I will be attending the Peppertree Art Show this coming weekend, Lord willing and the creek, et cetera. This will be the last ever Peppertree. It is a huge privilege to visit this show, to see the work and meet the artists. To learn about it, go here: http://www.peppertreeartshow.com/   Meanwhile, remember this piece? It embodies many of the principles followed in my art business, particularly the commissions.  1. Take your own photos. There are many little parts to a subject, and unless you really know the subject, you won’t know which little parts are necessary until you begin drawing. 2. Real life is messy and artists get to clean it up.  3. Plan, sketch it out, try different arrangements, and have your customer approve the plan before beginning the picture. 4. Communicate with the customer. This customer has been very gracious about allowing me to put this giant project (3 18×24 collages) on hold while dealing with other urgent and inflexible deadlines. 5. If I can’t see it, I can’t draw it. Whenever possible, work from photos printed on photographic paper rather than plain paper. I want the sharpest clearest photos possible, and the older my eyes get, the more necessary this becomes. 6. Add the color last, after the piece has been spray fixed so that the graphite doesn’t smear. (yes, I know there is no color in this yet)