Commissions ... the four letter word of the art world. Many fear them and many avoid them like the plague as they are believed to be wrought with difficulties. Not only do you have to design something new, but the person commissioning the work needs to be happy with the result. There have been numerous horror stories and urban myths about commissions gone wrong ... where countless hours were spent by the artist in designing and redesigning a piece and then finally making the piece and the person deciding not to purchase it in the end. If the artist did not get a deposit or arrange for a preliminary design fee, they may feel that they wasted their time. This fear prevents many from even considering doing this type of work, but I can tell you that my recent experiences with two commissions were positive ones. This year I decided to apply for and was accepted into the New Art Festival in Ottawa Ontario. This ended up being a great show for me, both in terms of sales and in exposure for my work. I had two visitors to my booth who wanted something a little different than what I had there. The first person wanted to know if I could make a specific type of orchid - the phalaenopsis orchid. I hadn't made one before but we agreed that I would try and this person sent me some photos and I went about making them. This was a challenge, but also a great experience as I would likely have not thought of making this flower had it not been suggested. The second person wanted a piece with spider chrysanthemums for a specific place in their home. They originally selected a style from my portfolio that I had made before which I had already sold, but then contacted me once I returned home, asked if I could make something different. A few simple sketches and a few emails later, I had a design that we were both happy with and I went about making them.
Today, just over a month later, I shipped both individuals their pieces after getting their final approval by sending them a photo of what I had made. So, this ended up being both a rewarding experience and a growth opportunity for me as an artist. So why did this work? I have a few thoughts on this first experience:
1) You need to be comfortable with, and trust the buyer. Use your instincts - do they seem like someone who is going to be good to work with?
2) Do something that is not too distant from what you are already doing. In my case the materials were the same, just the configurations and the flower were different.
3) Start as soon as possible. Don't delay or procrastinate
4) Keep in touch with the person. Email is great for this. Send sketches, photos etc.
5) Only do it if you feel you will also benefit from it. A growth opportunity.
6) Take a deposit - 50% of the estimated cost is a good idea. Let them know that you will ship the piece but they will need to cover the cost. Give them an estimate of what you think it will cost to ship it to your location
7) Make more than one. In my case I made about 5 orchids and this allowed me to have more for her to choose from. I was able to keep the rest and sell them. I made a second set of the spiders so that I could photograph it for my portfolio.
8) Bring your portfolio to shows, especially when there are things that you have made that you either are out of or cannot bring to the show - you never know what someone might order
Where does one find inspiration, where do ideas come from? These are questions I often get asked and I have difficulty answering without a long explanation of where my work began and where it has gone. Robert and I are presently on vacation in Geneva Switzerland visiting family members. What I love about visiting a new place is the ability to look around, observe, and be inspired by the natural and built environment. It can be something as simple as a sewer grate, a key hole, the texture of building, the organic patterning of a cobblestone walkway. This is the true value of vacation. While it often seems that there isn't enough "time" to get away, I always return home refreshed and inspired and ready to work on the next series. Robert and I have taken numerous photos that will be a well of inspiration for future pieces. If you are lucky, you may even get to see some great pots! We were fortunate to have been here during the exhibition Swiss Ceramics 1959-2009 which one third is being held at the Musee Ariana in Geneva. There we saw the work of Simone Stocker whose photo is here. The first thing I thought of when seeing her work is that it reminded me of one of the grates I observed on our way to the musuem. We also visited Carouge - just outside Geneva - which is known for the number of ceramic artists who have studios and reside there. There is a ceramic conference and festival that will be held here, when each gallery will host a ceramic exhibition, but not until later in September. Unfortunately we found many "ferme" notices on the doors. We did find one store open - CBOS a collectif d'artisans where we found some interesting slip cast and hand-built work of local swiss artisans. .
One of my favourite things so far have been the clay tile roofs. We have taken muliple photos of these tiles including some at Chateau Chillon in Montreaux which we visited yesterday. This is a photo I found online that someone took at the Chateau. I love the variation in colour in the tiles, even the new ones.
Commissions ... the four letter word of the art world. Many fear them and many avoid them like the plague as they are believed to be wrought with difficulties. Not only do you have to design something new, but the person commissioning the work needs to be happy with the result. There have been numerous horror stories and urban myths about commissions gone wrong ... where countless hours were spent by the artist in designing and redesigning a piece and then finally making the piece and the person deciding not to purchase it in the end. If the artist did not get a deposit or arrange for a preliminary design fee, they may feel that they wasted their time. This fear prevents many from even considering doing this type of work, but I can tell you that my recent experiences with two commissions were positive ones. This year I decided to apply for and was accepted into the New Art Festival in Ottawa Ontario. This ended up being a great show for me, both in terms of sales and in exposure for my work. I had two visitors to my booth who wanted something a little different than what I had there. The first person wanted to know if I could make a specific type of orchid - the phalaenopsis orchid. I hadn't made one before but we agreed that I would try and this person sent me some photos and I went about making them. This was a challenge, but also a great experience as I would likely have not thought of making this flower had it not been suggested. The second person wanted a piece with spider chrysanthemums for a specific place in their home. They originally selected a style from my portfolio that I had made before which I had already sold, but then contacted me once I returned home, asked if I could make something different. A few simple sketches and a few emails later, I had a design that we were both happy with and I went about making them. 
Tara Lynne Franco, Bertram's Legacy 
I am pleased to present a selection of new pieces that were created specifically for this exhibition at the Katherine Butler Gallery. To create this new body of work I built upon some designs and themes I had been working on as well as taking some ideas I have been pondering for some time and bringing these concepts and drawings into reality.
