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"Nancy, I absolutely love it!  Truly love it!  Thanks so much. I really loved working with you. It could not have been a better experience!  

Thank you so much. It is so lovely!"

I just finished a commission and thought I'd share the process with you. 

One morning I received a phone call, a woman wanted a painting of the Mogollon Rim as an anniversary gift for her husband. The rim was a very special place for them, and she wanted him to be able to take the painting with him while he is stationed overseas. We chatted about the process and she sent me some photos of the rim she and her husband had taken when they used to live in AZ and frequented the rim area. I emailed her my price list so she could select the size she wanted that fit her budget (and the need for it to me taken overseas easily).

She selected a size and made a deposit for the painting. I then took a road trip with our littlest one to take my own reference photos, sketch, and enjoy a picnic.

After the trip, I sat down and drew multiple thumbnail compositions, in grayscale, for the client to select the final composition.

From the selected composition, I painted a to-scale oil sketch in color. The oil sketch is on canvas paper and ~ one quarter of the final size.

After approval of the oil sketch's color scheme, I began the final painting on an 11 x 14 linen panel. As I progressed, I would email her progress shots to keep her in the loop and make sure she is happy and informed along the way.

Once I completed the painting to my satisfaction, I emailed her an image of the final painting for her approval. She is very happy with the painting and the entire process. Now, I wait for the painting to be dry enough to varnish, wait for the varnish to be dry, and ship it to her. One of the things I like to do with my commissions, is let the client title the work. This one's title is still pending and she may even wait to title it together with her husband after she presents it to him. Such a sweet anniversary gift that will last forever. :)