He had dreamed of a true rural American experience, you know....the Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Annie Oakley thing...hunting and fishing, splitting firewood and preparing one's own food etc. A professor friend brought him to visit our farm and then he kept coming back. Our 3 children were all still at home and family and friends were constantly dropping by. He fit right in with our family and loved our big potlucks.

One overnight became a week until he asked to move in for the remainder of his exchange. He went hunting and rode horses, he learned to skin, prepare and cook squirrel, rabbit and venison, he gardened, fished, robbed beehives, made bread, read to me while I worked in the studio and he even modeled.

After his year was complete and we were preparing to take him to the airport, he approached me with my large portfolio in his hands and asked if he could take it back to Germany to share with his family and friends, he promised to return it by post, so I agreed.

A week or two later, he called from Germany to tell me that his family had unanimously decided to commission me to do "portraits for everyone". As it turned out, his family owned a large optical franchise and collected art!! He had never told us that and lead us to believe that he was from a regular working class family...he always seemed short of money! They flew me to Bonn and met me at the airport. Parents, grandparents, cousins, and siblings showered me with flowers, food, wine, beer and my own guest apartment with studio space. I completed seven commissions in one month all from life . The paintings included landscapes, still lifes and portraits. Family and friends set up schedules so they could watch me at work during the day... and then we would sight see and party at night and on the weekends. What fun we had!!!

One of the excursions we took was to Worpswede in Lower Saxony, Germany, near the city of Bremen. It is in Northern Germany near Holland. If you haven't been to that historic artist's colony you should plan to go there for a few days...I had been researching it 's history and the impact the "Naturalists" that worked there had on the realist art movement during the turn of the last century. As a plein air painter myself, I was particularly interested in the work of Fritz Mackensen, Otto Modersohn among others...including poet Ranier Maria Rilke. He wrote a book about the area in which he described it as "a strange land. If one stands on the small sandy hill in Worpswede, one can see it spread out all around, like the farmer's cloths that show deep vivid flowers against a dark background. It lies flat, almost without a fold, and the paths and waterways lead far into the horizon. There a sky of indescribable variations and magnitude begins".

When I asked my hosts to take me there, they had never been themselves! So we formed a caravan and made reservations for a weekend. If you have already been there I'm sure you found it inspirational, if not...then you simply must go, it will be a life changing experience...and be sure to take the short side trip to:

Otto Modersohn Museum
In der Bredenau 95
28870 Fischerhude
T (04293) 328
F (04293) 1435
[email protected]
www.modersohn-museum.de

Enjoy and be sure to post your experience for us!

Terri, thank you for the welcome, I took a look at your website and especially liked Girl with Violin, Boy with Dog and Boy with Trombone. I think you need to increase your fees!

Cynthia, thank you for the welcome...how may I see your work?

Joy, I just realized that I have never posted anything in the unveilings section or much of anything for that matter. I currently have a work in progress posted titled "Marriage of Ceremonies". (would love your input) and a piece in the critiques section, "Leigh". The date is 3-19-2005 - maybe that will help you find it since I don't know how to link to it. Also my member intro (3-29-2005) has one of my watercolors.
Thanks for asking :)