Welcome to the summer re-brand! I guess you could call this a re-brand, a re-launch, a re-development, whatever you want. What I can tell you is that it's finally time to release some of my new pieces, and take my art into a new direction. Now, I know when I say "new direction," that may scare some of you. You're used to seeing realism - sports portraits, musician sketches, lyric pieces, things like that. I know. And you're still going to see that kind of thing if you follow me on social media! But here's the difference - it's not always going to be "shop eligible" items that you're seeing. Let me tell you a little bit more about what this website and shop will look like now, and I'll start with a little bit of "why."
Why have I decided to take my art into a new direction? Well, the simple answer is...I wanted to. I felt like creating sports portraits all the time wasn't allowing me to use my creativity. I was locked into the same thing, day after day, and all of the skills I was working on - my paintings, abstract things, acrylic pours, conceptual art - I was having no real use for it. I was learning how to do these things and they were going nowhere. So I decided that had to change.
What does this mean for the shop? Honestly, in terms of what you're going to see on social media - Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. - not much will change! You will still see portraits, you'll see some paintings I'm working on, and at a glance, not much will look terribly different! But when you come to my shop, besides the new look and color scheme, you're going to notice a few things:
- First and most importantly, you're going to notice that I am listing more paintings for sale. I have wanted to paint more, and since paintings are one of my lowest commissioned items, I decided to load my store up with my creations, so you can pick up the ones you like, and I don't have to wait around for a commission to do a painting - I can do those whenever I feel like it.
- Celebrity, sports, music and other "recognizable figure" portraits will primarily be commissioned pieces. I love sketching athletes, musicians, all of that sort of thing. I know you love seeing them too - after all, it's how I built up my art business. But because those are my most requested items for commissions, I have decided to reserve them for just that. You'll still see those things on social media, but be advised that they are almost always going to be commissions in progress. So if there is an athlete you want to see, a musician you want to have me create - let's get it rolling just for you. You may occasionally see a piece like that pop up in the store, but those will not be the "bulk" of what I make available anymore.
- I will now have a section dedicated to "abandoned commissions." Even though I have a policy in place to avoid it happening, sometimes commissioned pieces end up being abandoned. Whether something came up for the buyer and they no longer want it, they did not pay their balance, they disappeared on me...it still happens on occasion. So I have decided to create a section on this shop where I offer abandoned commissions at a significantly discounted price. All are offered as-is, with no customization, and they are one of a kind. No prints will be made and no additional copies of any kind will happen. So if you saw something on an Instagram post that interested you and I mention that the buyer backed out - you can own it!
- I have partnered with a brand new supplier for print making. While I may still offer limited run, hand-signed reprints on occasion, the vast majority of my prints will be handled right here through my store, and you can pick the size you like for each item and it will be shipped directly to you. I'm really excited about this one, because it makes my art even more accessible to you!
- My commissions are open once again! Hooray! I took a few months off to get caught up and really think about the direction I wanted to go with my art, and it was exactly what I needed to get reinvigorated and ready for more custom pieces. So I am once again taking commissions. As always, they are limited each month, and the standard policies still apply. As a side note, it is already August - so even though the weather is warm, it's probably time to start thinking about holiday orders, believe it or not. Get in touch if you would like some information.
- Along with that, my pricing has changed. For my most commonly requested commissions (drawings, small to medium in size) the pricing is not vastly different. However, the more time consuming the project, the more it now will cost. The fact is, my time is limited and my time is valuable. My prices reflect that, and I hope you understand! For more on my pricing, you can see all of my rates on the pricing page. I may begin to offer payment plans in the future, but that is still in the works.
- My VIP list is BACK! I have mentioned this a little bit before, but now I'm really making sure you all know that this is a thing. My VIP list is an exclusive group that gets extra information, special discounts, "first dibs" on all of my new pieces before they launch here, and all kinds of neat extras. I don't send spam, I don't sell your info, and I try to keep your inbox pretty clear. It's free to join, and all you have to do is sign up here.
Change doesn't have to be scary! In fact, it can be downright FUN! And I hope you're ready for some fun with me in the coming months. I'm here to have fun creating, and I want you to have fun when we interact. So let's do this! Let's have some fun!