Sometimes someone pays to to paint something.

acrylic on board, 12"x12"
I just spent an enjoyable half hour talking to the buyer in the parking lot at my work (because art deals, like drug deals, should go down in a parking lot. In cash). She said she was a patron of my art; I told her she was The Patron of my art, as far as I could tell -- other people have bought my work, but the only other people with more than one painting are my aunt'n'uncle (commissioned nursery art, again) and my parents (who're storing the stuff that's too big).
Really, I've been very lucky. Not only did a gallery downtown agree to show my Sheep in Space a few years ago, the one person who totally fell in love with them happened to visit the gallery at the right time and happened to be married to an orthodontist (orthodontists make bank). She bought about half the work I had up, then commissioned me to do a painting for her then-on-the-way first kid's room (a black sheep, white sheep, and little gray -- well, violet -- baby, to match their family). This is the second commission, for kid number 2, in which she stretched my artistic limits by asking me to paint them on the ground.
They don't even have helmets. It is not the natural order of things.

acrylic on board, 12"x12"
I just spent an enjoyable half hour talking to the buyer in the parking lot at my work (because art deals, like drug deals, should go down in a parking lot. In cash). She said she was a patron of my art; I told her she was The Patron of my art, as far as I could tell -- other people have bought my work, but the only other people with more than one painting are my aunt'n'uncle (commissioned nursery art, again) and my parents (who're storing the stuff that's too big).
Really, I've been very lucky. Not only did a gallery downtown agree to show my Sheep in Space a few years ago, the one person who totally fell in love with them happened to visit the gallery at the right time and happened to be married to an orthodontist (orthodontists make bank). She bought about half the work I had up, then commissioned me to do a painting for her then-on-the-way first kid's room (a black sheep, white sheep, and little gray -- well, violet -- baby, to match their family). This is the second commission, for kid number 2, in which she stretched my artistic limits by asking me to paint them on the ground.
They don't even have helmets. It is not the natural order of things.
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Date: 2012-05-15 11:31 pm (UTC)From:I love the plants in this. All plants should form pretty spirals.
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Date: 2012-05-15 11:46 pm (UTC)From:I have four different species of ferns in my yard right now. Lots of spirals!
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Date: 2012-05-16 02:03 am (UTC)From:Here is a photo of some of them covered in snow from the dumping we had last August...
$wife is planning to turn the whole space into native bush of one sort or another so we don't have to worry about mowing or watering lawns, and to that end has commissioned a label for the house - FERNHEAVEN - which has been crafted on driftwood, but not yet erected...
I put "yard" in quotes as our property has 12 levels across an area of about 500 square metres, including the house!
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Date: 2012-05-16 09:18 pm (UTC)From:I'd love to see your giant ferns when they're not covered in snow. Pretty cool! We have a few varieties that can get big (sword fern, especially) but they seem to average out around 3 or 4 feet tall.
AWESOME that you're making a native yard! So much cooler than looking after that darn monoculture grass, for you and for the other critters.
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Date: 2012-05-15 11:37 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2012-05-15 11:45 pm (UTC)From:It is pretty cute -- and luckily her husband doesn't mind being portrayed as a sheep! It's kind of funny for me, because I didn't exactly set out to be a Fuzzy Sheep Painter -- I was just being goofy -- but hey, commissioner! With money! Who really likes sheep!
Really, I think the common thread of my paintings, especially the acrylics, is ZOMG COLOURS YAY. D'you think that could be my next artist's statement?
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Date: 2012-05-16 03:13 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2012-05-16 09:19 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2012-05-16 11:49 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2012-05-16 12:09 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2012-05-16 09:25 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2012-05-16 03:12 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2012-05-16 04:05 am (UTC)From:Those are adorable. What cute little lambies!
I'm so glad you've finished and that she likes it.
*glee*
Stasia
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Date: 2012-05-16 09:20 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2012-05-16 02:12 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2012-05-16 09:24 pm (UTC)From:I'm especially prone to the exuberant color use in acrylics. Tend to be more subdued with oils. The Sheep in Space paintings all include interference colors that vary depending on viewing angle, too.
I varnish the heck out of anything that uses texture and anything that goes in kids' rooms (like this painting) so you could touch away. :P