Commissions

I only use professional grade oil paints, usually Windsor & Newton, and cotton or linen canvas to provide the best, archival quality.

To start the commission process, email me your reference photos of what you wish to have painted and submit a Commission Proposal. We can start a dialog about what size painting you want, what colors you love and any color scheme in your home. Your reference photos don't need to be spectacular -- I can create magic from ordinary phone snapshots.

Price

There is a deposit required to start the painting, this covers the time involved in composing and sketching your particular piece, the final cost depends on the size of the painting. The deposit is 20% the total cost of the painting or $200, whichever is greater.

My paintings are currently priced at $1.50 per square inch for commission pieces with a minimum of $500. You may commission a small painting, but the minimum is still $500. 

The commission proposal includes the agreed-upon price for the commission, which is payable in full only if you love the finished painting. The client is given the First Right of Refusal and has five days to decide on the piece. If the client loves the finished piece and wishes to own the painting, they agree to pay the remainder of the total cost.

Again, if you decide that you don't love it, you are not required to pay for the painting and I will sell the painting elsewhere. However, you do forefeit the deposit.

I do not re-create past paintings but referencing earlier works as examples is OK. When painting commissions, I work from photos provided by the client or I will use photos I have taken in the field.

After we discuss the painting, colors and size l will create a commission painting sketch for you to approve before beginning the process. The sketch may be a pencil sketch or a painted sketch, depending on the commission.

Timeline

The painting will take 1-2 weeks to paint. It will take an additional 6-8 weeks for the paint to dry to the touch. Depending on the size of the piece, it may require an additional 1-2 weeks to acquire the canvas.

Original artwork does not require a layer of varnish to protect it, but it is a good idea if the artwork is exposed to lots of sunlight. After the painting is dry to the touch, I apply a retouching varnish. The varnish I use is called Winsor & Newton Oil Colour Artists' Retouching Varnish. This is a temporary varnish that gives the painting an even sheen as well as a layer of scuff protection. It has the additional benefit of allowing the oil painting to cure underneath a layer of protective varnish.

Once the original oil painting has been fully dry for two years or more, you can apply a UV Conservator Varnish for added protection against the sun's damaging rays, like putting a pair of sunglasses over your painting, but it's not a must.

Love,

Ginette Gaskin