I was a little disappointed with Etsy for how slow business was when I got a message from a 24 year old news reporter in Brooklyn who moonlights as a trapeze instructor. She liked one of my paintings. It was actually one I really enjoyed painting; I had turned a still life into a circus and felt it was pretty successful. However she had some qualms about the colors, as they did not go so much with her decor, AND the size. She was looking for a 4ft by 3ft painting to fill a large space on her wall and the original painting was only 24"x18". Well I was pretty excited to get a commission and after we discusses the business things I got to work.
Oil painting takes a long time. Particularly in a tiny apartment with little air flow and no heat (at least not at first).
I started by laying out the lines and experimenting with color. She wanted more red, but no Christmas theme or to look too childish like many circus paintings are. 
We both felt the red was too dominant in the stripes so I was inspired to make the figures red and mute down the stripes to a more beige-y-pink.
I was very pleased with the final result although I always find things I want to change or paint over or fix. I get to a point when I know I will never be able to finish because there will always be more to fix and that is when I decide I am finished. So after a verrry long drying period, due to thick paint, I finally was able to package it up and send it off.
WARNING: For anyone who will ship a large painting, 48" is OVERSIZED and thus over a hundred dollars to ship, even if it's only to New York. Yes it is extortion. My painting all boxed up was only slightly over 7 pounds.
This experience has been fun and I am very open to doing more commissions. Sometimes I just can't get inspired and someone who knows what they want with the flexibility to let me paint in my own style with their inspiration....well that is just a wonderful situation.
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