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Lost at the framer?
I am really bummed out right now.
I have a great little client base of teeny originals. I start at 8x10 and charge by the inch and the subject so I can get a lot of people who WANT art to actually afford it. When I get into traditional sizes I am able to get traditional pricing.
I did a portrait in watercolor for a client from a box full of black and white photos from 1945 through the 70's of her baby-boomer dad and his young parents for a gift. The client did not actually recognize her grandmother from the "I Love Lucy" hair do in the Kodak's and when I put the baby (her father) in his two-year old dress suit with age appropriate parents she was not happy. It is small and I did the other two well enough that I redid it with grandma in a more familiar but not decade suitable hairdo. This was at the end of November and the commissions were trickling in, but I had the time.
The second painting was perfect. It was an 8x10 priced on 9x12 paper, just because I figured to frame it down. I don't include frames, as that is another expense they can decide on their own.
So somewhere during the first week of December she took it with a deposit of $200 and promise of payments. I told her I didn't take credit cards but I did have her address and really was happier to have her HAVE it than hold on to it for the flurry of work coming in.
So yesterday she has me contact her in a dither.
Apparently the Michael's framing shop has lost the piece. She had the family get together and was going to present it and they never called her or said "boo" but have no picture and no frame. They wanted a receipt. I sent it as half cash and half check with the number on for the reimbursement and told her that when they got the check for me, I would begin.
In a bind.
I have this rejected picture sitting in my file.
I have my own Christmas going, and one without a deadline, but would LOVE to finish by the holiday, on the easel.
So I started calling the stores she described. Out of four Michael's framing departments I have contacted, three were appropriately shocked and said they were not aware but perhaps it was the wrong store.... one was outright rude to me as if I were asking for her bank account that they needed all the info etc. So I decided to let the client handle it from my billing.
Now I feel very queasy. I have $200 and no payment in full. I have a billing out indicating it was paid. I have a client who sounds (and should be distraught) but it just feels wrong.
I am writing it off, but just am bummed.
It was a good season for me. I have actually made enough to overtake my day job this year. I realize there are losses that come with the territory and this is going to probably be one, but I still have a strong desire to make good on that painting that I did.
I guess this is less a call for advice than just venting a creepy feeling in my stomach that I may have been taken for a ride TWICE.
Not quite hard enough to be a professional. BUT I am working on it.
dj*
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