process

about

the art/commission

HOW DOES THE COMMISSION PROCESS WORK? Start by sending me an email ('Contact' tab at the top will send you to the right place!) so we can set up a time to chat about your painting. You can prepare for our conversation (or just ask me questions) by thinking about what you want in a painting, theme/purpose, approximate size and orientation (square, landscape which is width longer than height, or portrait which is height longer than width), preferred substrate (canvas, stretched canvas, wood panel, etc.). We'll discuss your ideas and questions, I'll send you a proposal with the details of your painting, including cost, size, substrate, timing/deadline, theme/elements, and a contract agreement. Once you decide to commission a painting, and sign our agreement, I'll send you a list of more clarifying questions to answer regarding the theme of your painting, color preferences, possible symbolism I can include, etc.. You can send me the answers to those questions, any helpful reference photos, as well as any additional thoughts you may have. I will get started immediately, once I have received: 1) Our signed contract. 2) Your first of two payments (50% of the cost is due up front) 3) Your answers to the questionnaire Throughout the process, we will be in touch as needed. Either of us may need to clarify something, ask a question, make a suggestion, etc.. When I believe the painting is complete (approximately 1 week before our agreed upon ship date), I will send you photos to ensure we've got everything just right. Should any changes need to be made, I will address those before I seal the paint, and ship/deliver on time. If you request new additions after I've completed our original agreed upon elements, an additional fee will be added ($150/element), and our final ship date may be voided. Before delivery/shipment the remaining 50% balance needs to be paid and received. If the final payment is received in time for the original agreed upon ship date, the painting will ship on time. I spend anywhere from 40-100+ hours on each painting, not counting the hours I spend puzzling over it when I'm standing in line at the store, laying awake at night, or driving around town! I want to get the best sense of you/the recipient and your vision for the painting, its significance and story. It's a collaboration I take seriously, and work hard to surpass your expectations. Each project is a wholly unique assemblage that shows the layered (and rarely linear) ways we remember, feel, and experience our lives. Your stories reveal themselves and move me every single time and my hope is that seeing your story right in front of your eyes feels honoring to you. Layers overlap, fit together, and build on each other, telling a story that is dynamic + beautiful, all your own.

HOW MUCH DOES A CUSTOM PAINTING COST? After we discuss what you'd like for your painting, I will email you a cost proposal based on what we discussed. The cost will depend on three main variables: + Size + Substrate (canvas, birch panel, thickness of cradled panel, etc.) + Number of requested elements in the painting (by elements I am referring to the images and symbols you'd like represented in your painting). + Additionally, shipping costs, rush orders, add-on elements/changes after completion, exceptional shipping requirements can increase costs. Here are general estimates based on: > SIZE IN LINEAR INCHES (height+width) > With UP TO 10 ELEMENTS (for more than 10 elements, add $150 per element) > On 3/4" cradled panel (one possible option for substrate): ~ For 21-30 Linear Inches (for example 11"x14", 12"x12", 9"x12", 12"x16") .............................[ $2750+/- ] ~ For 31-40 Linear Inches (for example 16"x16", 16"x20") ..............................[ $3000+/- ] ~ For 41-50 Linear Inches (for example 18"x24", 20"x30", 22"x28", 24"x24") ..............................[ $3400+/- ] ~ For 51-60 Linear Inches (for example 18"x36", 24"x36", 30"x30") ..............................[ $3750+/- ] 50% of the cost of the commission is due at the beginning. Once the 50% is received, the painting will be started. The remaining 50% of the cost is due upon completion of the painting, prior to delivery/shipping. Once the remaining 50% balance (as well as any late add-on feels) is received, the painting will be delivered/shipped to you.

HOW LONG DOES A PAINTING TAKE? 8 weeks is standard 12 weeks for wedding pieces ***If I am already working on my maximum number of commissions, new commissions will need to be scheduled out beyond the 8/12 week time frame. ***If my work load/calendar allows, rush orders will be considered for an additional $250. Once we have discussed the details of your commission, and you've signed and returned our agreement, I will compete and ship/deliver your painting no more than 8 weeks from the day I receive your signed agreement. If my calendar allows, rush orders are available for an additional $250. If commissioning a painting to be displayed at a wedding/reception, please allow for 12 weeks (I will still complete and ship the painting in 8 weeks or less. The extra month ensures any additional preparations for display can be arranged, any shipping delays don't create a problem, etc..

WHAT ARE SOME THEME IDEAS? Remember show-and-tell? As adults the "things" most of us would choose as our most interesting and valued/valuable possessions aren't possessions at all. They are our relationships and our life experiences. The people, work, art, and places we engage with. Here are some ideas to get you thinking about your best stories. When you commission a painting you'll have a tangible item to share, to show-and-tell, what matters most in your world. + WEDDING: Our love story, how we met, first date, funny memories, symbols along the way, significant places, what we love about each other, inside jokes, special lyrics/poetry/words, our engagement. This makes for a wonderfully personal story to DISPLAY AT YOUR WEDDING and/or RECEPTION. Once you're back from the honeymoon your painting can be hung in your home as a reminder of the roots of your new life together. + ANNIVERSARIES: As a surprise gift for your partner, or for a couple you want to celebrate. And of course there are lots of different types of anniversaries that could inspire your painting, too! + GRADUATIONS: High school graduation closes the childhood chapter of life and presents a wonderful opportunity to capture the story of someone's childhood, and celebrate their accomplishments and just who they are! College and other less traditional graduations make great story paintings as well. + OUR FAMILY "PORTRAIT" but shown through symbols, values, mottoes, sayings, memories, jokes, special places. A beautiful way to capture who a family is in ways that a traditional portrait doesn't. I love the idea of a series of these every few years, or so. + MEMORIAL: Honor a life well- lived with the dynamic layers of their story, who they were, adventures they had, how they loved, the places they called home, their legacy. + PET PORTRAIT: A way to incorporate all of the sweet quirks, memories, favorite toys, activities, nap spots and personality of those beloved non-human family members. + TRAVEL ADVENTURES: Maybe you were surprised to find a lizard in your hotel bathtub. A photo on your cell phone doesn't really do that moment justice, but a hidden lizard in a painting that is an amalgam of all those big and small moments during travel adventures will! + FAVORITE BOOK/MOVIE CHARACTER: Sometimes a character from a book or movie just shines for us. Put together all of the reasons that character stands out for you in a non-traditional portrait that can remind + inspire you everyday. + PARENTING JOURNEY: Surprise mom and/or dad with a tribute showcasing all of the ways you appreciate the role they've played in your life. + GIFT TO YOURSELF: Maybe you want to explore what it's meant to you to be a mother, or celebrate the arc of your life and it's most meaningful moments, or something else that's unique to you. + RETIREMENT: We spend a lot of our life working and when that chapter ends, what a beautiful way to appreciate someone's career, time, and contribution. + STORY OF OUR FRIENDSHIP: Who is that person that has seen you through thick and thin, supported you, depended on you, laughed countless times with you, given/asked for advice, been honest with you? Your inside jokes, memories, what you appreciate about each other, adventures, ways you connect. So much to work with! + MILESTONE BIRTHDAYS 10, 13, 18, 30, 40, 50, 75...you get the picture! :D

CAN I COMMISSION A PAINTING THAT ISN'T A NARRATIVE/STORY? Yes! There are a few examples in my Gallery (tab at the top will take you there) of paintings that are not narrative stories. Send my an inquiry (Contact tab at the top of the page) and we'll chat!

the artist:

brooke

Back in 2020 I had been an art teacher for almost two decades, and was showing and selling some of the art I was making, when some dear friends asked me to make them a painting. They were coming out of a difficult period in their lives and wanted a piece to mark that time, a visual reminder of redemption and healing. The art they wanted was weighty + significant, and I believed it should be made by someone who made art that was weighty + significant. So I sheepishly suggested they find one of those artists.

They approached me again a couple of times, saying they felt very strongly that I was the person for the job. Their sincerity eventually nudged me to step out of the safety of my comfort zone, so I mustered up some courage and entered into their story. I genuinely didn't know what would come of it, but I began painting what I felt symbolized their journey, and the process felt intuitive, holy and different.

After that I began to paint more stories for other people: marriage anniversaries, travel adventures, weddings, family portraits, graduations, homes, life chapters...

So that's a little of how I got here. I spent almost 20 years teaching kids (in schools, and then from my own studio), including our own two magical daughters.Telling people's stories came about unexpectedly and has grown into my most favorite way to create art. Each one feels like a puzzle that I get to discover and put together at the same time, and I'm so energized every time I get to do it!