This commissioned oil painting is important, because it is for the library, because it is dedicated to the memory of someone loved by her family, and because all my custom art is important.

It will be 18×24″, which is large for me. Not the largest oil I’ve painted, but certainly larger than my usual small works that sell steadily to visitors passing through, larger than most of my commissions (remember, we are poor in Tulare County), and large enough to put in the many details that the customers are requesting.

In order to be sure that I understood what the librarians wanted (and I am guessing they showed the family who donated the money for the painting), I had to do a sketch. I also had to do the sketch in order to see if I could fake all these details into something believable. Believability is what I aim for, because real life is messy and there are rarely photos that tell what we remember, or what we wish was there.

THEY LIKED IT!

I had quoted them prices for their requested 24×36″, but they chose 18×24″. I told them the price for this size, they requested an invoice so they could send me a check for half, and instead of waiting for the check, I ordered the canvas and started painting.

Next week Chapter 4: the beginnings on the canvas.