Today, I’d like to tell you all about my new studio and gallery. It’s a brand-new gallery located in Maple Ridge and just opened to the public. It’s the only one of its kind in Maple Ridge.

Here is the basic information:
New Creations Art Gallery and Studios
22409 McIntosh Avenue, Maple Ridge
Situated just across the town square, the entrance is on McIntosh, behind Jim’s Pizza
Open 7 days a week, from 10 to 5
Grand opening weekend: October 25 and 26, 2008.

New Creations features: 5 resident artists, each with his own studio, a gallery, a gift shop and a workshop area. The resident artists are Jack Prasad, Suzette Fram, Shirley Thomas, Rosaline Kennedy and Lizette Tsuchiya.

We want to make a visit to New Creations a unique experience. You’ll not only see art works hanging in the gallery, but you’ll meet the artists and have a chance to see their studios and watch them work. The result: a new way to experience art, with a personal connection to the art and to the artist.

There is a special room displaying Jack’s ’Lumiere Noire’ collection. These paintings have special paint incorporated in them that give very special effects when shown with a black light. The paintings look good either with traditional light, or with black light, with a slightly different look when shown with black light. It’s a unique and innovative display well worth seeing.

The resident artists have their work displayed in the gallery until the end of the year. After that, we plan on having visiting artists each month, so that we’ll have a brand new show each and every month. We want to make sure that there’s always something new to see, making each visit a worthwhile experience.

So, we have great plans and much hope for a successful venture. I hope you’ll come in and see us if you’re in the area.

"The only things that stand between a person and what they want in life are the will to try it, and the faith to believe it’s possible." (Rich Devos)

Suzette

PS: Next month, I’ll talk about the issue of originality. What makes an art work original, when is a work not original, what is copying and what constitutes copyright infringement. Next post will be on October 1st.

Many artists do work on commission routinely. If you haven’t done commission work but have been thinking about it, there are some things you should consider before you do.

How much control will the client have in determining the direction of the work? Will you do preliminary drawings for the client’s approval? Will you allow the client to check in on the work while it’s still in progress, and if so, when? At the halfway mark perhaps, or maybe when the work is one third complete, and again when it’s two thirds complete? Will you be prepared to make changes at the client’s request, and at what stage will you be willing to do that? Will you make changes once the work is finished?

You will have to agree on the size and the price before any work is started. You should agree on what the work will consist of and whether preliminary drawings will be done. You should also agree on a price structure in case changes are requested that were not part of the original plan. You should also agree on a time table; be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to complete the work.

One thing I would strongly recommend: ask for a deposit before starting the work, and make sure the client understands that the deposit is not refundable. If something goes wrong somewhere along the way and the client changes his mind, the deposit will be yours to keep for your efforts and materials used to that point. How much should the deposit be? I guess that depends on the total price; for me, the deposit I ask for is 50% of the final price with the understanding that, if the client is not happy with the final product, he does not have to buy it. In that case, I would then be free to sell it to someone else if I can.

Finally, you should put your terms in writing. It does not have to be complicated. Simply write out what you have agreed on, the size, the price, cost of changes if any, amount of deposit and that is it non-refundable, deadline for completion, and anything else you have agreed to, and then both parties sign it and each keeps a copy. Then there’s no room for argument later if you can’t agree on something.

Doing work on commission is very different than simply painting whatever you feel like. You are painting specifically for one client and according to an agreement which you have made. Such work is sometimes not as much fun as painting for yourself but it is a nice way to increase your income. If you’re doing it for a regular client, it’s a good way to cement your relationship with that client. Just make sure you understand the potential pitfalls before jumping in.

Suzette

"What makes art so wonderful is that each piece we create is like a signature. A reflection of our personality and our life." (Mary Susan Vaughn)

PS: On a personal note, my schedule has been very hectic lately with my move to my new studio, and so my blog posts are going to be less frequent for a while. The new studio and gallery are almost ready to open to the public. More on that in my next post.