Colorful, Clean, Conceptual & Cultured

Last night an old friend of mine came to visit. The reason why i mention this on my artist blog is because she is also a visual artist from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It's a relief to hear that we share opinions about artist related jobs.

We don't want to be 9 to 5 slaves to commercial commissions, especially when the art is rejected after creation. Like in all business, a contract is required and a deposit for all supplies prior to the work's creation as well as a percentage of the labour involved. That way the work cannot be rejected after completion.

I was hired by a shop in Montreal in 2005 to create a 10' x 10' mural of colourful creation on a large glass wall. After i completed the work, the shop owner expressed to her husband in a very foreign language (not french)! that any black outlining on the mural represented evil in her culture and that i had to change all the colours around to hide any dark shading or outlining. I wish she told me prior that she didn't like black. They even erased my small written name at the bottom corner.

I have had more positive experience with visual art commissions though. They introduce artists to community and varying opinions on art. Art is valuable to everyone in a community, it is enlightening conceptually and it charms the atmosphere (most of the time). I have seen one too many crumbling brick walls in my city but graffiti artists are crucified for 'vandalizing' public/private property. I personally do not create art on someone else's property. However, government should encourage more organized murals and work. Coincidentally Hamilton is doing now. There is always room for more.

I am all for the reconstruction of Hamilton to become a more colorful, clean, conceptual and cultured city.

Network Within

When art is rejected after creation. Like in all business however, a contract is required and also a deposit all supplies prior to the work's creation as well as a percentage of the labour involved. That way the work cannot be rejected after completion.

I was hired by a candy shop in Montreal in 2005 to create a 10' x 10' mural of colourful creative candy on a large glass wall. After i completed the work, the shop owner expressed to her husband in chinese that any black outlining on the mural represented evil and that i had to change all the colours around to hide any dark shading or outlining. I wish she just told me prior that she didn't like black. They erased my name off my own mural after i left. Thanks a lot!

I love to paint and enjoy commissions. It introduces artists to community and varying opinions on art.