You've been following an artist and you love their work. You watch them post on social media and see all the new work they're producing and how they interact with their audience. You can buy art that they have posted on their site or that is currently available at an exhibit or gallery or you can commission your own piece. No...impossible you think. "I can't afford that." "Only serious art collectors can commission a unique artwork made specifically for them." Commissioning art is very attainable and the process quite easy and straightforward.
Here are some tips and things to think about to get you started....
Do....have a clear idea of what you want. Provide the artist with as much detail as possible. Be as specific as you can, the clearer you are with the artist the happier you'll be with the end result.
Don't....assume that a single interaction with the artist will suffice. You'll probably take or exchange a few emails before you finalize what the final art piece will look like.
Do...provide a picture or the item if you can. It will help the artist create the final piece. The telephone tokens used in Israeli pay phones were a treasured keepsake but grouped together a shot in studio they come a beautiful piece of art.
HaSimonim II
Limited Edition of 100
What is this strange circular item you may ask? An "Asimon" was a telephone token for Israeli pay phones. "HaSimonim" is plural. The tokens were produced and used from 1953 to 1989 by Do'ar Yisrael (Israel Telephone Company).
The hole and groves of the token fit perfectly into the slot of the payphone but it was also a handy to thread the tokens through a chain like a necklace so you always had one with you.
The artist will have questions for you so be sure to give some thought to the following...
Timelines
Do you have specific timelines in mind? Artists are usually juggling multiple projects so if you have a specific timeline in mind make sure you let the the artist know, especially if this commission is a gift for a special occasion. What you think should only take a few weeks may actually take a few months depending on what the artist has on their slate.
The photograph below is part of my "Book Project" collection and was commissioned for a basketball enthusiast.
The artist is going to create a piece specifically for you so its only natural that they're going to ask for a deposit. Non-refundable deposits of anywhere between 25% and 50% is normal.
American Classic II
Limited Edition of 100
The Converse "Chuck Taylor All Stars" were introduced in the 1920's and has remained largely unchanged since that time. The classic red high tops ranks 3rd as the most popular colour behind black (#1) and white (#2).
My, In The Studio - Fine Art Photography gallery is a good example of commissioned works. If you find an artist and like their style and their work then reach out and start a dialogue around commissioning a unique piece of art. I encourage potential art buyers to contact me to discuss the purchase of a piece that is available on my site, in a gallery or commissions.
