Studio Policy

No. All paintings sold are original works, and no copies, prints or reproductions are ever made or authorized. This is important to me in this age of AI generated art and digital reproductions; when you buy one of my pieces you are getting the unique item created by my hand.

My main medium is oil paint, but I use acrylics on occasion when I am painting 'plein air' . I use both traditional canvas stretched on wooden supports and canvas covered panels.

I LOVE to work on commission! Nothing is more satisfying to me than fulfilling someone's desire to own a piece of original art created especially for them. I can work from photographs or just a verbal description of what you would like to see in the painting. I usually do a sketch or digital mockup of what the final piece will look like to get your approval before I commit paint to canvas so I know you will be happy with your personal piece of art!

Oil paints use volatile mediums and solvents like linseed oil, turpentine and mineral spirits. They take a very long time to dry (sometimes as much as months to fully cure some colors), which is useful in the studio when I am working an idea over long periods and I need the subtle colors, soft blending, shading and precision this affords me. Acrylics, on the other hand, are water soluble and dry quickly - sometimes within minutes! Acrylics are great for painting outdoors and on location when it is much easier to use water than have to deal with the thinners and mediums needed for oil paint. In my opinion. Acrylic paints generally have more intense color saturation than oil, whereas oils have a greater range of subtle shading available. One is not inherently better than the other, it just depends on how I want to work and which look I want the finished painting to have .

Stretched canvas is the traditional form everyone thinks about when they think about paintings; the canvas is stretched over a wooden frame and held in place with staples or what is called 'splining'. Canvas panels are created by gluing canvas to a stiff cardboard backing. Both the stretched canvas and canvas panels are good painting surfaces, but they behave differently under the pressure of a brush stroke. I find that the 'give' and flex of stretched canvas is great for softer effects, but it is much easier to get sharp edges using the stiffness of canvas panels. The thin profile of canvas panels make them more wind-resistant and easier to tote around, so I tend to use them more when I am painting on location. Having said that, traditional canvas is considered a higher quality product and costs a bit more than canvas panels.

This is always a tough topic for artists. I have to strike a balance between the relatively short time it takes for me to do a specific painting and the countless hours I have spent my entire life honing my skill and learning about brushes, paints, mediums and techniques. Generally speaking, I base my pricing on the size of the painting and what type of paint and canvas I am using. Oil paint is more expensive and takes longer, so it is priced higher than acrylic. Traditional canvas costs more and is of higher quality than canvas panels, so it is priced accordingly. The size/type material pricing guide serves as a starting point for commissioned work; if the subject proves to be complex or difficult, I would tack on a bit more to compensate me for my suffering as an artist (just kidding - about the suffering, not the price increase).