contracts for artists

["Clive Murray-White" <clivemw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Linda,

It took me quite some time to overcome my reticence to mention money when
talking to potential clients, in my case it was more a family thing than
anything else, my wonderful old grandfather was pure British Colonial and to
him the very mention of money was vulgar!

The real trouble for artists in our society is that money is all tied in
with the constant media representation of the romantic Bohemian
myth/stereotype of the artist being so bound up with their own personal
expression that they feel that the very mention of "money" somehow negates
their all important integrity.

This popularist view is just as confusing for the client as it is for the
artist.

Along with this difficulty about money are a few other myths that probably
need to knocked very hard on the head, worst of these is the commonly held
idea that it somehow good for an artist to almost give their work away when
people suggest that many other people will see the work when it is located
in their office, home, church or community facility and this will somehow
almost magically convert into enhanced reputation and increased sales for
the artist.

To put it very bluntly indeed, it does exactly the opposite, it shows that
the artist does not value or really believe in their work as they are
prepared to give it away.

Money is now what I mention first, it is the very best way of seeing  just
how committed a potential client may be, this need not be completely direct
but it doesn't matter if it is. It is as much part of the relationship
building process as anything else, clients become comfortable with the idea
of going ahead with a project through the process of negotiation including
MONEY

I actually think that your Cautionary Tale title is one that could have us
all going for ages.............the other Cautionary Tale lurking in your
problem was that you fell into one of most difficult and problem filled
areas of all PORTRAITURE, albeit of a dog.

I only make heads, I regularly use models and I'm always being asked to by
clients to do portraits of people who are dear to them in some way, I always
reply the same way, "to do a really good job I'd need to really get to know
the subject, the best way for this to happen is for me to live with them for
6 months". Can you imagine how expensive that would be?

The real problem with portraiture is that the client has their own
impression of the subject which may not be what the artist sees and even if
the sculpture is totally "accurate" it may not feel like the client's own
understanding and therefore not look like the subject to them..

I assume you know your pit bull very well and almost subconsciously put that
knowledge and love into your sculpture, it was probably what attracted your
friend to it in the first place. I'll bet that this was a missing element in
the portrait you did of the Great Dane.And even if you had some affection
for the animal it may not have been the same as the owner's.

I believe I remember some advice that Joshua Reynolds gave young artists
concerning portraits, "develop the ability to converse with your subject" in
other words get to know them, get to know how they see themselves and
probably most important of all get know if their friends and relatives see
them the same way.

Regards Clive